1966 Green Bay Packers season
48th NFL franchise season; first team to win Super Bowl
- ← 1965
- Packers seasons
- 1967 →
The 1966 Green Bay Packers season was their 48th season overall and their 46th in the National Football League (NFL). The defending NFL champions had a league-best regular season record of 12–2, led by eighth-year head coach Vince Lombardi and quarterback Bart Starr, in his eleventh NFL season.
The Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL championship game, the Packers' second consecutive NFL title, fourth under Lombardi, and tenth for the franchise. Two weeks later, the Packers recorded a 35–10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the inaugural AFL-NFL Championship Game, retroactively known as Super Bowl I.
Quarterback Starr was named the league's most valuable player (MVP) in 1966, leading the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating, and ending the season with a 4.7-to-1 touchdown-interception ratio. This assisted the team's struggling rushing game, which averaged 3.5 yards-per-attempt (the worst in the league that season). [1] The 1966 Packers also had the best passer rating differential (offensive passer rating minus opponents passer rating), +56.0, in the Super Bowl Era.[2] [citation needed]
In 2007, the 1966 Packers were ranked as the sixth greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, with team commentary from Bill Curry, Willie Davis, and Bart Starr, and narrated by Donald Sutherland. More than a decade later, this team ranked #13 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[3][4]
Offseason
The Washington Redskins made overtures to Vince Lombardi about becoming their new head coach. Lombardi refused their offer and the Redskins had to settle for Otto Graham as their new head coach.[5] Lombardi replaced Graham in Washington in 1969.
NFL draft
In the 1966 NFL draft, held in late November 1965, the Packers selected running back Jim Grabowski of Illinois with the ninth overall pick.[6] Common for pro football in the mid-1960s, the Packers found themselves in a bidding war for Grabowski. The expansion Miami Dolphins of the American Football League selected Grabowski with the first overall selection of the AFL Draft, held the same day.[7] Lombardi's plan was to groom Grabowski to take over for Jim Taylor at fullback. Despite being offered more money by the Dolphins, Grabowski said it was an honor to be drafted by the Packers.[8] Grabowski signed with the Packers and landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated in August, with veteran backfield tandem Paul Hornung and Taylor on the main cover and rookies Grabowski and Donny Anderson on the foldout.[9][10] The signing of Grabowski upset Taylor, who felt that he was underpaid and made it publicly known that he would leave Green Bay once his contract expired. Taylor had been given an offer by the expansion Atlanta Falcons, but agreed to honor his contract before moving to another team and played out his option in 1966.[11][12][13][14]
Fellow rookie running back Anderson of Texas Tech was the seventh overall selection of the 1965 draft as an underclassman, and he stayed in school for his senior season in 1965. Due to their large contracts, signed during the height of the pre-merger bidding war with the AFL, as well as their high visibility as the apparent replacements for Hornung and Taylor, Anderson and Grabowski were nicknamed the "Gold Dust Twins."[15]
The 1966 draft (November 1965) was the last one held separately for the two leagues. Following the merger agreement of June 1966, a common draft was conducted in March 1967.
| Round | Selection | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Jim Grabowski | FB | Illinois |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Gale Gillingham | G | Minnesota |
| 2 | 14 | 30 | Tom Cichowski | OT | Maryland |
| 3 | 13 | 45 | Fred Heron | DE | San Jose State |
| 3 | 14 | 46 | Tony Jeter | TE | Nebraska |
| 4 | 14 | 62 | John Roderick | WR | SMU |
| 7 | 13 | 108 | Ray Miller | DL | Idaho |
| 8 | 14 | 124 | Ken McLean | WR | Texas A&M |
| 9 | 13 | 138 | Ron Rector | RB | Northwestern |
| 10 | 14 | 154 | Sam Montgomery | DL | Southern |
| 11 | 13 | 168 | Ralph Wenzel | OL | San Diego State |
| 12 | 14 | 184 | Jim Mankins | RB | Florida State |
| 13 | 13 | 198 | Ed King | LB | USC |
| 14 | 14 | 214 | Ron Hanson | WR | North Dakota State |
| 15 | 13 | 228 | Grady Bolton | OL | Mississippi State |
| 16 | 14 | 244 | Bob Schultz | DL | Wisconsin–Stevens Point |
| 17 | 13 | 258 | Dave Hathcock | CB | Memphis State |
| 18 | 14 | 274 | Jim Jones | DE | Nebraska-Omaha |
| 19 | 13 | 288 | Dave Moton | WR | USC |
| 20 | 14 | 304 | Ed Maras | WR | South Dakota State |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists Currently vacant
| ||||||
Preseason
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Score' |
Regular season
The defending champion Packers finished the regular season with a league best record of 12–2, returning them to the NFL championship game as Western Conference champions. Until 1975, NFL playoff sites were rotated, so the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys (10–3–1) hosted the title game in 1966 at the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1967.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | Baltimore Colts | W, 24–3 | 1–0 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 48,650 |
| 2 | September 18 | at Cleveland Browns | W, 21–20 | 2–0 | Cleveland Stadium | 83,943 |
| 3 | September 25 | Los Angeles Rams | W, 24–13 | 3–0 | Lambeau Field | 50,861 |
| 4 | October 2 | Detroit Lions | W, 23–14 | 4–0 | Lambeau Field | 50,861 |
| 5 | October 9 | at San Francisco 49ers | L, 20–21 | 4–1 | Kezar Stadium | 39,290 |
| 6 | October 16 | at Chicago Bears | W, 17–0 | 5–1 | Wrigley Field | 48,573 |
| 7 | October 23 | Atlanta Falcons | W, 56–3 | 6–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 48,623 |
