Conference Races
In the Western Conference, Green Bay's first loss was in Week Five, falling 21–20 in San Francisco to tie them with the Rams. The Rams' lost 35–7 to Minnesota the next week, and Green Bay stayed in front until Week Nine, when Minnesota beat them 20–17. Baltimore's 19–7 win over Atlanta briefly tied it with the Packers at 7–2–0 in Week Ten, but the Colts lost to Detroit the next week, 20–14. The Packers clinched the title in Week Thirteen.
In the Eastern Conference, the St. Louis Cardinals took the early lead, winning their first five games. (The Dallas Cowboys were also unbeaten, but due to a bye in Week One, they had played one fewer game and thus were a half-game behind the Cardinals in the standings). The unbeaten teams met in Week Six, and both were still unbeaten after they played to a 10–10 tie. However, both teams suffered their first defeat the next week, with St. Louis losing at Washington, 26–20, and the Cowboys falling in Cleveland, 30–21. In Week Nine (November 6), St. Louis beat the Giants, 20–17, while Dallas came up short in a 24–23 loss to the Eagles. The next week, Dallas won at Washington 31–30 on a field goal with 0:15 left, while the Cards fell at Pittsburgh, 30–9, cutting their safety margin to a half-game again. St. Louis had a bye in Week Eleven, and a 20–7 Dallas victory over Pittsburgh gave the Cards and Cowboys records of 7–2–1. Both teams won the next week, setting up the stage for their December 4 meeting in Dallas during Week Thirteen. The Cards took a 10–7 lead in the first quarter, but Dallas won 31–17 to take over the conference lead. In Week Fourteen, Dallas hosted Washington, and lost 34–31 on a field goal at 0:08. The Cardinals were in a must-win game against what should have been an easy opponent, the new (2–10–0) Atlanta Falcons. Instead, the Falcons notched their third win and virtually ended St. Louis's hopes to go to the title game. The St. Louis Cardinals, who lost again the next week, never got that close to the Super Bowl again before moving to Phoenix twenty years later.
| Week | WESTERN | EASTERN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles (tie) | 1–0–0 | Cleveland, St. Louis (tie) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Green Bay, Los Angeles (tie) | 2–0–0 | St. Louis, Pitttsburgh (tie) | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | 3–0–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 3–0–0 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | 4–0–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 4–0–0 |
| 5 | Green Bay, Los Angeles (tie) | 4–1–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 5–0–0 |
| 6 | Green Bay Packers | 5–1–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 5–0–1 |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 6–1–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 5–1–1 |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers | 7–1–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 6–1–1 |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | 7–2–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 7–1–1 |
| 10 | Baltimore, Green Bay (tie) | 7–2–0 | St. Louis Cardinals | 7–2–1 |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | 8–2–0 | Dallas, St. Louis (tie) | 7–2–1 |
| 12 | Green Bay Packers | 9–2–0 | Dallas, St. Louis (tie) | 8–2–1 |
| 13 | Green Bay Packers | 10–2–0 | Dallas Cowboys | 9–2–1 |
| 14 | Green Bay Packers | 11–2–0 | Dallas Cowboys | 9–3–1 |
| 15 | GREEN BAY PACKERS | 12–2–0 | DALLAS COWBOYS | 10–3–1 |
Read more about this topic: 1966 NFL Season
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