American Football League Playoffs - 1966 Championship

1966 Championship

Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7
1 2 3 4 Total
Chiefs 7 10 0 14 31
Bills 7 0 0 0 7

at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

  • Date: January 1, 1967
Game information
  • KC - Arbanas 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick)
  • BUF - Dubenion 69 pass from Kemp (Lusteg kick)
  • KC - Taylor 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick)
  • KC - Field goal Mercer 32
  • KC - Garrett 1 run (Mercer kick)
  • KC - Garrett 18 run (Mercer kick)

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.

This was the first AFL Championship Game to determine which team would represent the league in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs lost 35-10 to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.

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