| 8 | October 30 | at Detroit Lions | W, 31–7 | 7–1 | Tiger Stadium | 56,954 |
| 9 | November 6 | Minnesota Vikings | L, 17–20 | 7–2 | Lambeau Field | 50,861 |
| 10 | November 13 | Bye | ||||
| 11 | November 20 | Chicago Bears | W, 13–6 | 8–2 | Lambeau Field | 50,861 |
| 12 | November 27 | at Minnesota Vikings | W, 28–16 | 9–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,426 |
| 13 | December 4 | San Francisco 49ers | W, 20–7 | 10–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 48,725 |
| 14 | December 10 | at Baltimore Colts | W, 14–10 | 11–2 | Memorial Stadium | 60,238 |
| 15 | December 18 | at Los Angeles Rams | W, 27–23 | 12–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 72,416 |
- Saturday (September 10, December 10)
- A bye week was necessary in 1966, as the league expanded to an odd-number (15) of teams (Atlanta); one team was idle each week.
Standings
| NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Green Bay Packers | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 10–2 | 335 | 163 | W5 | |
| Baltimore Colts | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 7–5 | 314 | 226 | W1 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 6–6 | 289 | 212 | L1 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 6 | 2 | .500 | 5–5–2 | 320 | 325 | L1 | |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 7 | 2 | .417 | 4–6–2 | 234 | 272 | W1 | |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 3–8–1 | 206 | 317 | L3 | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 4–7–1 | 292 | 304 | L1 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Game summaries
Week 1 vs. Baltimore Colts
Week One: Baltimore Colts (0–0) at Green Bay Packers (0–0)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Packers | 0 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date: September 10
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information | ||
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Week 2: at Cleveland Browns
Week Two: Green Bay Packers (1–0) at Cleveland Browns (1–0)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Browns | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: Sunday, September 18
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week Three: Los Angeles Rams (2–0) at Green Bay Packers (2–0)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, September 25
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions
Week Four: Detroit Lions (2–1) at Green Bay Packers (3–0)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Packers | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, October 2
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Five: Green Bay Packers (4–0) at San Francisco 49ers (0–2–1)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California
- Date: Sunday, October 9
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 6: at Chicago Bears
Week Six: Green Bay Packers (4–1) at Chicago Bears (2–2)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: Sunday, October 16
- Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 7: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons (0–6) at Green Bay Packers (5–1)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Packers | 7 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 56 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, October 23
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 8: at Detroit Lions
Week Eight: Green Bay Packers (6–1) at Detroit Lions (2–5)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: Sunday, October 30
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week Nine: Minnesota Vikings (2–4–1) at Green Bay Packers (7–1)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, November 6
- Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Eleven: Chicago Bears (3–4–2) at Green Bay Packers (7–2)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, November 20
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 12: at Minnesota Vikings
Week Twelve: Green Bay Packers (8–2) at Minnesota Vikings (3–6–1)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Date: Sunday, November 27
- Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week Thirteen: San Francisco 49ers (5–4–2) at Green Bay Packers (9–2)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date: Sunday, December 4
- Game weather: 20 °F (−7 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 14: at Baltimore Colts
Week Fourteen: Green Bay Packers (10–2) at Baltimore Colts (8–4)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: Sunday, December 10
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Zeke Bratkowski relieved Bart Starr, who suffered a muscle spasm in the first half. Bratkowski directed an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in a go-ahead touchdown run by Elijah Pitts. John Unitas then led the Colts to the Green Bay 15, but there lost a fumble which came to be known as the 'Million Dollar Fumble', to secure the Packers' win that clinched the Western Conference crown.[18]
Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams
Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers (11–2) at Los Angeles Rams (8–5)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Rams | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Date: Sunday, December 18
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Postseason
NFL Championship Game
Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 27
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
- Date: Sunday, January 1
- Game attendance: 74,152
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Green Bay took an early 14–0 lead on two first-quarter scores; a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bart Starr to Elijah Pitts and an 18-yard fumble return by Jim Grabowski on the ensuing kickoff. The Cowboys tied the score with two touchdowns towards the end of the quarter.
