Bills vs. Chiefs Classic: 1966 AFL Championship Game

by MattRichWarren on Sep 9, 2011 8:30 AM EDT in Buffalo Bills History

Each week, Buffalo Rumblings will prepare you for the Buffalo Bills upcoming opponent by looking back into the history of the series to find a memorable game or moment. This week, we begin by looking at the 1966 AFL Championship game between the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.

When the Bills met the Chiefs in the 1966 AFL Championship game, it was the biggest game in the AFL's history. The winner of this game would go on to play the 1966 NFL champions in the first inter-league game between the two competing bodies.

The Bills were the two-time defending AFL Champions in 1966, but had lost their workhorse when Cookie Gilchrist was traded in the off-season. The offense was bad early in the season, and after going 10-3-1 in 1965, the Bills were 3-3-1 at the season's midpoint. The team rebounded offensively in the second half, though, and the Bills won the AFL East with a 9-4-1 record. Kansas City came in to Buffalo with an 11-2-1 record.

The Bills fumbled the opening kickoff, giving the Chiefs a short field from the start. Kansas City capitalized and went up 7-0, but the Bills quickly equaled the score on Jack Kemp's first pass of the game, which found Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion for the score. Late in the first half, Buffalo was driving for the go-ahead score when a Kemp interception inside the Chiefs' 10-yard line set up a late field goal to give Kansas City the 10-7 halftime lead.

The Bills' offense completely fell apart after the half, managing only nine first downs on the day - their lowest output of the entire season. The team committed four turnovers in crucial spots, and gained only 186 yards after Dubenion's long touchdown to start the game. When it was all said and done, Kansas City won the right to face the NFL's Green Bay Packers by a score of 31-7.

Sports Illustrated had a reporter at the game, who had this to say this about the Bills' fans in attendance.

"From the bleachers at Buffalo's inadequate stadium, snowballs, rocks and chunks of ice began to fly toward the field. The Chiefs were soundly pelted but they escaped and clattered into their locker room for a few gargles [of celebratory mouthwash]."

This game was really the beginning of the end for the great Bills AFL dynasty. From 1967 to well past the merger in 1970, the Bills were awful, and routinely finished in the doldrums in the standings. This was the first of six straight losses to the Chiefs.

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This game was really the beginning of the end for the great Bills AFL dynasty

I was at the game and would add, the mood in the stadium IMO became the seed for today’s Bills’ fan angst. The feeling that Murphy’s Law was in fact written with them in mind.
Nerves were on edge. The Bills had a chance to validate Buffalo as a city, that we weren’t just some rust bucket on the lake. Here was a chance to represent the City and the AFL in the biggest sports event in history (at that time).
Fast forward to the feeling in your stomach when Norwood missed, or any of the other gut-wrenching moments in Bills history. This game is where those feelings were spawned.

Y'all- There's a "D" in rebuild, but no "O"- The gospel according to Buddy Nix 4:12

by fansince60 on Sep 9, 2011 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

My father was at the game too, stayed to the end and was “shattered” as he described it and also said that my mother (adopted so, I don’t have her genes) fell asleep… I think he resented her forever because of this.

But yeah, that would have changed a lot in my opinion, winning this game but we were soundly beaten

I'm waitin'..... @killascript on twitter

by killascript on Sep 9, 2011 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Jags fan here

As a fan of football history, especially the AFL, thanks for this write up. Good work. Love reading about Stratton, Gilchrist, Gogolak, Kemp, all of them.

Love reading all of you guys AFL recollections.

Funny thing, I was moving recently, and of all of the things I found in my garage, I found two 1970 Buffalo Bills trash cans with all of the starters on it, including the Juice. No idea how much they’re worth if anything.

Good luck this season and you guys will really enjoy Kirk Morrison. Hell of a community guy.

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by Joe Fisher on Sep 9, 2011 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

McCluster: My heart is so big, man. A lot of people come to me all the time and say ‘You’re 165 pounds, how do you do it?’ And I look at them and tell them, you know what? I’ve got the heart of a lion. I’m not scared of nobody.

by Matt_Grbac on Sep 9, 2011 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

by Matt_Grbac on Sep 9, 2011 10:42 AM EDT reply actions

Great pictures

I had the program for many years but lost it along with all my old baseball and football cards in one of my many moves during my bachelor years.

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

-- John Wooden

by Goose22 on Sep 9, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Interesting note

Bills coach in 1966 Joe Collier is the father of the Chiefs Asst. GM Joel Collier.

by Matt_Grbac on Sep 9, 2011 10:45 AM EDT reply actions

For some awesome pics, story, and a highlight video of the '66 AFL championship game

http://chiefshallofhonor.com/games/championships/1966-championship

by Matt_Grbac on Sep 9, 2011 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

Was this the year after Mack Lee Hill passed?

Tore his knee up vs. Buffalo and died on the operating table.

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by Joe Fisher on Sep 9, 2011 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the link. It was great watching that grainy video, despite my teams losing efforts.

Year two is upon us.

by Buffalo for Eternity on Sep 9, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I also was at the game...

My older brother took me and we sat in the area that was under cover but had poles in the way and the roof leaked. I still have the stubs, the tickets were $10 a piece.

I remember the Golden Wheels long TD play and the Bills inability to stop RB Mike Garrett.

The Bills plummeted after this game as it seemed the players got old over night.

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

-- John Wooden

by Goose22 on Sep 9, 2011 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

For those of you wondering this game was played on New Years Day, January 1st 1967.

With the game being in Buffalo, I’ve wondered if the Chiefs had a mild team celebration for New Years Eve, while Bills players may have been out celebrating with friends and family, and if this may have contributed to the poor showing.

I was not at this game and did not see it on TV since we were too poor to own one then. I do remember reading the articles from that game in the Courier Express, with one writer questioning both the coaching and the players efforts.

Year two is upon us.

by Buffalo for Eternity on Sep 9, 2011 12:54 PM EDT reply actions

I was at the Chargers AFL Championship game the year before

I was 5, and remember very little but damn I was excited. We also sat behind a pole though. My Dad took me to a lot of games from the time i was 2 or 3. And the Bills are the same age as me.
Also a Chiefs/Bills thing that has nothing to do with the article. Arrowhead and the Ralph were designed by the same architectural firm and are pretty similar.

by zoomer02 on Sep 9, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions