A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 1966 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Vince Lombardi |
| Head coach | Vince Lombardi |
| Home field | Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Local radio | WTMJ |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–2 |
| Division place | 1st NFL Western |
| Playoff finish | Won NFL Championship (at Cowboys) 34–27 Won Super Bowl I (vs. Chiefs) 35–10 |
| Pro Bowlers | Herb Adderley, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Henry Jordan, Dave Robinson, Bob Skoronski, Bart Starr, Willie Wood |
| AP All-Pros | Herb Adderley, Lee Roy Caffey, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, Willie Wood |
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
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Currently vacant
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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.