1965 NFL playoffs

American football tournament August 2023 NFL playoffs 1965 December 26, 1965-January 2, 1966 1965 3 2 NFL Championship Game Lambeau Field Green Bay, Wisconsin Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers(9th title) Cleveland Browns Baltimore Colts NFL playoffs 1958 1967 The 1965 NFL playoffs determined the champion of the National Football League in professional American football for its 1965 season. Although a single championship game between conference winners was the current format for the league, a tie in the Western Conference standings between the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts necessitated a rare tiebreaker playoff, the first in the league in seven years and the first in the Western Conference since 1957. A coin flip decided the home team.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=c_xVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2511%2C5122572 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Matte hopes for Fran's success December 23, 1965 2B The teams had played twice during the regular season and Green Bay had won both: 20–17 in Milwaukee on September 26,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cnRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jxEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6801%2C4642596 Milwaukee Sentinel Lea Bud Bud Lea Packers ride 'taxi' to 20-17 win September 27, 1965 2, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot and 42–27 in Baltimore on December 12.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mz0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xCcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6449%2C2423323 Milwaukee Journal Johnson Chuck Hornung scores 5 touchdowns as Packers break Colts, 42-27 December 13, 1965 17, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot Both teams were hampered on offense without their starting quarterbacks. Colts Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo were both sidelined with injuries, and newly signed replacements Ed Brown and George Haffner were ruled ineligible by the league owners,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GWRcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y1YNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3187%2C2014285 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio Associated Press Rule Brown out of game December 21, 1965 38 so fifth-year running back Tom Matte, a quarterback in college at Ohio State, was thrust into service behind center.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HWRcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y1YNAAAAIBAJ&pg=974%2C3119533 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio Associated Press Hartnett Ken Packers battle Colts, Chargers meet Bills today December 26, 1965 D1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d_xVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4622%2C5910423 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Packers edge Colts: injuries mar GB victory December 27, 1965 1C Defensive back Bobby Boyd, a one-time Oklahoma quarterback, assumed the back-up role. Packers QB Bart Starr was injured (ribs) on the first play, so veteran Zeke Bratkowski played the rest of the game, backed up by halfback Paul Hornung and safety Willie Wood. Tied at 10 points at the end of regulation, the game went into overtime for over 13 minutes. At the time, it was the longest game in NFL history.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B3RQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-BAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6484%2C4765381 Milwaukee Sentinel Packers win, 13 to 10, for NFL Western title December 27, 1965 1, part 1 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B3RQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-BAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7086%2C4849482 Milwaukee Sentinel Lea Bud Bud Lea Chandler 'kicks' Packers to title December 27, 1965 2, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://www.si.com/vault/1966/01/03/607782/the-point-of-some-return Sports Illustrated Maule Tex Tex Maule The point of some return January 3, 1966 10 Green Bay kicker Don Chandler made a controversial field goal late in regulation (22 yards) to tie the game at ten. He then booted the winning 25-yarder in overtime. Although the championship game was played in 1966 on January 2, it is recognized as part of the 1965 NFL season. It was the latest date for an NFL Championship Game to that point, and the first time in league history that the game was held after all of the college bowl games. The Playoff Bowl (a consolation game between the conference runners-up) for the 1965 season took place in Miami on January 9, 1966, the Sunday following the NFL championship game. With Matte at quarterback, the Colts defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35–3;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0alVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4743%2C1908097 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Baltimore whips Cowboys 35-3 in NFL battle of second-bests January 10, 1966 3Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ABYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JvcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1030%2C1015456 The Bulletin Bend, Oregon UPI Matte leads Colts to humiliating win January 10, 1966 9 the rusty Cowboys' previous game was three weeks earlier, on December 19. This capped a season where the Western Conference won 15 out of 16 interconference games against the Eastern Conference, including the championship game and Playoff Bowl. The tiebreaker playoff between Green Bay and Baltimore was the last for the NFL; the league expanded to sixteen teams in four divisions in 1967 and a point differential was introduced to break ties. It was used that year in the Coastal Division, where Baltimore (11–1–2) tied with Los Angeles for the best overall record in the league, but was left out of the postseason, which consisted of the four division winners only; the wild card team was introduced in 1970 with the realignment of the AFL–NFL merger. The American Football League (AFL) had two tiebreaker playoff games, the last in 1968. Regular season 1965 NFL season Final standings y Postseason Bracket Western Conference playoffDecember 26 NFL ChampionshipJanuary 2, 1966 E Cleveland 12 W Baltimore 10 W Green Bay 23 W Green Bay 13 Both games were at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin Western Conference playoff text-align:center; background:#eee Green Bay Packers 13, Baltimore Colts 10 (OT) Colts 7 3 0 0 0 Packers 0 0 7 3 3 22 F, wind 10 mph on, wind chill 12 F, relative humidity 85% December 26, 1965 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Norm Schachter Pro-Football-Reference 50,484 1:05 p.m. CST Scoring First quarter BAL – Don Shinnick 25-yard fumble recovery return (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 7–0 Second quarter BAL – Lou Michaels 15-yard field goal. Colts 10–0 Third quarter GB – Paul Hornung 1-yard run (Don Chandler kick). Colts 10–7 Fourth quarter GB – Don Chandler 22-yard field goal. Tied 10–10 Overtime GB – Don Chandler 25-yard field goal. Packers 13–10 Top passers BAL – Tom Matte – 5/12, 40 yards GB – Zeke Bratkowski – 22/39, 248 yards, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Tom Matte – 17 rushes, 57 yards GB – Jim Taylor – 23 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers BAL – John Mackey – 3 receptions, 25 yards GB – Bill Anderson – 8 receptions, 78 yards Due to injuries, Tom Matte was the starting quarterback for the Colts. Meanwhile, for the Packers, Bart Starr suffered an injury to his ribs after throwing one pass that necessitated Zeke Bratkowski getting into the game. Having tied the game with 1:58 remaining, Don Chandler hit a 25-yard field goal in overtime to get the Packers into the NFL championship game.Dec. 26, 1965: '65 playoff vs. Colts https://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/184032361.html 2026-08-18 archive.jsonline.comWallace William N. Packers Top Colts on Field Goal in Overtime, 13-10, and Win Western Title – Chandler's Kick From 26 Decides The New York Times 1965-12-27 https://www.nytimes.com/1965/12/27/archives/packers-top-colts-on-field-goal-in-overtime-1310-and-win-western.html 2026-03-13 NFL Championship Game 1965 NFL Championship Game text-align:center; background:#eee Green Bay Packers 23, Cleveland Browns 12 Browns 9 3 0 0 Packers 7 6 7 3 26 F, wind 11 mph on, wind chill 16 F, relative humidity 92% January 2, 1966 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin George Rennix Pro-Football-Reference 50,852 1:05 p.m. CST Scoring First quarter GB – Carroll Dale 47-yard pass from Bart Starr (Don Chandler kick). Packers 7–0 CLE – Collins 17-yard pass from Frank Ryan (American football) (kick failed). Packers 7–6 CLE – Lou Groza 24-yard field goal. Browns 9–7 Second quarter GB – Don Chandler 15-yard field goal. Packers 10–9 GB – Don Chandler 23-yard field goal. Packers 13–9 CLE – Lou Groza 28-yard field goal. Packers 13–12 Third quarter GB – Paul Hornung 13-yard run (Chandler kick). Packers 20–12 Fourth quarter GB – Don Chandler 29-yard field goal. Packers 23–12 Top passers CLE – Frank Ryan – 8/18, 115 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT GB – Bart Starr – 10/18, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CLE – Jim Brown – 12 rushes, 50 yards GB – Paul Hornung – 18 rushes, 105 yards, 1 TD Top receivers CLE – Jim Brown – 3 receptions, 44 yards GB – Carroll Dale – 2 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD Source:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jX1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=axEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7268%2C357985 Milwaukee Sentinel Lea Bud Bud Lea Packers blast Browns for title January 3, 1966 2, part 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hS5JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=805%2C830252 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio Associated Press Hand John Green Bay's ball-control tactics beat Browns for title, 23-12 January 3, 1966 18 https://www.si.com/vault/1966/01/10/619103/a-cool-masterpiece Sports Illustrated Maule Tex Tex Maule A cool masterpiece January 10, 1966 14 References Playoffs Category:NFL playoffs Category:Green Bay Packers postseason