1966 Green Bay Packers: First Super Bowl Champions

1966 Green Bay Packers: First Super Bowl Champions

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1966 Green Bay Packers: First Super Bowl Champions

The Super Bowl Era had officially begun when leadership of both the NFL and the AFL agreed to schedule a game that pitted their league champions against each other. Coming off a successful 1965 season, the Green Bay Packers were set to not only defend their NFL Championship, but to shoot for a higher goal, which was to become the first ever winners of the Super Bowl.

The Packers went 12-2 in 1966, winning the NFL Western Conference by 3 games over the Baltimore Colts. Following the steady game plan of smashmouth football principles implemented by head coach Vince Lombardi, the Packers were easily one of the best teams in football. Quarterback Bart Starr completed 156 of 251 pass attempts for 2,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. Starr also had 104 yards off 21 rushing attempts and scored 2 touchdowns.

Fullback Jim Taylor had 705 yards off 204 rushing attempts and scored 4 touchdowns while also having 41 receptions for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns. Halfback Elijah Pitts had 393 yards off 115 rushing attempts and scored 7 touchdowns while also having 26 receptions for 460 yards and 3 touchdowns. Halfback Paul Hornung had 200 yards off 76 rushing attempts and scored 2 touchdowns while also having 36 receptions for 460 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Carroll Dale had 37 receptions for 876 yards and 7 touchdowns. Split end wide receiver Marv Fleming had 31 receptions for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns. Flanker wide receiver Boyd Dowler had 29 receptions for 392 yards.

Halfback Donny Anderson had 104 yards off 25 rushing attempts and scored 2 touchdowns on offense, and he also contributed on special teams. Anderson would also have 6 punt returns for 124 yards and 1 touchdown and 23 kick returns for 533 yards. Cornerback Herb Adderley had 14 kick returns for 320 yards. Adderley also played a big role on defense as he had 4 interceptions for 125 yards and 1 touchdown, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Outside linebacker Dave Robinson had 5 interceptions for 60 yards and 2 fumble recoveries. Safety Tom Brown had 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. Cornerback Bob Jeter had 5 interceptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 1 fumble recovery. Outside linebacker Lee Roy Caffey had 3 interceptions for 62 yards and 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble recovery. Safety Willie Wood had 3 interceptions for 38 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensive back Doug Hart had 1 interception for 40 yards and 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble recovery. Middle linebacker Ray Nitschke had 2 interceptions. Linebacker Tommy Crutcher had 1 interception. Defensive ends Lionel Aldridge and Willie Davis both had 2 fumble recoveries.

The biggest win of the regular season for the Packers came in Week 7 on October 23, which was a 56-3 demolishing of the Atlanta Falcons. The closest win of the season occurred in Week 2 on September 18 when the Packers just barely beat the Cleveland Browns 21-20.

January 1, 1967 saw the Packers travel to the Cotton Bowl to take on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game, which would no longer be the last step of the way for any football team. Bart Starr completed 19 of 28 pass attempts for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns while Carroll Dale had 5 receptions for 128 yards and 1 touchdown. Dallas quarterback Don Meredith completed 15 of 31 pass attempts for 238 yards and 1 touchdown while halfback and fullback Don Perkins had 108 yards off 17 rushing attempts and 1 touchdown. Cowboys wide receiver Frank Clarke had 3 receptions for 102 yards and 1 touchdown.

Elijah Pitts put Green Bay on the board first with a 17-yard touchdown reception in the 1st quarter, and then running back Jim Grabowski returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown. Dallas running back Dan Reeves then had a 3-yard touchdown run, and Don Perkins followed with a 23-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14. In the 2nd quarter Carroll Dale had a 51-yard touchdown reception, and then Cowboys kicker Danny Villanueva kicked an 11-yard field goal to make the halftime score 21-17.

After Villanueva kicked a 32-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, Boyd Dowler caught a 16-yard touchdown pass for Green Bay, and wide receiver Max McGee sealed the deal for the Packers in the 4th quarter as he caught a 28-yard touchdown pass. Frank Clarke’s 68-yard touchdown reception wasn’t enough for the Cowboys as the Packers went on to win the NFL Championship 34-27.

The Green Bay Packers advanced to the very first Super Bowl where they would play the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15. Max McGee had a great game as he had 7 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. As the game went on, the outcome was never really in doubt as the Packers controlled Super Bowl I from start to finish, beating the Chiefs 35-10.

Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson completed 16 of 27 pass attempts for 211 yards and 1 touchdown, but also threw 1 interception. Eventually being named Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl, Bart Starr completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, though he also threw 1 interception.

In the 1st quarter Max McGee made history by catching the first touchdown pass in Super Bowl history, which went for 37 yards. In the 2nd quarter Chiefs fullback and tight end Curtis McClinton caught a 7-yard touchdown pass, and Jim Taylor responded for Green Bay by having a 14-yard touchdown run. Kansas City kicker Mike Mercer kicked a 31-yard field goal to make the halftime score 14-10. This would be as close as the Chiefs would get.

The Packers took complete control of the 2nd half as Elijah Pitts had a 5-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter, and Max McGee followed with a 13-yard touchdown reception. Pitts came back in the 4th quarter to punch in a 4-yard touchdown run. The Green Bay Packers had paved the way for how championships would be won moving forward as the Super Bowl trophy would eventually be named the Lombardi Trophy, honoring the head coach who won the first 2 Super Bowls.