View source for 1966 NFL Championship Game

{{Short description|34th NFL championship}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
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{{Infobox NFLChamp
| type = nflc
| name = 1966
| image =
| visitor = [[1966 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| visitor_record = 12–2
| visitor_abbr = GB
| home = [[1966 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]
| home_record = 10–3–1
| home_abbr = DAL
| visitor_coach = [[Vince Lombardi]]
| home_coach = [[Tom Landry]]
| visitor_conf = Western
| home_conf = Eastern
| visitor_qtr1 = 14
| visitor_qtr2 = 7
| visitor_qtr3 = 7
| visitor_qtr4 = 6
| visitor_total = 34
| home_qtr1 = 14
| home_qtr2 = 3
| home_qtr3 = 3
| home_qtr4 = 7
| home_total = 27
| date = January 1, 1967
| stadium = [[Cotton Bowl (stadium)|Cotton Bowl]]
| MVP = [[Bart Starr]] (quarterback; Green Bay)
| city = [[Dallas|Dallas, Texas]]
| attendance = 74,152
| odds =
| network = [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| announcers = [[Jack Buck]], [[Ray Scott (sportscaster)|Ray Scott]],<br>[[Frank Gifford]]
| radio = [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| radioannouncers = [[Jack Drees]], Jim Morse
| HOFers = '''Packers:''' [[Vince Lombardi]] (head coach/gm), [[Herb Adderley]], [[Willie Davis (defensive end)|Willie Davis]], [[Forrest Gregg]], [[Paul Hornung]], [[Henry Jordan]], [[Jerry Kramer]], [[Ray Nitschke]], [[Dave Robinson (American football)|Dave Robinson]], [[Bart Starr]], [[Jim Taylor (fullback)|Jim Taylor]], [[Willie Wood (American football)|Willie Wood]] <br> '''Cowboys:''' [[Tex Schramm]] (team administrator), [[Gil Brandt]] (team administrator), [[Tom Landry]] (coach), [[Bob Hayes]], [[Chuck Howley]], [[Bob Lilly]], [[Mel Renfro]]
|rating=30.3}}
{{Location map
|USA
|relief     = 1
|label      = <small>Dallas</small>
|lat        = 32.78
|long       = -96.76
|caption    = Location in the [[United States]]
|position   = 
|marksize   = 5
|float      = 
|background = 
|width      = 280
}}
{{Location map
|USA Texas
|relief     = 1
|label      = <small>Dallas</small>
|lat        = 32.78
|long       = -96.76
|caption    = Location in [[Texas]]
|position   = bottom
|marksize   = 5
|float      = 
|background = 
|width      = 160
}}
The '''1966 NFL Championship Game''' was the 34th [[History of the National Football League championship|NFL championship]], played at the [[Cotton Bowl (stadium)|Cotton Bowl]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]].<ref name=sellout>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=twAqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BREEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5682%2C5805757 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |title=NFL title game sells out fast |date=December 22, 1966 |page=1, part 2}}</ref><ref name=tdthed>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8QIqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3ycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7300%2C188830 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |last=Johnson |first=Chuck |title=Today's the day - Packers vs. Dallas |date=January 1, 1967 |page=1, sports}}</ref><ref name=pfcbrp>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1967/01/01/page/19/article/decide-championships-today-in-nfl-afl|newspaper=Chicago Tribune |last=Strickler |first=George |title=Packers face Cowboys for record purse |date=January 1, 1967 |page=1, section 2}}</ref><ref name=pckchfswn>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1967/01/02/page/97/article/chiefs-rout-buffalo-31-to-7 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |last=Strickler |first=George |title=Packers win NFL title |date=January 2, 1967 |page=1, section 3}}</ref><ref name=sgptwtv>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5ThWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7ugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7234%2C702863 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Starr guns Packers to wild title victory |date=January 2, 1967 |page=16}}</ref><ref name=gbrhi>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1967/01/09/542903/green-bay-rolls-high |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |author-link=Tex Maule |title=Green Bay rolls high|date=January 9, 1967 |page=6}}</ref> It was the final game of the [[1966 NFL season]]. This was also the last Championship game before the inauguration of the NFL playoffs [[1967–68 NFL playoffs|the following year]].

It determined the champion of the [[National Football League]] (NFL), which met the champion of the [[American Football League]] (AFL) in [[Super Bowl I]], then formally referred to as the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game. The Western Conference champion [[1966 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] (12–2), [[1965 NFL Championship Game|defending league champions]], were hosted by the [[1966 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] (10–3–1), the Eastern Conference champions.

At the time, the home field for the NFL Championship Game alternated between the two conferences; even-numbered years were hosted by the Eastern and odd-numbered by the Western. Starting with the [[1975 NFL season|1975]] season, playoff sites were determined by regular season record, rather than a rotational basis.

