Super Bowl I

The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, known retroactively as Super Bowl I and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl,[6] was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The National Football League (NFL) champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35–10.

Super Bowl I
1234 Total
KC 01000 10
GB 77147 35
DateJanuary 15, 1967 (1967-01-15)
StadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
MVPBart Starr, quarterback
FavoritePackers by 14[1][2]
RefereeNorm Schachter
Attendance61,946[3]
Current/Future Hall of Famers
Chiefs: Lamar Hunt (owner), Hank Stram (coach), Bobby Beathard (personnel administrator), Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Johnny Robinson, Emmitt Thomas
Packers: Vince Lombardi (coach), Herb Adderley, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Henry Jordan, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Willie Wood
Ceremonies
National anthemMarching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University
Coin tossNorm Schachter
Halftime showAl Hirt, and marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University[4]
TV in the United States
NetworkCBS and NBC
AnnouncersCBS: Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford
NBC: Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman
Nielsen ratingsCBS: 22.6
(est. 26.75 million viewers)
NBC: 18.5
(est. 24.43 million viewers)
(Total: 51.18 million viewers)[5]
Market shareCBS: 43
NBC: 36
(Total: 79)[5]
Cost of 30-second commercial$42,000 (Both CBS and NBC)
Radio in the United States
NetworkCBS Radio and NBC Radio
AnnouncersCBS: Jack Drees and Tom Hedrick
NBC: Jim Simpson and George Ratterman

Coming into the game, considerable animosity existed between the AFL and NFL, thus the teams representing the two rival leagues (Kansas City and Green Bay, respectively) felt additional pressure to win. The Chiefs posted an 11–2–1 record during the 1966 AFL season, and defeated the Buffalo Bills 31–7, in the AFL Championship Game. The Packers finished the 1966 NFL season at 12–2, and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34–27 in the NFL Championship Game. Many sports writers and fans believed any team in the older NFL was vastly superior to any club in the upstart AFL, and so expected Green Bay would blow out Kansas City.[7][8]

The first half of Super Bowl I was competitive, as the Chiefs outgained the Packers in total yards, 181–164, to come within 14–10 at half-time. Early in the 3rd quarter, Green Bay safety Willie Wood intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards to the 5-yard line.[9][10][11] The turnover sparked the Packers to score 21 unanswered points in the second half. Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, was named MVP.

The game remains the only Super Bowl to have been simulcast in the United States by two networks. NBC had the rights to nationally televise AFL games, while CBS held the rights to broadcast NFL games; both were allowed to televise the game.[12]

Background

Origins

When the NFL began its 41st season in 1960, it had a new and unwanted rival: the American Football League. The NFL had successfully fended off several other rival leagues in the past, and so the older league initially ignored the new upstart and its eight teams, figuring it would be made up of nothing but NFL rejects, and that fans were unlikely to prefer it to the NFL. But unlike the NFL's prior rivals, the AFL survived and prospered, in part by signing "NFL rejects" who turned out to be highly talented players the older league had badly misjudged. Soon the NFL and AFL found themselves locked in a massive bidding war for the top free agents and prospects coming out of college. Originally, there was a tacit agreement between the two not to raid each other by signing players who were already under contract with a team from an opposing league. This policy broke down in early 1966 when the NFL's New York Giants signed Pete Gogolak, a placekicker who was under contract with the AFL's Buffalo Bills. The AFL owners considered this an "act of war" and immediately struck back, signing several contracted NFL players, including eight of their top quarterbacks.

Eventually the NFL had enough and started negotiations with the AFL in an attempt to resolve the issue. As a result of the negotiations, the leagues signed a merger agreement on June 9, 1966. Among the details, both leagues agreed to share a common draft in order to end the bidding war for the top college players, as well as merge into a single league after the 1969 season. In addition, an "AFL-NFL World Championship Game" was established, in which the AFL and NFL champions would play against each other in a game at the end of the season to determine which league had the best team.[13]

Los Angeles Coliseum on game day.

Los Angeles wasn't awarded the game until December 1, less than seven weeks prior to the kickoff;[14] likewise, the date of the game was not set until December 13.[12] Since the AFL Championship Game originally was scheduled for Monday, December 26, and the NFL Championship Game for Sunday, January 1, the "new" championship game was suggested to be played Sunday, January 8. An unprecedented TV doubleheader was held on January 1, with the AFL Championship Game telecast from Buffalo on NBC and the NFL Championship Game telecast from Dallas on CBS three hours later.

Coming into this "first" game, considerable animosity still existed between the two rival leagues, with both of them putting pressure on their respective champions to trounce the other and prove each league's dominance in professional football. Still, many sports writers and fans believed the game was a mismatch, and any team from the long-established NFL was far superior to the best team from the upstart AFL.

