1966 NFL season (Jayverse)

The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the first season in which the Super Bowl was played, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.

The AFL-NFL Merger Agreement
As the competitive war between the NFL and the American Football League reached its peak, the two leagues agreed to merge on June 8, 1966. Under the agreement:


 * The two leagues would combine to form an expanded league with 32 teams, which would be increased to 40 teams by 1970 or soon thereafter.
 * All existing teams would be retained, and none of them would be moved outside of their metropolitan areas.
 * While maintaining separate schedules through 1969, the leagues agreed to play an annual AFL-NFL World Championship Game beginning in January 1967.
 * The two leagues would officially merge in 1970 to form one league with two conferences.

AFL Expansion for '66
With the AFL adding six more teams to make it an 32 Teams, The American Football League added Edmonton Elks and the Minnesota Vikings to the AFL North alongside the Calgary Stampeders and the Kansas City Kings, The AFL South added the Birmingham Vulcans and the Memphis Steamers, The AFL East expanded to Canada to add the Ottawa Canadians and the AFL West expanded to San Diego, CA and will be called the San Diego Destroyers

Draft
The Newly Expanded San Diego Destroyers took Illinois RB Jim Grabowski as their first pick in the 1966 AFL Draft while the Washington Capitals got Michigan G Tom Mack as their first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft

Other Selections in the Rookie Draft are as follows

San Francisco 49ers draft Stan Hindman (DE)

Minnesota Vikings draft Jerry Shay (DT)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Dick Leftridge (FB)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Randy Beisler (G)

Edmonton Elks draft Ed Turek (RB)

Oakland Raiders draft Rodger Bird (FS)

New York Titans draft William Yearby (DE)

New York Giants draft Francis Peay (T)

Los Angeles Chargers draft Don Davis (DT)

Los Angeles Rams draft Mike Garrett (RB)

Kansas City Kings draft Aaron Brown (DE)

Detroit Lions draft Bill Malinchak (WR)

Denver Broncos draft Freeman White (TE)

Dallas Cowboys draft John Niland (G)

Cleveland Browns draft Milt Morin (TE)

Chicago Bears draft George Rice (DT)

Boston Patriots draft Karl Singer (T)

Baltimore Colts draft Sam Ball (T)

Atlanta Falcons draft Tommy Nobis (LB)

Miami Dolphins draft Rick Norton (QB)

Green Bay Packers draft Gale Gillingham (G)

Buffalo Bills draft Jim Lindsey (RB)

Washington Capitals draft Walt Barnes (DT)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Garry LeFebvre (WR)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Bruce Van Dyke (G)

Edmonton Elks draft Joe Beauchamp (SS)

New York Titans draft Emerson Boozer (RB)

Kansas City Kings draft Emmitt Thomas (CB)

Detroit Lions draft Garo Yepremian (K)

Denver Broncos draft Larry Kaminski (C)

Dallas Texans draft Walt Garrison (FB)

Cleveland Bowns draft Fred Hoaglin (C)

St. Louis Gunners draft Jim Hart (QB)

Atlanta Falcons draft Randy Johnson (QB)

Miami Dolphins draft Karl Noonan (WR)

Buffalo Bills draft Bobby Burnett (RB)

Final Standings
NFC North: Toronto Huskies (12-4), Green Bay Packers (12-4), Chicago Bears (8-8), Detroit Lions (6-10)

NFC Mid-Atlantic: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4), St. Louis Gunners (11-5), Cleveland Browns (10-6), Baltimore Colts (5-11)

NFC East: Montreal Beavers (13-3), New York GIants (11-5), Washington Capitals (5-11), Philadelphia Eagles (5-11)

NFC West: Dallas Texans (10-6), San Francisco 49ers (8-8), Denver Broncos (6-10), Los Angeles Rams (5-11)

AFC North: Minnesota Vikings (8-8), Edmonton Elks (7-9), Kansas City Kings (6-10), Calgary Stampeders (6-10)

AFC South: Atlanta Falcons (9-7), Memphis Staeamers (8-8), Miami Dolphins (7-9), Birmingham Vulcans (4-12)

AFC East: New York Titans (10-6), Ottawa Canadians (7-9), Buffalo Bills (7-9), Boston Patriots (5-11)

AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers (13-3), San Diego Destroyers (8-8), Vancouver Lumberjacks (7-9), Oakland Raiders (5-11)

Playoffs
NFL Quarter-Final: St. Louis def. Pittsburgh 31-24, Green Bay def. Dallas 24-10

AFL Quarter-Final: San Diego def. Atlanta 31-27, Memphis def. Minnesota 33-3

NFL Semi-Final: Toronto def. Memphis 17-3, Green Bay def. Montreal 20-3

AFL Semi-Final: San Diego def. NY Titans 13-7, St. Louis def. LA Chargers 24-20

NFL Championship: Green Bay def. Toronto 38-35

AFL Championship: San Diego def. Memphis 24-13

Super Bowl I (at LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA): Green Bay def. San Diego 31-10

Pro Bowl (at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA): AFL def. NFL 15-14

League Leaders
Passing Yards - Frank Sloan (Calgary) 4,950

Passing TD's - Len Dawson (St. Louis) 42

Passing Rating - Len Dawson (St. Louis) 122

Rushing Yards - Ernie Davis (Washington) 1,325

Receiving Yards - Keith Murphy (Miami) 1,846

Total Points - Daniel Grant (Montreal) 139

Tackles - Dave Robinson (Green Bay) 123

Sacks - Walter Straub (Memphis) 21

Interceptions - Carlos Ashcraft (St. Louis) 8