The New Year's [[1966 Cotton Bowl Classic (December)|college bowl game at the Cotton Bowl]] for the [[1966 NCAA University Division football season|1966 season]] included the [[1966 SMU Mustangs football team|SMU Mustangs]] of Dallas. It was played the day before, New Year's Eve, which required a quick turnaround to transform the natural grass field.<ref name=ggrout>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8QIqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3ycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5885%2C188544 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal|title=Georgia grinds out 24–9 Cotton victory |date=January 1, 1967 |page=1, sports }}</ref> The stadium was filled to its 75,504 capacity for both games, but both local teams came up short.

==Background==
This was the first NFL title game played after the [[AFL–NFL merger]] was announced in June [[1966 NFL season|1966]]. The game was played on January 1, 1967, the second consecutive year that the NFL season ended in January, rather than December. This was the seventh season for the Dallas Cowboys and their first winning record since entering the league in [[1960 Dallas Cowboys season|1960]]. They were champions of the NFL's Eastern Conference with a 10–3–1 record. The Packers won the Western Conference with a 12–2 record, their eighth consecutive winning season under head coach [[Vince Lombardi]].

Tickets for the game sold for ten dollars,<ref name=sellout/> and kickoff was just after 3 p.m. [[Central Time Zone|CST]],<ref name=pfcbrp/> televised by [[NFL on CBS|CBS]], following the [[1966 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship]] from [[War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo, New York)|Buffalo]] on [[NFL on NBC|NBC]].

The final score was [[1966 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay]] 34, [[1966 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas]] 27.<ref name=sgptwtv/><ref name=gbrhi/><ref name=ptip>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CnMxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DxEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7238%2C200828 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |title=Packers tip Dallas for title, 34-27 | last = Lea | first = Bud | author-link = Bud Lea |date=January 2, 1967 |page=1, part 2}}</ref> Two weeks later, Green Bay went on to easily defeat the [[1966 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] in [[Super Bowl I]] in [[Los Angeles]].

==Game summary==
The seasoned Packers, defending champions of the {{nfly|1965}} season, were favored by a touchdown over the talented, but young Cowboys team, who had no players with championship experience and only one player over 30, linebacker [[Chuck Howley]].  The game was expected to be a shootout, and as wary as the Packers were of Cowboys wide-out [[Bob Hayes]], the fastest man in football at the time, Lombardi made the decision before the game not to put double-coverage on the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|Olympic champion sprinter]].  It proved to be a good gamble, as [[Herb Adderley]] and [[Bob Jeter]] held Hayes to only one reception for one yard.  Lombardi also installed a special offense for the game, knowing that the Cowboys had spent time preparing to stop plays like the [[Packers sweep]].

Green Bay scored on their opening drive, with [[Elijah Pitts]] breaking free for a 32-yard run on the opening play – a misdirection play that was part of Lombardi's special game plan.  Later Pitts took a circle route pass over the middle from [[Bart Starr]] at the Cowboy 5 and broke a tackle by [[Warren Livingston]] to cap a 17-yard touchdown play. Then Cowboys defensive back [[Mel Renfro]] fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Packer rookie [[Jim Grabowski]] returned it 18 yards to give Green Bay a 14–0 lead before Dallas's first play.  But the Cowboys stormed back with a 13-play drive to score on [[Dan Reeves]]'s 3-yard rushing touchdown.  Then after forcing a punt, they drove 59 yards to tie the game at 14 with a 23-yard touchdown burst by fullback [[Don Perkins]].

Starr broke the tie on the third play of the second quarter with a 51-yard bomb to [[Carroll Dale]] over the head of CB [[Cornell Green (defensive back)|Cornell Green]].  Dallas responded with a 68-yard drive to the Packers 4-yard line, featuring a 40-yard completion from [[Don Meredith]] to a wide-open Reeves, but could go no further and settled for an 11-yard [[Danny Villanueva]] field goal, cutting their deficit to 21–17.  Green Bay had a chance to retake a 7-point lead before halftime, but [[Don Chandler]]'s 30-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Cowboys tackle [[Ralph Neely]].

Early in the third quarter, Dallas defensive back [[Warren Livingston]] recovered a fumble from Pitts on the Cowboys 21-yard line.  Meredith then led the team on a 13-play drive to bring the score to within one point, 21–20, on Villanueva's 32-yard field goal.  But on Green Bay's next drive, Starr completed a 40-yard pass to Dale, who beat Green to the outside.  From the Dallas 16 Starr hit  [[Boyd Dowler]] cutting across the field for his third touchdown pass of the game, giving the Pack a 28–20 lead going into the fourth quarter.  Dallas safety [[Mike Gaechter]] upended Dowler after the end took several steps in the end zone, causing Dowler to leave the game (Dowler was hampered much of the season by a calcium deposit on his shoulder).  Bart Starr had to guide an upset [[Jim Taylor (fullback)|Jim Taylor]] to the Green Bay sideline when the fiery Green Bay fullback started looking for Gaechter.