The players' shares were $15K each for the winning team and $7,500 each for the losing team.[15] This was in addition to the league championship money earned two weeks earlier: the Packers shares were $8,600 each[16] and the Chiefs were $5,308 each.[17][18]

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs entered the game after recording an 11–2–1 mark during the regular season. In the AFL championship game, they defeated the Buffalo Bills 31–7.

Kansas City's high-powered offense led the AFL in points scored (448) and total rushing yards (2,274). Their trio of running backs, Mike Garrett (801 yards), Bert Coan (521 yards), and Curtis McClinton (540 yards) all ranked among the top-ten rushers in the AFL. Quarterback Len Dawson was the top-rated passer in the AFL, completing 159 of 284 (56%) of his passes for 2,527 yards and 26 touchdowns. Wide receiver Otis Taylor provided the team with a great deep threat by recording 58 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. Receiver Chris Burford added 58 receptions for 758 yards and eight touchdowns, and tight end Fred Arbanas, who had 22 catches for 305 yards and four touchdowns, was one of six Chiefs offensive players who were named to the All-AFL team.

The Chiefs also had a strong defense, with All-AFL players Jerry Mays and Buck Buchanan anchoring their line. Linebacker Bobby Bell, who was also named to the All-AFL team, was great at run stopping and pass coverage. The strongest part of their defense, though, was their secondary, led by All-AFL safeties Johnny Robinson and Bobby Hunt, who each recorded 10 interceptions, and defensive back Fred Williamson, who recorded four. Their head coach was Hank Stram.[19]

Green Bay Packers

The Packers were an NFL dynasty, turning around what had been a losing team just eight years earlier. The team had posted an NFL-worst 1–10–1 record in 1958 before legendary head coach Vince Lombardi was hired in January 1959. "Their offense was like a conga dance," one sportswriter quipped. "1, 2, 3 and kick."[20]

Lombardi was determined to build a winning team. During the preseason, he signed Fred "Fuzzy" Thurston, who had been cut from three other teams, but ended up becoming an All-Pro left guard for Green Bay. In addition Lombardi also made a big trade with the Cleveland Browns that brought three players to the team who would become cornerstones of the defense: linemen Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, and Bill Quinlan.

Lombardi's hard work paid off, and the Packers improved to a 7–5 regular season record in 1959. They surprised the league during the following year by making it all the way to the 1960 NFL Championship Game. Although the Packers lost 17–13 to the Philadelphia Eagles, they had sent a clear message that they were no longer losers. Green Bay went on to win NFL Championships in 1961, 1962, 1965, and 1966.

Packers veteran quarterback Bart Starr was the top-rated quarterback in the NFL for 1966, and won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, completing 156 of 251 (62.2%) passes for 2257 yards (9.0 per attempt), 14 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. His top targets were wide receivers Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale, who combined for 63 receptions for 1,336 yards. Fullback Jim Taylor was the team's top rusher with 705 yards, adding four touchdowns, and caught 41 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns. (Before the season, Taylor had informed the team that instead of returning to the Packers in 1967, he would become a free agent and sign with the expansion New Orleans Saints. Lombardi, infuriated at what he considered to be Taylor's disloyalty, refused to speak to Taylor the entire season.)[21] The team's starting halfback, Paul Hornung, was injured early in the season and replaced by running back Elijah Pitts, who gained 857 all purpose yards. The Packers' offensive line was also a big reason for the team's success, led by All-Pro guards Jerry Kramer, and Fuzzy Thurston, and tackle Forrest Gregg.

Green Bay also had an excellent defense that displayed their talent in the NFL championship game, stopping the Dallas Cowboys on four consecutive plays starting from the Packers 2-yard line on the final drive to win the game. Lionel Aldridge had replaced Quinlan, but Jordan and Davis still anchored the defensive line; linebacker Ray Nitschke excelled at run stopping and pass coverage, while the secondary was led by defensive backs Herb Adderley and Willie Wood. Wood was another example of how Lombardi found talent nobody else could see. Wood had been a quarterback in college and was not drafted by an NFL team. When Wood joined the Packers in 1960, he was converted to a free safety, and went on to make the All-Pro team nine times in his 12-year career.[22]

Pregame news and notes

Many people considered it fitting that the Chiefs and the Packers would be the teams to play in the first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt had founded the AFL, while Green Bay was widely considered one of the best teams in NFL history (even if they could not claim to be founding members of their own league, as the Packers joined the NFL in 1921, a year after the league's formation). Lombardi was under intense pressure from the entire NFL to make sure the Packers not only won the game, but preferably won big to demonstrate the superiority of the NFL. CBS announcer Frank Gifford, who interviewed Lombardi prior to the game, said Lombardi was so nervous, "he held onto my arm and he was shaking like a leaf. It was incredible."[23] The Chiefs saw this game as an opportunity to show they were good enough to play against any NFL team. One player who was really looking forward to competing in this game was Len Dawson, who had spent three years as a backup in the NFL before joining the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs were also nervous. Linebacker E. J. Holub said, "the Chiefs were scared to death. Guys in the tunnel were throwing up."[13][23]

In the week prior to the game, Chiefs cornerback Fred "The Hammer" Williamson garnered considerable publicity by boasting he would use his "hammer" – forearm blows to the head – to destroy the Packers' receivers, stating, "Two hammers to (Boyd) Dowler, one to (Carroll) Dale should be enough."[24]

The two teams played with their respective footballs from each league; the Chiefs used the AFL ball, the slightly narrower and longer J5V by Spalding, and the Packers played with the NFL ball, "The Duke" by Wilson.[4]

The AFL's two-point conversion rule was not in force; the NFL added the two-point conversion in 1994 and it was first used in the Super Bowl that same season, Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995.[25]

This is also the only Super Bowl where the numeric yard markers were five yards apart, rather than 10 as is customary today.[26]

Justin Peters of Slate watched all the Super Bowls over a two-month period in 2015 before Super Bowl 50. He mentioned the first Super Bowl's having "two dudes in rocket packs who flew around the stadium. I can forgive a lot of bad football as long as the game features two dudes in honest-to-God rocket packs."[27]

Weather

The temperature was mild with clear skies.[28]

Media coverage

Television

This game is the only Super Bowl to have been broadcast in the United States by two television networks simultaneously (no other NFL game was subsequently carried nationally on more than one network until December 29, 2007, when the New England Patriots faced the New York Giants on NBC, CBS, and the NFL Network). At the time, NBC held the rights to nationally televise AFL games while CBS had the rights to broadcast NFL games. Both networks were allowed to cover the game. During the week, tensions flared between the staffs of the two networks (longtime arch-rivals in American broadcasting), who each wanted to win the ratings war, to the point where a fence was built between the CBS and NBC trucks.[29]

Each network used its own announcers: Ray Scott (doing play-by-play for the first half), Jack Whitaker (doing play-by-play for the second half) and Frank Gifford provided commentary on CBS, while Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman were on NBC.[30] While Rozelle allowed NBC to telecast the game, he decreed it would not be able to use its cameramen and technical personnel, instead forcing it to use the feed provided by CBS,[31] since the Coliseum was home to the NFL's Rams.

Super Bowl I was the only Super Bowl that was not a sellout, despite the TV blackout in Los Angeles (at the time, local blackout was required even at a neutral site and even if the stadium did sell out). Of the 94,000-seat capacity in the Coliseum, 33,000 went unsold.[32] Days before the game, local newspapers printed editorials about what they viewed as a then-exorbitant $12 ($92.18 in 2019 money) price for tickets, and wrote stories about how viewers could pull in the game from stations in surrounding markets such as Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and San Diego.

This is the only Super Bowl that Curt Gowdy called for NBC where the NFL or NFC team won (the AFL/AFC teams won the others, even though the Baltimore Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers were part of the old NFL before moving to the AFC following the AFL-NFL merger).

CBS received a 22.6 rating and a market share of 43 for its broadcast, which was seen by 26.75 million people. NBC received an 18.5 rating and a market share of 36 for its broadcast, which was seen by 24.43 million people. Combined, the game received a market share of 79 and reached 51.18 million viewers.[5]

All known broadcast tapes of the game in its entirety were subsequently wiped by both NBC and CBS to save costs, a common practice in the TV industry at the time as videotapes were very expensive (one half-hour tape cost around $300 at the time, equivalent to $2260 in 2019 dollars), plus it was not foreseen how big the game was going to become.[33] This has prevented studies comparing each network's respective telecast.

For many years, only two small samples of the telecasts were known to have survived, showing Max McGee's opening touchdown and Jim Taylor's first touchdown run. Both were shown in 1991 on HBO's Play by Play: A History of Sports Television and on the Super Bowl XXV pregame show.[33]

In January 2011, a partial recording of the CBS telecast was reported to have been found in a Pennsylvania attic and restored by the Paley Center for Media in New York.[33] The two-inch color videotape is the most complete version of the broadcast yet discovered, missing only the halftime show and most of the third quarter. The NFL owns the broadcast copyright and has blocked its sale or distribution. After remaining anonymous and communicating with the media only through his lawyer since the recording's discovery, the owner of the recording, Troy Haupt, came forward to The New York Times in 2016 to tell his side of the story.[34]

NFL Films had a camera crew present, and retains a substantial amount of film footage in its archives, some of which has been released in its film productions. One such presentation was the NFL's Greatest Games episode about this Super Bowl, entitled The Spectacle of a Sport (also the title of the Super Bowl I highlight film).[35]

On January 11, 2016, the NFL announced that, "in an exhaustive process that took months to complete, NFL Films searched its enormous archives of footage and were able to locate all 145 plays from Super Bowl I from more than a couple dozen disparate sources. Once all the plays were located, NFL Films was able to put the plays in order and stitch them together while fully restoring, re-mastering, and color-correcting the footage. Finally, audio from the NBC Sports radio broadcast featuring announcers Jim Simpson and George Ratterman was layered on top of the footage to complete the broadcast. The final result represents the only known video footage of the entire action from Super Bowl I." It then announced that NFL Network would broadcast the newly pieced together footage in its entirety on January 15, 2016–the 49th anniversary of the contest. This footage was nearly all on film with the exception of several player introductions and a post game locker room chat between Pat Summerall and Pete Rozelle.[36]

Ceremonies and entertainment

The Los Angeles Ramettes, majorettes who had performed at all Rams home games, entertained during pregame festivities and after each quarter. Also during the pregame, the University of Arizona band created a physical outline of the continental United States at the center of the field, with the famed Anaheim High School drill team placing banners of each NFL and AFL team at each team's geographical location.

The halftime show featured trumpeter Al Hirt, the marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University, 300 pigeons, 10,000 balloons and a flying demonstration by the hydrogen-peroxide-propelled Bell Rocket Air Men.[4][31][37]

The postgame trophy presentation ceremony was handled by CBS' Pat Summerall and NBC's George Ratterman. Summerall and Ratterman were forced to share a single microphone.[30]

Game summary

Balls from both leagues were used – when the Chiefs were on offense, the official AFL football (Spalding J5V) was used, and when the Packers were on offense, the official NFL ball (Wilson's "The Duke") was used. Even the officiating crew was a combination of AFL and NFL referees, with the NFL's Norm Schachter as the head referee.[38]

First quarter

The teams traded punts on their first possessions, then the Packers jumped to an early 7–0 lead, driving 80 yards in six plays. The drive was highlighted by Starr's passes, to Marv Fleming for 11, to Elijah Pitts for 22 yards on a scramble, and to Carroll Dale for 12 yards. On the last play, Bart Starr threw a pass to reserve receiver Max McGee, who had replaced re-injured starter Boyd Dowler earlier in the drive. (Dowler had injured his shoulder two weeks prior after scoring a third quarter touchdown; Cowboys defensive back Mike Gaechter had upended him several steps after scoring and he landed awkwardly.) McGee slipped past Chiefs cornerback Willie Mitchell, made a one-handed catch at the 23-yard line, and then took off for a 37-yard touchdown reception (McGee had also caught a touchdown pass after replacing an injured Dowler in the NFL championship game). On their ensuing drive, the Chiefs moved the ball to Green Bay's 33-yard line, but kicker Mike Mercer missed a 40-yard field goal.

Second quarter

Early in the second quarter, Kansas City drove 66 yards in six plays, featuring a 31-yard reception by receiver Otis Taylor, to tie the game on a seven-yard pass to Curtis McClinton from quarterback Len Dawson. But the Packers responded on their next drive, advancing 73 yards down the field and scoring on fullback Jim Taylor's 14-yard touchdown run with the team's famed Packers sweep play. Taylor's touchdown run was the first in Super Bowl history. This drive was again highlighted by Starr's key passes. He hit McGee for 10 yards on third and five; Dale for 15 on third and ten; Fleming for 11 on third and five; and Pitts for 10 yards on third and seven to set up Taylor's TD run on the next play.

Defensive linemen Willie Davis (left) and Henry Jordan (right) sacking quarterback Len Dawson

Dawson was sacked for an eight-yard loss on the first play of the Chiefs' next drive, but he followed it up with four consecutive completions for 58 yards, including a 27-yarder to Chris Burford. This set up Mercer's 31-yard field goal to make the score 14–10 at the end of the half.

