1967 Green Bay Packers season

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The 1967 Green Bay Packers season resulted in a 9-4-1 record and a victory in Super Bowl II. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, a game commonly known as the "Ice Bowl". The Packer win that year marked the second time the Packers had won an NFL record third consecutive NFL championship, also having done so in their 1931 championship. The Packers were coached by Vince Lombardi and led by quarterback Bart Starr. Super Bowl II was the last game Lombardi coached for the Packers.

[edit] Offseason

[edit] NFL Draft

In the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft the Packers selected running back center Bob Hyland and quarterback Don Horn.^[1]

[edit] Expansion Draft

With the New Orleans Saints entering the league, the Packers had to leave 11 players unprotected for the expansion draft. One of the players that Lombardi left unprotected was Paul Hornung. Lombardi was distraught when the Saints selected Hornung in the draft. ^[2] In later years, Hornung revealed that he spoke to Saints coach Tom Fears prior to the draft. Fears was a former assistant in Green Bay and Fears felt that Hornung would help sell tickets in New Orleans. ^[3] Several weeks later, the Saints also signed Packers running back Jim Taylor. Taylor had felt underpaid and underappreciated under Lombardi. ^[4]

[edit] Regular season

The Packers finished the regular season 9-4-1. The 1967 NFL season, for the first time in NFL history, included four divisions of four teams with two conferences. The Packers played in the Western Conference and in the Central Division. The Packers competed against Central Division teams (Lions, Bears, and Vikings) twice in the season and played every team in the Century Division and Coastal Division.

[edit] Season Standings

[edit] Post season

[edit] Western Conference playoff

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 28-7 on December 23, 1967 at Milwaukee County Stadium, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Rams scored the first points of the game on a 29-yard pass from Roman Gabriel. The Packers scored the next four touchdowns, including two touchdown runs by Travis Williams. With the win the Packers advanced to the NFL Championship game.

Scoring

• LA - Casey 29 pass from Gabriel (Gossett kick)LA 7-0
• GB - Williams 46 run (Chandler kick) 7-7
• GB - Dale 17 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) GB 14-7
• GB - Mercein 6 run (Chandler kick) GB 21-7
• GB - Williams run (Chandler kick) GB 28-7

[edit] Ice Bowl

Main article: NFL Championship Game, 1967

The Packers advanced to the NFL Championship game and faced the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game. The game was played on December 31, 1967 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The official game-time temperature was -13°F / -25°C, with a wind chill around -48°F / -44°C. The bitter cold overwhelmed Lambeau Field's new turf heating system, leaving the playing surface hard as a rock and nearly as smooth as ice. The officials were unable to use their whistles after the opening kickoff when a whistle stuck to a referee's lips.

Early in the game, the Packers jumped to a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown passes from Bart Starr to wide receiver Boyd Dowler. Green Bay committed two costly turnovers in the second quarter that led to ten Dallas points. Neither team was able to score any points in the third quarter, but then on the first play of the final period, the Cowboys took a 17-14 lead with running back Dan Reeves' 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lance Rentzel on a halfback option play.

Starting from his own 32-yard line with 4:54 left in the game, Starr led his team down the field to the one yard line. Running back Donny Anderson attempted two runs into the end zone, but fell short. Facing a third down with sixteen seconds left in the game, Starr executed a quarterback sneak behind center Ken Bowman and guard Jerry Kramer's block through defensive tackle Jethro Pugh, scoring a touchdown that gave the Packers a 21-17 win and their unprecedented third consecutive NFL championship.

Scoring

• GB - Dowler 8 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) GB 7-0
• GB - Dowler 46 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) GB 14-0
• DAL - Andrie 7 fumble return (Villanueva kick) GB 14-7
• DAL - FG Villanueva 21 GB 14-10
• DAL - Rentzel 50 pass from Reeves (Villanueva kick) DAL 17-14
• GB - Starr 1 run (Chandler kick) GB 21-17

[edit] Super Bowl II

Main article: Super Bowl II

After beating the Cowboys in the NFL Championship game, the Packers advanced to the AFL-NFL World Championship Game to face the American Football League champions, the Oakland Raiders. The Packers scored early with two field goals from kicker Don Chandler. Later in the second quarter, quarterback Bart Starr threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to receiver Boyd Dowler to give the Packers a 13-0 lead. Oakland struck back on their next possession when quarterback Daryle Lamonica completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Bill Miller. At the end of the half, Don Chandler added another field goal, making the score 16-7. In the second half, Starr completed a 35-yard pass to receiver Max McGee, which was the last reception of McGee's career. The pass helped set up Donny Anderson's two yard touchdown run. Early in the fourth quarter, Chandler kicked his fourth field goal, making the score 26-7. After the field goal, Starr was injured on a sack and was replaced by Zeke Bratkowski. Later in the fourth quarter, Packers defensive back Herb Adderly intercepted a Raiders pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, making the score 33-7. The Raiders managed to score a second touchdown on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Lamonica to Bill Miller late in the fourth quarter. The Packers went on to win the game 33-14. Coaching his last game for the Packers, Vince Lombardi was carried off the field in victory.

Scoring

• GB - FG Chandler 39 3-0 GB
• GB - FG Chandler 20 6-0 GB
• GB - Dowler 62 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) 13-0 GB
• OAK - Miller 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) 13-7 GB
• GB - FG Chandler 43 16-7 GB
• GB - Anderson 2 run (Chandler kick) 23-7 GB
• GB - FG Chandler 31 26-7 GB
• GB - Adderley 60 interception return (Chandler kick) 33-7 GB
• OAK - Miller 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) 33-14 GB

[edit] Season statistical leaders

• Passing Yards: Bart Starr, 1823
• Passing Touchdowns: Bart Starr, 9
• Rushing Yards: Jim Grabowski, 466
• Rushing Touchdowns: Elijah Pitts and Donny Anderson, 7
• Receiving Yards: Boyd Dowler, 836
• Receiving Touchdowns: Carroll Dale, 5
• Points: Don Chandler, 96
• Kickoff Return Yards: Travis Williams, 533
• Punt Return Yards: Donny Anderson, 98
• Interceptions: Bob Jeter, 8

^[5]

[edit] References

1. ^ 1966 Green Bay Packers draft on Database Football obtained 21 December, 2006.
2. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 407, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
3. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 407, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
4. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 408, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
5. ^ 1967 Packers on Database Football obtained 23 December, 2006.

[edit] External links

• 1967 Packers at Database Football
• 1967 Packers at Pro-football-reference