1967 Green Bay Packers season

The 1967 Green Bay Packers season was their 49th season overall and their 47th season in the National Football League (NFL) and resulted in a 9–4–1 record and a victory in Super Bowl II. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game, a game commonly known as the "Ice Bowl," which marked the second time the Packers had won an NFL-record third consecutive NFL championship, having also done so in 1931 under team founder Curly Lambeau. In the playoff era (since 1933), it remains the only time a team has won three consecutive NFL titles.

1967 Green Bay Packers season
General managerVince Lombardi
Head coachVince Lombardi
Home fieldLambeau Field
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record9–4–1
Division place1st NFL Central
Playoff finishWon Western Conference Championship Game
(vs. Rams) 28–7
Won NFL Championship
(vs. Cowboys) 21–17
Won Super Bowl II
(vs. Raiders) 33–14

The Packers were led by ninth-year head coach Vince Lombardi and veteran quarterback Bart Starr, in his twelfth season. Green Bay's victory in Super Bowl II over the Oakland Raiders was the fifth world championship for the Packers under Lombardi and the last game he coached for the Packers.

The 1967 Packers became the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive championship games, and the second team in NFL history to three-peat as champions to the 1929-1931 Green Bay Packers. No team has won three championships in a row since.

Offseason

NFL draft
Main article: 1967 NFL/AFL draft

In the first round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft in March, the Packers selected guard Bob Hyland and quarterback Don Horn.[1]
This was the first common draft with the AFL, following the merger agreement of the previous June.

RoundSelectionOverallPlayerCollege
199Bob HylandBoston College
12525Don HornSan Diego State
21541Dave DunawayDuke
22551Jim Flanigan Sr.Pittsburgh
32578John RowserMichigan
41393Travis WilliamsArizona State
59116Dwight HoodBaylor
523130Richard TateUtah
525132Jay BachmanCincinnati
625158Steward WilliamsBowling Green
72161Bob ZiolkowskiIowa
725184Bill PowellMissouri
825210Clarence MilesTrinity
925236Harlan ReedMississippi State
1025262Bill ShearCortland State
1124287Dave BennettSpringfield
1224314Mike BassMichigan
1325340Keith BrownCentral Missouri
1425366Claudis JamesJackson State
1525392Jim SchneiderColgate
1625418Fred CassidyMiami
1725444Jeff EliasKansas

Expansion draft

With the expansion New Orleans Saints entering the league in 1967, the Packers had to leave 11 players unprotected for the expansion draft. One of the players that Lombardi left unprotected was a future hall of famer, halfback 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.[2] Several weeks later, the Saints also signed Jim Taylor, the Packers fullback. Taylor, a Louisiana native and future hall of famer, had felt underpaid and underappreciated under Lombardi.[3]

Preseason
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 4 College All-Stars W 27–0 1–0 Soldier Field [4]
2 August 12 Pittsburgh Steelers W 31–20 2–0 Lambeau Field [5]
3 August 18 Chicago Bears W 18–0 3–0 Milwaukee County Stadium [6]
4 August 28 at Dallas Cowboys W 20–3 4–0 Cotton Bowl [7]
5 September 2 at Cleveland Browns W 30–21 5–0 Cleveland Stadium [8]
6 September 9 New York Giants W 31–14 6–0 Lambeau Field [9]

Regular season

The Packers finished the regular season 9–4–1. The 1967 NFL season saw the addition of a sixteenth team and the two conferences of eight teams each were subdivided into two divisions. The Packers played in the Western Conference and in the Central Division, with the Lions, Bears, and Vikings; each division foe was played twice, and each team in the Century Division and Coastal Division was played once (and no teams in the Capitol Division). Each of the four division winners advanced to the playoffs.

The Packers clinched the Central division title at Wrigley Field on November 26 at 8–2–1, with three games remaining, as the second-place Chicago Bears fell to 5–6.[10][11][12] With the rotational system (in place until 1975), they had home field advantage for the playoffs in 1967, with the first round (conference) scheduled at Milwaukee against the Coastal division champion.[13][14]

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 17 Detroit Lions T 17–17 0–0–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
2 September 24 Chicago Bears W 13–10 1–0–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
3 October 1 Atlanta Falcons W 23–0 2–0–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,467
4 October 8 at Detroit Lions W 27–17 3–0–1 Tiger Stadium 57,877
5 October 15 Minnesota Vikings L 7–10 3–1–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,601
6 October 22 at New York Giants W 48–21 4–1–1 Yankee Stadium 62,585
7 October 30 at St. Louis Cardinals W 31–23 5–1–1 Busch Memorial Stadium 49,792
8 November 5 at Baltimore Colts L 10–13 5–2–1 Memorial Stadium 60,238
9 November 12 Cleveland Browns W 55–7 6–2–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 50,074
10 November 19 San Francisco 49ers W 13–0 7–2–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
11 November 26 at Chicago Bears W 17–13 8–2–1 Wrigley Field 47,513
12 December 3 at Minnesota Vikings W 30–27 9–2–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,693
13 December 9 at Los Angeles Rams L 24–27 9–3–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 76,637
14 December 17 Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–24 9–4–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
  • Division title was clinched on November 26, and Green Bay had home field advantage for playoffs via the rotational system.