At halftime, the Chiefs appeared to have a chance to win. Many people watching the game were surprised how close the score was and how well the AFL's champions were playing. Kansas City actually outgained Green Bay in total yards, 181–164, and had 11 first downs compared to the Packers' nine. The Chiefs were exuberant at halftime. Hank Stram said later, "I honestly thought we would come back and win it."[23] The Packers were disappointed with the quality of their play in the first half. "The coach was concerned", said defensive end Willie Davis later.[23] Lombardi told them the game plan was sound, but that they had to tweak some things and execute better.[39]

Third quarter

On their first drive of the second half, the Chiefs advanced to their own 49-yard line. But on a third-down pass play, a heavy blitz by linebackers Dave Robinson and Lee Roy Caffey collapsed the Chiefs pocket. Robinson, tackle Henry Jordan, and Packer right end Lionel Aldridge converged on Dawson who threw weakly toward tight end Fred Arbanas. The wobbly pass was intercepted by Willie Wood.[11] Wood raced 50 yards to Kansas City's five-yard line where Mike Garrett dragged him down from behind. This was "the biggest play of the game," wrote Starr later.[39] On their first play after the turnover, running back Elijah Pitts scored on a five-yard touchdown run off left tackle to give the Packers a 21–10 lead. Stram agreed that it was the critical point of the game.[9][10] The Packers defense then dominated the Chiefs offense for the rest of the game, allowing them to cross midfield only once, and for just one play. The Chiefs were forced to deviate from their game plan, and that hurt them. The Kansas City offense totaled only 12 yards in the third quarter, and Dawson was held to five of 12 second-half pass completions for 59 yards.

Meanwhile, Green Bay forced Kansas City to punt from their own two-yard line after sacking Dawson twice and got the ball back with good field position on their own 44-yard line (despite a clipping penalty on the punt return). McGee subsequently caught three passes for 40 yards on a 56-yard drive. Taylor ran for one first down, Starr hit McGee for 16 yards on third-and-11, and a third down sweep with Taylor carrying gained eight yards and a first down at the Kansas City 13. The drive ended with Starr's 13-yard touchdown toss to McGee on a post pattern.

Fourth quarter

Midway through the fourth quarter, Starr completed a 25-yard pass to Carroll Dale and a 37-yard strike to McGee, moving the ball to the Chiefs 18-yard line. Four plays later, Pitts scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run to close out the scoring, giving the Packers the 35–10 win. Also in the fourth quarter, Fred Williamson, who had boasted about his "hammer" prior to the game, was knocked out when his head collided with running back Donny Anderson's knee, and then suffered a broken arm when Chiefs linebacker Sherrill Headrick fell on him.[23] Williamson had three tackles for the game.

Hornung was the only Packer to not see any action. Lombardi had asked him in the fourth quarter if he wanted to go in, but Hornung declined, not wanting to aggravate a pinched nerve in his neck. McGee, who caught only four passes for 91 yards and one touchdown during the season, finished Super Bowl I with seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. After the game was over, a reporter asked Vince Lombardi about if he thought Kansas City was a good team. Lombardi responded that though the Chiefs were an excellent, well-coached club, he thought several NFL teams such as Dallas were better.[40]

Box score

Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10
1 2 34Total
Chiefs (AFL) 0 10 0010
Packers (NFL) 7 7 14735

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: January 15, 1967
  • Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny[41]
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP KC GB
1 6:04 6 80 3:06 GB Max McGee 37-yard touchdown reception from Bart Starr, Don Chandler kick good 0 7
2 10:40 6 66 3:44 KC Curtis McClinton 7-yard touchdown reception from Len Dawson, Mike Mercer kick good 7 7
2 4:37 13 73 6:03 GB Jim Taylor 14-yard touchdown run, Chandler kick good 7 14
2 0:54 7 50 3:43 KC 31-yard field goal by Mercer 10 14
3 12:33 1 5 0:09 GB Elijah Pitts 5-yard touchdown run, Chandler kick good 10 21
3 0:51 10 56 5:25 GB McGee 13-yard touchdown reception from Starr, Chandler kick good 10 28
4 6:35 8 80 4:13 GB Pitts 1-yard touchdown run, Chandler kick good 10 35
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 35

Final statistics

Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl I, Super Bowl Play Finder GB, Super Bowl Play Finder KC

Statistical comparison

Kansas City Chiefs Green Bay Packers
First downs1721
First downs rushing410
First downs passing1211
First downs penalty10
Third down efficiency3/1311/15
Fourth down efficiency0/00/0
Net yards rushing72133
Rushing attempts1934
Yards per rush3.83.9
Passing – Completions/attempts17/3216/24
Times sacked-total yards6–613–22
Interceptions thrown11
Net yards passing167228
Total net yards239361
Punt returns-total yards3–194–23
Kickoff returns-total yards6–1303–65
Interceptions-total return yards1–01–50
Punts-average yardage7–45.34–43.3
Fumbles-lost1–01–0
Penalties-total yards4–264–40
Time of possession28:3531:25
Turnovers11

Note: According to NBC Radio announcer Jim Simpson's report at halftime of the game, Kansas City led 11–9 in first downs at halftime, 181–164 in total yards, and 142–113 in passing yards (Green Bay led 51–39 in rushing yards). Bart Starr completed eight of 13 with no interceptions, while Len Dawson was 11 of 15 with no interceptions. Green Bay led 14–10 at halftime. Green Bay had the ball five times, although only for a minute or so on the last possession; they punted on their first possession, scored a touchdown on their second, punted on their third, scored a touchdown on their fourth, and had the ball when the half ended on their fifth. Kansas City had the ball four times – punting on their first possession, driving to a missed field goal on their second possession, scoring a touchdown on their third, and kicking a field goal on their fourth.

