1966 Kansas City Chiefs season

1966 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head Coach	Hank Stram
Home Field	Municipal Stadium
Results
Record	11–2–1
Place	1st AFL Western
Playoff Finish	Won AFL Championship (Bills) 31–7 Lost AFL-NFL Championship Game (Packers) 10–35
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1965	1967

The 1966 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with the Chiefs' second AFL Championship and first since their relocation to Kansas City, Missouri. Instead of finishing the season with the AFL Championship win, the Chiefs were invited to play in the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later known as the Super Bowl, against the NFL's Green Bay Packers. After a strong first half in the game, the Chiefs lost momentum and the Packers won 35–10.

Regular Season

Season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 11, 1966	at Buffalo Bills	W 42–20	42,023
2	September 18, 1966	at Oakland Raiders	W 32-10	50,746
3	September 25, 1966	at Boston Patriots	W 43-24	22,641
4	October 2, 1966	Buffalo Bills	L 29-14	43,885
5	October 8, 1966	Denver Broncos	W 37-10	33,929
6	October 16, 1966	Oakland Raiders	L 34–13	33,057
7	October 23, 1966	at Denver Broncos	W 56–10	26,196
8	October 30, 1966	Houston Oilers	W 48–23	31,676
9	November 6, 1966	San Diego Chargers	W 24–14	40,986
10	November 13, 1966	Miami Dolphins	W 34-16	34,063
11	November 20, 1966	Boston Patriots	T 27-27	41,475
12	November 27, 1966	at New York Jets	W 32-24	60,318
13	Bye
14	December 11, 1966	at Miami Dolphins	W 19–18	17,881
15	December 18, 1966	at San Diego Chargers	W 27–17	28,348

Postseason

With their 11–2–1 record, the Chiefs reappeared in the AFL Championship and defeated the reigning champion Buffalo Bills 31–7.

1966 AFL Championship

	1	2	3	4	OT
Chiefs	7	10	0	14	31
Bills	7	0	0	0	7

Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7

January 1, 1967 at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York
Attendance: 42,080

The Bills went into the 1966 AFL Championship having already won the game the previous two years. Though the game was to be played in Buffalo, the visiting Kansas City Chiefs were three-point favorites, mainly because of their explosive and innovative offense led by Head Coach Hank Stram. The Bills were a more conventional team with a solid defensive line and a running mindset on offense.

A Bills fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Chiefs a short field to work with, and Quarterback Len Dawson immediately took advantage of it, hitting Fred Arbanas for the game's first score. Jack Kemp's first pass for the Bills was a 69 yard score to Elbert Dubenion. Late in the second quarter and trailing 14–7, Kemp led the Bills to the Kansas City 10. Bobby Crockett was open in the endzone, but Kemp's pass was intercepted by Johnny Robinson, who returned the ball 72-yards, setting up a Mike Mercer field goal to close out the first half.

Buffalo found no offensive rhythm in the second half, and the Chiefs closed the game out in the fourth quarter with Dawson found Chris Burford for a 45 yard gain, setting up a one foot touchdown run by rookie Mike Garrett. Garrett scored his second touchdown less than two minutes later following another Bills fumble.

Scoring

• KC – Arbanas 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick)KC 7–0
• BUF – Dubenion 69 pass from Kemp (Lusteg kick)7–7
• KC – Taylor 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick) KC 14–7
• KC – Field goal Mercer 32 KC 17–7
• KC – Garrett 1 run (Mercer kick) KC 24–7
• KC – Garrett 18 run (Mercer kick) KC 31–7

AFL-NFL World Championship (Super Bowl I)

Main article: Super Bowl I

	1	2	3	4	OT
Chiefs	0	10	0	0	10
Packers	7	7	14	7	35

The first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be 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 season 11–2–1.

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 name the MVP of the game, completing 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Scoring Summary

• GB – McGee 37 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) 7–0 GB
• KC – McClinton 7 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick) 7–7
• GB – Taylor 14 run (Chandler kick) 14–7 GB
• KC – FG Mercer 31 14–10 GB
• GB – Pitts 5 run (Chandler kick) 21–10 GB
• GB – McGee 13 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) 28–10 GB
• GB – Pitts 1 run (Chandler kick) 35–10 GB

External links

• 1966 Kansas City Chiefs on Database Football

Preceded by Buffalo Bills 1965

American Football League champion 1966

Succeeded by Oakland Raiders 1967