Starr's third touchdown pass of the game gave the Packers a 34–20 lead with 5:20 left in the game, but the Cowboys responded with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Don Meredith to Frank Clarke. Dallas advanced to the Green Bay 22-yard line on their next drive, when a pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first down at the Packer 2-yard line. But Green Bay's Tom Brown intercepted a Meredith pass in the end zone with 28 seconds left to play to preserve the victory for the Packers.
With the win, the Packers earned their 10th NFL championship. It was their second in a row and fourth in six seasons.
Super Bowl I
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I, was played on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Packers faced the Kansas City Chiefs from the AFL, who finished their regular season at 11–2–1.
In the week prior to the game, the Packers practiced at UC Santa Barbara, and the Chiefs at Veterans Field in Long Beach.[20]
The Packers jumped out to an early 7–0 lead with Bart Starr's 37-yard touchdown pass to reserve receiver Max McGee, who had been put into the game just a few plays earlier to fill in for injured starter Boyd Dowler. Early in the second quarter, Kansas City marched 66 yards in 6 plays to tie the game on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Len Dawson to Curtis McClinton. But the Packers responded on their next drive, advancing 73 yards down the field and scoring on fullback Jim Taylor's 14-yard touchdown run with the team's famed "Power Sweep" play. The Chiefs then cut the lead with a minute left in the half, 14–10, on Mike Mercer's 31-yard field goal.
Early in the second half Dawson was intercepted by defensive back Willie Wood. He returned the interception 50 yards to the Kansas City 5-yard line. On the next play Elijah Pitts rushed 5-yards for a touchdown, giving the Packers a 21–10 lead. Max McGee scored his second touchdown of the game with a 13-yard reception from Bart Starr. The Packers held the Chiefs' offense to 12 yards in the third quarter. Elijah Pitts scored another touchdown for the Packers in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run. The Packers would win the game 35–10. Quarterback Bart Starr was named the MVP of the game, completing 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
Statistics
Team leaders
| Category | Player(s) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | Bart Starr | 2,257 |
| Passing touchdowns | Bart Starr | 14 |
| Rushing yards | Jim Taylor | 763 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Elijah Pitts | 7 |
| Receiving yards | Carroll Dale | 876 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Carroll Dale | 7 |
| Points | Don Chandler | 77 |
| Kickoff return yards | Donny Anderson | 533 |
| Punt return yards | Donny Anderson | 124 |
| Interceptions | Dave Robinson/Bob Jeter | 5 |
| Sacks | Lionel Aldridge | 12.5 |
Note that sack totals from 1960 to 1981 are considered unofficial by the NFL.[21]
League rankings
| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 15) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 2,602 | 173.5 | 6th |
| Rushing offense | 1,673 | 111.5 | 8th |
| Total offense | 4,275 | 285 | 8th |
| Passing defense | 1,959 | 130.6 | 1st |
| Rushing defense | 1,644 | 109.6 | 6th |
| Total defense | 3,603 | 298.5 | 3rd |
Awards and records
- Bart Starr, NFL MVP
- Bart Starr, Super Bowl most valuable player
References
- ^ "Cold Hard Football Facts: The Dandy Dozen: 12 best passing seasons in history". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ "Cold Hard Football Facts: 40 and Fabulous: in praise of passer rating". Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 453, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ 1966 Green Bay Packers draft on Database Football Archived 2006-12-07 at the Wayback Machine obtained 18 December 2006.
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 396
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 383, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 384, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ "(cover)". Sports Illustrated. August 22, 1966.
- ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 385, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
- ^ "Jim Taylor playing out his option". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. Associated Press. October 24, 1966. p. 16.
- ^ "Vince bans scribe after Taylor story". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 25, 1966. p. 15.
- ^ Kuechle, Oliver E. (October 27, 1966). "The case of Jim Taylor of Green Bay". Milwaukee Journal. p. 17, part 2.
- ^ "Jim Grabowski quits pro ball". Bryan Times. UPI. September 2, 1972. p. 7.
- ^ "Pro title rosters". Pittsburgh Press. January 1, 1967. p. 2, section 4.
- ^ "1966 Green Bay Packers Roster & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "THE $1,000,000 FUMBLE". Sports Illustrated. December 19, 1966.
- ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame: Super Bowl Game-Time Temperatures
- ^ "Green Bay to train at San. Barbara". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 5, 1967. p. 20.
- ^ "Pre-1982 Sacks Added To Pro Football Reference". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
External links
- 1966 Green Bay Packers at database football
- 1966 Green Bay Packers at pro football reference