This means, in the second half, Green Bay led 12–6 in first downs, 197–58 in total yards, 115–25 in passing yards, and 82–33 in rushing yards (the Packers won the second half, 21–0). Starr and his late-game replacement, Zeke Bratkowski, were eight for 11 with one interception; Dawson and his late-game replacement, Pete Beathard, were just six for 17, also with one interception. Each team had the ball seven times in the second half, although Green Bay's first possession was just one play and their seventh possession was abbreviated because the game ended. Green Bay scored a touchdown on their first (one play) possession, punted on their second, scored a touchdown on their third, was intercepted at KC's 15-yard line on their fourth (just Starr's fourth interception of the year), scored a touchdown on their fifth, punted on their sixth, and had the ball when the game ended on their seventh possession. Kansas City was intercepted on their first possession – Wood's return to the five set up Pitts' touchdown which made the score 21–10 – and then punted on each of their next six possessions.

Individual leaders

Chiefs passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Rating
Len Dawson 16/27 211 1 1 80.9
Pete Beathard 1/5 17 0 0 41.3
Chiefs rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3 Yds/Car
Len Dawson 3 24 0 15 8.00
Mike Garrett 6 17 0 9 2.83
Curtis McClinton 6 16 0 6 2.67
Pete Beathard 1 14 0 14 14.00
Bert Coan 3 1 0 3 0.33
Chiefs receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3 Target5
Chris Burford 4 67 0 27 10
Otis Taylor 4 57 0 31 9
Mike Garrett 3 28 0 17 5
Curtis McClinton 2 34 1 27 2
Fred Arbanas 2 30 0 18 3
Reg Carolan 1 7 0 7 1
Bert Coan 1 5 0 5 1
Packers passing
C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Rating
Bart Starr 16/23 250 2 1 116.2
Zeke Bratkowski 0/1 0 0 0 39.6
Packers rushing
Car2 Yds TD LG3 Yds/Car
Jim Taylor 17 56 1 14 3.29
Elijah Pitts 11 45 2 12 4.09
Donny Anderson 4 30 0 13 7.50
Jim Grabowski 2 2 0 2 1.00
Packers receiving
Rec4 Yds TD LG3 Target5
Max McGee 7 138 2 37 10
Carroll Dale 4 59 0 25 8
Elijah Pitts 2 32 0 22 3
Marv Fleming 2 22 0 11 2
Jim Taylor 1 −1 0 −1 1

1Completions/attempts 2Carries 3Long gain 4Receptions 5Times targeted

Records established

Because this was the first Super Bowl, a new record was set in every category. All categories are listed in the 2016 NFL Fact book.[42] The following records were set in Super Bowl I, according to the official NFL.com boxscore[43] and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.[44]
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.[42] The minimums are shown (in parenthesis).