Late in the final period, Hayes fielded a punt on his own 1-yard line and was tackled inside the 5.  Don Meredith hit a cold streak and missed several passes, and a Dallas punt gave Green Bay good field position on the Dallas 48.  [[George Andrie]] sacked Starr on the first play, but Starr then picked up a key first down with a 24-yard pass to tight end [[Marv Fleming]].  Later faced with 3rd and 12, he completed a 16-yard pass to fullback [[Jim Taylor (fullback)|Jim Taylor]] for a first down.  Starr was again sacked on the drive, this time for an 11-yard loss by [[Willie Townes]].  But on third and nineteen, the Packers picked up a Cowboy blitz and Starr threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to [[Max McGee]] (who replaced the injured Dowler).  McGee had told Starr he could beat cornerback Warren Livingston to the outside ("Zig out" pattern).  With just 5:20 left, the game appeared to be slipping out of reach for the Cowboys.  However, defensive tackle [[Bob Lilly]] kept his team in the game by blocking Chandler's extra point attempt, keeping the deficit at 2 scores, 34–20, rather than 3.

Dallas started their comeback attempt on the ensuing drive.  Faced with 3rd down and 20, Meredith threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to tight end [[Franklin Clarke|Frank Clarke]], making the score 34–27.  Desperately trying to run out the clock with their ensuing possession, Green Bay started out with an 18-yard reception by Fleming on the Packers 46.  But on the next play, Starr was sacked for an 8-yard loss by linebacker [[Dave Edwards (linebacker)|Dave Edwards]]. Townes broke up a screen pass on the next play, and then Taylor was stuffed for a loss.  Now faced with 4th down, a heavy rush from the Dallas defense caused Chandler's punt to go just 17 yards, giving the Cowboys the ball on the Green Bay 47-yard line with 2:12 remaining.

A 21-yard catch by Clarke and a 4-yard run by Perkins advanced the ball to the Green Bay 22-yard line.<ref name=yowell/>  Then a pass interference penalty on safety [[Tom Brown (safety)|Tom Brown]] gave the Cowboys a first down at the Packer 2-yard line.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kyle|last=Thompson|title=Packer Tom Brown, Nearly The Goat, Saved The Day|date=January 2, 1967|newspaper=The Bangor Daily News|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news/171545681/|access-date=May 2, 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Halfback Dan Reeves gained a yard on first down.  A crucial mistake on a false start by Jim Boeke penalized the Cowboys back to the Green Bay 6 (nullifying a play where a wide-open [[Pettis Norman]] had dropped a pass in the end zone), and Reeves then dropped a pass in the flat on second down.  Reeves had been scratched in the eye on his previous run but did not come out of the game in favor of rookie [[Walt Garrison]] despite clouded vision, another mental error.  Meredith found tight end [[Pettis Norman]] on third down to bring Dallas back to the two-yard line, the end making the catch on his knees. On fourth down, the Cowboys attempted a rollout pass.  No one on the Cowboys noticed that end Bob Hayes was in the goal line offense instead of Frank Clarke, who was typically used for better blocking.  Packer linebacker [[Dave Robinson (American football)|Dave Robinson]] recognized the play from films, brushed Hayes aside, stormed into the Cowboy backfield and enveloped Meredith.  Somehow Meredith got a wobbly sidearm toss away, but Brown intercepted the pass in the end zone as the intended receiver, Hayes, was surrounded by Packers defenders.<ref name=yowell>{{cite web|url=https://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2011/01/1967-packers-hold-off-cowboys-to-win.html|work=Today in Pro Football History|title=1967: Packers Hold Off Cowboys to Win NFL Championship|first=Keith|last=Yowell|date=January 1, 2011|access-date=May 2, 2025}}</ref>  Vince Lombardi later congratulated Robinson, but in the next breath criticized him for being out of his assigned position.

Starr completed 19 of 28 passes for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns, with no interceptions, though he was sacked five times.  His quarterback rating for the game was a stellar 143.5.  Dale caught 5 passes for 128 yards and a score.  Pitts led the Packers in rushing with 66 yards and caught a touchdown pass.  Meredith finished the game 15/31 for 238 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for 22 yards.  Perkins rushed for 108 yards and a score, while Reeves rushed for 47 yards, caught 4 passes for 77 yards, and scored a touchdown.

