1966 AFL Championship vs Oakland Raiders

Lore & Background

The host Bills entered the AFL title game as two-time defending champions, but the visiting 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. The two teams had split their season series, played early in the schedule without weather as a factor, with the road team winning each. Played on a sunny day, a Bills fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Chiefs a short field to work with. Quarterback Len Dawson immediately took advantage of it, hitting Fred Arbanas for the game's first score. Buffalo quarterback 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 end zone, but Kemp's pass was intercepted by Johnny Robinson, who returned it 72 yards. That set up a Mike Mercer field goal to close out the first half with a ten-point lead. Buffalo found no offensive rhythm in the second half, and the third quarter was scoreless. The Chiefs closed the game out in the fourth quarter with Dawson finding Chris Burford for a 45-yard gain, setting up a one-foot touchdown run by rookie running back Mike Garrett, extending the lead to 24–7. Garrett scored his second touchdown less than two minutes later, following another Bills fumble.

In Their Own Story

The wind whipped across the frozen turf of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on New Year's Eve, biting at the exposed skin of players huddled in the locker room. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of liniment and nervous energy. Hank Stram paced before his team, eyes scanning the faces of Dawson, Buck Buchanan, and the rest, emphasizing that this battle was for the future of the franchise. On the field, the lights seemed to hum with anticipation against the cold night sky. The Raiders' defense looked like an impenetrable wall, but Len Dawson saw the gaps before they even formed. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 31–7 in favor of Kansas City. The Chiefs had not only defended their crown but asserted dominance over a rival that would challenge them for decades.

Reader's Guide

Scoring summary: First quarter: KC – Arbanas 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick), KC 7–0; BUF – Dubenion 69 pass from Kemp (Lusteg kick), 7–7 Tie. Second quarter: KC – Taylor 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick), KC 14–7; KC – Field goal Mercer 32, KC 17–7. Third quarter: no scoring. Fourth quarter: KC – Garrett 1 run (Mercer kick), KC 24–7; KC – Garrett 18 run (Mercer kick), KC 31–7. Upon their return to Kansas City, the Chiefs were greeted by 12,000 fans at the airport. They split their players' shares for the title game 51 ways, or $5,308 each.

Did You Know?

• The game was played on January 1, 1967, not December 31, 1966.
• This was the Chiefs' first AFL championship in Kansas City, not their second consecutive title; they had not won in 1965.
• The Chiefs went on to Super Bowl I but lost to the Green Bay Packers 35–10.