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1
See also: 1967 Detroit Lions season and Lions–Packers rivalry
Detroit Lions (0–0) at Green Bay Packers (0–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 10 7 0017
Packers 0 0 71017

at Lambeau Field • Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 2 vs Bears
See also: 1967 Chicago Bears season and Bears–Packers rivalry
Week Two: Chicago Bears (0–1) at Green Bay Packers (0–0–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 3710
Packers 0 10 0313

at Lambeau Field • Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 3
1 234Total
Falcons 0 000 0
• Packers 7 907 23

Week 4
1 234Total
• Packers 0 7317 27
Lions 3 707 17

Week 5
1 234Total
• Vikings 0 0010 10
Packers 0 700 7

Week 6
1 234Total
• Packers 7 31028 48
Giants 0 1407 21

Week 7
1 234Total
• Packers 7 7314 31
Cardinals 3 1703 23

Week 8
1 234Total
Packers 0 307 10
• Colts 0 0013 13

Week 9
1 234Total
Browns 7 000 7
• Packers 35 1037 55

Week 10
1 234Total
49ers 0 000 0
• Packers 3 730 13

Week 11
1 234Total
• Packers 7 730 17
Bears 7 303 13

Week 12
1 234Total
• Packers 3 10143 30
Vikings 3 7710 27

Week 13
1 234Total
Packers 7 377 24
• Rams 0 71010 27

Week 14
1 234Total
• Steelers 7 7100 24
Packers 0 1007 17

Standings
NFL Central
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Green Bay Packers 9 4 1 .692 4–1–1 6–3–1 332 209 L2
Chicago Bears 7 6 1 .538 3–2–1 5–4–1 239 218 W1
Detroit Lions 5 7 2 .417 1–3–2 3–5–2 260 259 W2
Minnesota Vikings 3 8 3 .273 1–3–2 1–6–3 233 294 L1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Postseason

Western Conference Championship
Further information: 1967 NFL playoffs
Green Bay Packers 28, Los Angeles Rams 7
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 0 007
Packers 14 7 7028

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • Date: December 23, 1967
  • Game attendance: 49,861
Game information
First Quarter

Second quarter

  • GB – Chuck Mercein 6-yard run (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 21–7

Third quarter

  • GB – Travis Williams 3-yard run (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 28–7

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.

NFL Championship (“Ice Bowl”)
Main article: 1967 NFL Championship Game
Green Bay Packers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 10 0717
Packers 7 7 0721

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: December 31, 1967
  • Game attendance: 50,861
  • Referee: Norm Schachter
  • TV: CBS
Game information
First Quarter

Second quarter

  • GB – Boyd Dowler 46-yard pass from Bart Starr (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 14–0
  • DAL – George Andrie 7-yard fumble return (Danny Villanueva kick) – Packers 14–7
  • DAL – Danny Villanueva 21-yard field goal – Packers 14–10

Fourth quarter

  • DAL – Lance Rentzel 50-yard pass from Dan Reeves (Danny Villanueva kick) – Cowboys 17–14
  • GB – Bart Starr 1-yard run (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 21–17

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.

Super Bowl II
Main article: Super Bowl II
Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 3 13 10733
Raiders 0 7 0714

at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

  • Date: January 14, 1968
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 75,546
Game information
First Quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • GB – Donny Anderson 2-yard run (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 23–7
  • GB – Don Chandler 31-yard field goal – Packers 26–7

Fourth quarter

  • GB – Herb Adderley 60-yard interception return (Don Chandler kick) – Packers 33–7
  • OAK – Bill Miller 23-yard pass from Daryle Lamonica (George Blanda kick) – Packers 33–14

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 Adderley 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.

Season statistical leaders

[15]

Roster
1967 Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Taxi squad
Source:[16][17]

Coaching staff
Name Title Age College
Vince LombardiHead coach54Fordham
Phil BengtsonDefensive Coach54Minnesota
Jerry BurnsDefensive Backfield Coach40Michigan
Dave HannerDefensive line coach37Arkansas
Tom McCormickOffensive Backfield Coach37College of Pacific
Bob SchnelkerOffensive End Coach39Bowling Green
Ray WietechaOffensive line coach39Northwestern
Source:[18]

References
  1. 1966 Green Bay Packers draft on Database Football Archived 2006-12-08 at the Wayback Machine 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. 408, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  4. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 66, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  5. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 78, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  6. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 92, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  7. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 104, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  8. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 109, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  9. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 119, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
  10. Lea, Bud (November 27, 1967). "Packers defeat Bears, clinch crown". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
  11. Johnson, Chuck (November 27, 1967). "Packers win title 3 weeks early". Milwaukee Journal. p. 10, part 2.
  12. Strickler, George (November 27, 1967). "Packers beat Bears; win division title". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 3.
  13. "Vince: Got what we wanted". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. July 11, 1967. p. 1, part 2.
  14. Johnson, Chuck (July 11, 1967). "Milwaukee will get play-off game if the Packers win division crown". Milwaukee Journal. p. 9, part 2.
  15. 1967 Packers on Database Football Archived 2006-12-08 at the Wayback Machine obtained 23 December 2006.
  16. "NFL rosters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 30, 1967. p. 10.
  17. "Sunday's pro TV rosters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 13, 1968. p. 14.
  18. Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer, Jerry Kramer and Dick Schapp, p. 7, Doubleday, New York, 1968 (reprint 2006), ISBN 978-0-385-51745-4
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