"I don't know, we haven't played [[1966 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] yet." – Vince Lombardi after being asked what it felt like to be the greatest football team in the world just after winning the 1966 NFL Championship Game. Coincidentally, [[Bear Bryant]]'s Crimson Tide wrapped up an 11–0 season the next day by routing [[1966 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]] 34–7 in the [[1967 Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowl]] in [[New Orleans]].

With the win, the Packers earned their tenth NFL championship; it was their second in a row and fourth in six seasons under Lombardi, in his eighth year as Green Bay's head coach.

This was the Packers' only post-season win against the Cowboys in the [[Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas area]] until the [[2016–17 NFL playoffs|2016 season]], when they beat them in another [[2016–17 NFL playoffs#NFC: Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 31|tooth and nail game]] to advance to the [[2016–17 NFL playoffs#NFC: Atlanta Falcons 44, Green Bay Packers 21|NFC Championship Game]].

===Game information===
Sunday, January 1, 1967<br>
Kickoff: 3:05&nbsp;p.m. [[Central Standard Time|CST]]

*'''First quarter'''
**GB – [[Elijah Pitts]] 17 pass from [[Bart Starr]] ([[Don Chandler]] kick), 7–0 GB
**GB – [[Jim Grabowski]] 18 fumble return (Chandler kick), 14–0 GB
**DAL – [[Dan Reeves]] 3 run ([[Danny Villanueva]] kick), 14–7 GB
**DAL – [[Don Perkins]] 23 run (Villanueva kick), 14–14 TIE
*'''Second quarter'''
**GB – [[Carroll Dale]] 51 pass from Starr (Chandler kick), 21–14 GB
**DAL – FG Villanueva 11, 21–17 GB
*'''Third quarter'''
**DAL – FG Villanueva 32, 21–20 GB
**GB – [[Boyd Dowler]] 16 pass from Starr (Chandler kick), 28–20 GB
*'''Fourth quarter'''
**GB – [[Max McGee]] 28 pass from Starr (kick blocked), 34–20 GB
**DAL – [[Franklin Clarke]] 68 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick), 34–27 GB

==Officials==
{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}
*'''Referee:''' (7) [[Tommy Bell (American football official)|Tommy Bell]]
*'''Umpire:''' (15) Ralph Morcroft
*'''Head linesman:''' (30) George Murphy
*'''Line judge:''' (24) [[Bruce Alford, Sr.|Bruce Alford]]
*'''Back judge:''' (25) [[Tom Kelleher (American football official)|Tom Kelleher]]
*'''Field judge:''' (34) [[Fritz Graf]]<ref name=pckchfswn/>
{{col-break|gap=4em}}
{{col-end}}

The NFL had six game officials in {{nfly|1966}}; the line judge was added a season earlier in {{nfly|1965}} and the side judge arrived twelve years later in {{nfly|1978}}.

==Players' shares==
The Packer players each received $8,600 and the Cowboy players about $6,000 each,<ref name=pfcbrp/><ref name=sgptwtv/> an increase over the previous year's ($7,500 and $4,600).<ref name="epgsfhd">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hS5JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3706%2C830083 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press|title=Each Packer gets $7,500 for win |date=January 3, 1966 |page=18 }}</ref>

Over in the [[1966 American Football League Championship Game|AFL]], the winning [[1966 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] split their players' shares for the title game 51 ways for $5,308 each, while the [[1966 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] split theirs into 47 shares for about $3,800 each.<ref name=ldjwaprdy>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jNFTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=szgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7205%2C79036 |newspaper=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Chiefs ready for Packers |date=January 2, 1967 |page=14 }}</ref><ref name=splfow>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jNFTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=szgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2513%2C79297 |newspaper=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |title=K.C. splits pot 51 ways |date=January 2, 1967 |page=14}}</ref>

The upcoming [[Super Bowl I|Super Bowl]] awarded an additional $15,000 per player for the winners and $7,500 each for the losing team.<ref name=ldjwaprdy/>

==See also==
* [[1966 NFL season]]
* [[History of the National Football League championship]]
* [[Super Bowl I]]
* [[1966 American Football League Championship Game|1966 AFL Championship Game]]
* [[Cowboys–Packers rivalry]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

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{{1966 NFL season by team}}
{{Super Bowl I}}
{{Green Bay Packers}}
{{Dallas Cowboys}}
{{NFL pre-sb}}
{{NFL on CBS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1966 NFL Championship Game}}
[[Category:1960s in Dallas]]
[[Category:1966 NFL season|Championship Game]]
[[Category:1967 in sports in Texas|NFL Championship Game]]
[[Category:American football competitions in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]]
[[Category:Dallas Cowboys postseason]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers playoff games]]
[[Category:January 1967 sports events in the United States|NFL Championship Game]]
[[Category:NFL Championship games]]