Player records established[44]
Most points scored, game12Max McGee
Elijah Pitts
Most points scored, career12
Most touchdowns, game2
Most touchdowns, career2
Longest scoring play37 yard passMax McGee
Passing records
Most attempts, game27Len Dawson
Most attempts, career27
Most completions, game16Len Dawson
Bart Starr
Most completions, career16
Most interceptions thrown, game1
Most interceptions thrown, career1
Highest passer rating, game116.2Bart Starr
Highest completion percentage,
game, (20 attempts)
69.6%
Most passing yards, game250 yards
Most passing yards, career250 yards
Longest pass37 yards
Highest average gain,
game (20 attempts)
10.87 yards (23–250)
Most touchdown passes, game2
Most touchdown passes, career2
Rushing records
Most yards, game56 yardsJim Taylor (Green Bay)
Most yards, career56 yards
Most attempts, game17
Most attempts, career17
Longest Touchdown Run14 yards
Longest run from scrimmage15 yardsLen Dawson
Most rushing yards, game, quarterback24 yards
Most touchdowns, game2Elijah Pitts
Most touchdowns, career2
Highest average gain,
game (10 attempts)
4.0 yards (11–45)
Receiving records
Most yards, game138 yardsMax McGee
Most yards, career138 yards
Most receptions, game7
Most receptions, career7
Longest reception37 yards
Longest touchdown reception37 yards
Highest average gain,
game (3 receptions)
19.7 yards (7–138)
Most touchdowns, game2
Most touchdowns, career2
Combined yardage records
Most attempts, game18Jim Taylor
Most Attempts, career18
Most yards gained, game138Max McGee
Most yards gained, career138
Fumbles
Most fumbles, game1Jim Grabowski (Green Bay)
Curtis McClinton (Kansas City)
Most fumbles, career1
Defense
Most interceptions, game1Willie Wood (Green Bay)
Willie Mitchell (Kansas City)
Most interceptions, career1
Most interception yards gained, game50 yardsWillie Wood
Most interception yards gained, career50 yards
Longest interception return50 yards
Most sacks, game 1.5Henry Jordan (Green Bay)
Willie Davis (Green Bay)
Most sacks, career 1.5
Special Teams
Longest kickoff return31 yardsBert Coan (Kansas City)
Most kickoff returns, game4
Most kickoff returns, career4
Most kickoff return yards, game87 yards
Most kickoff return yards, career87 yards
Highest kickoff return average,
game (3 returns)
21.8 yards (4–87)
Highest kickoff return average,
career (4 returns)
21.8 yards (4–87)
Longest punt61 yardsJerrel Wilson (Kansas City)
Most punts, game7
Most punts, career7
Highest punting average, game (4 punts)43.3 (7–317)
Most punt returns, game3Donny Anderson (Green Bay)
Most punt returns, career3
Most punt return yards gained, game25
Most punt return yards gained, career25
Longest punt return15
Highest average, punt return
yardage, game (3 returns)
8.3 yards (3–25)
Most field goals attempted, game2Mike Mercer (Kansas City)
Most field goals attempted, career2
Most field goals made, game1
Most field goals made, career1
Longest field goal31
Most (one point) extra points, game5Don Chandler (Green Bay)
Most (one point) extra points, career5
  • † This category includes rushing, receiving, interception returns, punt returns, kickoff returns, and fumble returns.[45]
  • ‡ Sacks an official statistic since Super Bowl XVII by the NFL. Sacks are listed as "Tackled Attempting to Pass" in the official NFL box score for Super Bowl I.[43][46]
Team records established [44]
Most Super Bowl appearances1Packers
Chiefs
Most Super Bowl victories1Packers
Most Super Bowl losses1Chiefs
Super Bowl win with
no home playoff games
2 gamesPackers
Points
Most points, game35 pointsPackers
Fewest points, game10 pointsChiefs
Largest margin of victory25 pointsPackers
Most points scored, first half14 points
Most points scored, second half21 points
Most points scored in
any quarter of play
14 points (3rd)
Most points, first quarter7 points
Most points, second quarter10 pointsChiefs
Most points, third quarter14 pointsPackers
Most points, fourth quarter7 points
Largest lead, end of first quarter7 points
Largest halftime margin4 points
Largest lead, end of 3rd quarter18 points
Fewest points, first half10 pointsChiefs
Fewest points, second half0 points
Touchdowns, PATs, field goals
Most touchdowns, game5Packers
Fewest touchdowns, game1Chiefs
Longest touchdown scoring drive80 yardsPackers
Most (one point) PATs5Packers
Most field goals attempted2Chiefs
Most field goals made1Chiefs
Net yards
Most net yards,
rushing and passing
361 yardsPackers
Fewest net yards,
rushing and passing
239 yardsChiefs
Rushing
Most rushing attempts34Packers
Fewest rushing attempts19Chiefs
Most rushing yards (net)133 yardsPackers
Fewest rushing yards (net)72 yardsChiefs
Highest average gain
per rush attempt
3.9 yardsPackers
(133–34)
Lowest average gain
per rush attempt
3.8 yardsChiefs
(72–19)
Most rushing touchdowns3Packers
Fewest rushing touchdowns0Chiefs
Passing
Most passing attempts32Chiefs
Fewest passing attempts23Packers
Most passes completed17Chiefs
Fewest passes completed16Packers
Highest completion percentage
(20 attempts)
69.6%Packers
(16–23)
Lowest completion percentage
(20 attempts)
53.1%Chiefs
(17–32)
Most yards passing (net)228 ydsPackers
Fewest yards passing (net)167 ydsChiefs
Highest average yards gained
per pass attempt
9.9 ydsPackers
(228–23)
Lowest average yards gained
per pass attempt
5.2 ydsChiefs
(167–32)
Most times intercepted1Packers
Chiefs
Most times sacked6Chiefs
Fewest times sacked3Packers
Most passing touchdowns2Packers
Fewest passing touchdowns1Chiefs
First Downs
Most first downs21Packers
Fewest first downs17Chiefs
Most first downs rushing10Packers
Fewest first downs rushing4Chiefs
Most first downs, passing12Chiefs
Fewest first downs passing11Packers
Most first downs, penalty1Chiefs
Fewest first downs penalty0Packers
Defense
Most Interceptions by1Packers
Chiefs
Most yards gained by
interception return
50 ydsPackers
Most sacks, game6Packers
Fewest sacks, game3Chiefs
Fewest yards allowed239 ydsPackers
Most yards allowed358 ydsChiefs
Most yards allowed in a win239 ydsPackers
Fumbles
Most fumbles, game1Packers
Chiefs
Most fumbles lost, game0
Most fumbles recovered, game1
Turnovers
Most turnovers, game1Packers
Chiefs
Fewest turnovers, game1
Kickoff returns
Most kickoff returns, game6Chiefs
Fewest kickoff returns, game3Packers
Most yards gained, game130 ydsChiefs
Fewest yards gained, game65 ydsPackers
Highest average gain,
game (3 returns)
21.7 ydsPackers (65–3)
Chiefs (130–6)
Punting
Most punts, game7Chiefs
Fewest punts, game4Packers
Highest average,
game (4 punts)
45.3 ydsChiefs
Punt returns
Most punt returns, game4Packers
Fewest punt returns, game3Chiefs
Most yards gained, game23 ydsPackers
Fewest yards gained, game19 ydsChiefs
Highest average return yardage,
game (3 returns)
6.3 ydsChiefs
(19–3)
Penalties
Most penalties, game4Packers
Chiefs
Most yards penalized, game40 ydsPackers
Fewest yards penalized, game26 ydsChiefs

Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.

Records established, both team totals [44]
TotalGreen
Bay
Kansas
City
Points, both teams
Most points45 pts3510
Most points scored, first half24 pts1410
Most points scored, second half21 pts210
Most points, first quarter7 pts70
Most points, second quarter17 pts710
Most points, third quarter14 pts140
Most points, fourth quarter7 pts70
Touchdowns, PATs, field goals, both teams
Most touchdowns651
Most (one point) PATs6(5–5)(1–1)
Most field goals attempted202
Most field goals made101
Net yards, both teams
Most net yards,
rushing and passing
600 yds361229
Rushing, both teams
Most rushing attempts533419
Most rushing yards (net)205 yds13372
Most rushing touchdowns330
Passing, both teams
Most passing attempts552332
Most passes completed331617
Most passing yards (net)395 yds228167
Most times sacked936
Most times interceptioned211
Most passing touchdowns321
First downs, both teams
Most first downs382117
Most first downs rushing14104
Most first downs, passing231112
Most first downs, penalty101
Defense, both teams
Most interceptions by211
Most yards gained by
interception return
50 yds500
Most sacks, game963
Fumbles, both teams
Most fumbles211
Most fumbles lost000
Turnovers, both teams
Most Turnovers211
Kickoff returns, both teams
Most kickoff returns936
Most yards gained195 yds65130
Punting, both teams
Most punts, game1147
Punt returns, both teams
Most punt returns, game743
Most yards gained, game42 yds2319
Penalties, both teams
Most penalties, game844
Most yards penalized66 yds4026

Starting lineups

Source:[47]

Hall of Fame ‡

Kansas CityPositionGreen Bay
Offense
Chris BurfordSECarroll Dale
Jim TyrerLTBob Skoronski
Ed BuddeLGFuzzy Thurston
Wayne FrazierCBill Curry
Curt MerzRGJerry Kramer
Dave HillRTForrest Gregg
Fred ArbanasTEMarv Fleming
Otis TaylorFLBoyd Dowler
Len DawsonQBBart Starr
Mike GarrettHBElijah Pitts
Curtis McClintonFBJim Taylor
Defense
Jerry MaysLEWillie Davis
Andy RiceLTRon Kostelnik
Buck BuchananRTHenry Jordan
Chuck HurstonRELionel Aldridge
Bobby BellLLBDave Robinson
Sherrill HeadrickMLBRay Nitschke
E. J. HolubRLBLee Roy Caffey
Fred WilliamsonLCBHerb Adderley
Willie MitchellRCBBob Jeter
Bobby HuntLSTom Brown
Johnny RobinsonRSWillie Wood
Special Teams
Mike MercerKDon Chandler
Jerrel WilsonPDon Chandler

Officials

Source:[48][49]

Note: A six-official system was used by the NFL from 1965 through the 1977 season.

Since officials from the NFL and AFL wore different uniform designs, a "neutral" uniform was designed for this game. These uniforms had the familiar black and white stripes, but the sleeves were all black with the official's uniform number. This design was also worn in Super Bowl II, but was discontinued after that game when AFL officials began wearing uniforms identical to those of the NFL during the 1968 season, in anticipation of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.[50][51]

See also

References

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