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
National Conference

East: Baltimore Colts (9-5), New York Giants (9-5), Washington Redskins (8-6), Philadelphia Eagles (5-9), Atlanta Falcons (1-13)

Central: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-2), Cleveland Browns (9-5), Green Bay Packers (7-7), Chicago Bears (7-7)

West: Dallas Cowboys (6-8), Denver Broncos (5-9), Los Angeles Rams (4-10), San Francisco 49ers (4-10)

Continental Conference

East: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (12-2), Boston Patriots (10-4), Ottawa Northmen (10-4), Montreal Alouettes (8-6), New York Jets (3-11)

Central: Toronto Argonauts (9-5), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7), Buffalo Bills (5-9), Detroit Lons (3-11)

West: Edmonton Eskimos (13-1), Calgary Stampeders (7-7), Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-9), British Columbia Cardinals (4-10)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Semi-Finals

Pittsburgh Steelers 65, New York Giants 17

Baltimore Colts 58, Dallas Cowboys 37

Grey Cup Semi-Finals

Edmonton Eskimos 30, Boston Patriots 13

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30, Toronto Argonauts 22

Halas Cup Final

Baltimore Colts 41, Pittsburgh Steelers 27

Grey Cup Final

Edmonton Eskimos 38, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 26

7th World Series of Pro Football (at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD)

Edmonton Eskimos 28, Baltimore Colts 23

NAFL All-Star Game (at Orange Bowl in Miami, FL)

National Conference 41, American Conference 23

Season Awards
League MVP: Fran Tarkenton (QB - Hamilton)

Playoff MVP: Len Dawson (QB - Baltimore)

Offensive POTY: Fran Tarkenton (QB - Hamilton)

Defensive POTY: Larry Grantham (LB - Edmonton)

Offensive ROTY: Robert Foster (QB - San Francisco)

Defensive ROTY: Joe Beauchamp (CB - Los Angeles)