August 2, 2026
August 2, 2026
1967 Green Bay Packers: Lombardi’s Last Stand
In the mid-to-late 1960s, the Green Bay Packers served as the class of the National Football League, led by iconic head coach Vince Lombardi. The Packers properly introduced football fans to the “Super Bowl Era” when they won the very first Super Bowl against the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs in 1966. As times were changing in football, so too were the faces that helped promote the game, and Vince Lombardi’s time as head coach was coming to an end.
The Green Bay Packers went 9-4-1 in 1967, winning the NFL Central Division by two games over their bitter rivals, the Chicago Bears. The Packers went 4-1-1 in divisional play and 6-3-1 in conference play. For a period of time, the Packers shared home field duties between Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, going 2-1-1 in Green Bay and 2-1 in Milwaukee. The Packers went 5-2 on the road.
The most impressive win of the regular season came in Week 3 on October 1, when the Packers blanked the Atlanta Falcons, a franchise in only its second year of existence, 32-0. Late in the season, the Packers went on a four-game winning streak that clinched the NFL Central Division. The streak began with a 55-7 pounding of the Cleveland Browns in Week 9 on November 12, and it ended with a close 30-27 win over another bitter rival, the Minnesota Vikings, in Week 12 on December 3.
Quarterback Bart Starr was the unquestioned leader of the team, going 8-3-1 in 12 starts. Starr completed 115 of 210 pass attempts for 1,823 yards and 9 touchdowns, throwing 17 interceptions. Providing Starr some relief was quarterback Zeke Bratkowski, who went 1-1 in 2 starts, completing 53 of 94 pass attempts for 724 yards and 5 touchdowns while throwing 9 interceptions.
Fullback Jim Grabowski had 120 rushing attempts for 466 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 12 receptions for 171 yards and 1 touchdown. Fullback and halfback Ben Wilson had 103 rushing attempts for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back and punter Donny Anderson, nicknamed “The Golden Palomino,” had 97 rushing attempts for 402 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with 22 receptions for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. Halfback Elijah Pitts had 77 rushing attempts for 247 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with 15 receptions for 210 yards.
Flanker Carroll Dale had 35 receptions for 738 yards and 5 touchdowns. Split end Boyd Dowler had 54 receptions for 836 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tight end Marv Fleming had 10 receptions for 126 yards and 1 touchdown.
Halfback Travis Williams contributed on offense, with 35 rushing attempts for 188 yards and 1 touchdown, but he made his biggest impact on special teams, with 18 kick returns for 739 yards and 4 touchdowns. Donny Anderson added 11 kick returns for 226 yards.
Left cornerback Herb Adderley had 10 kick returns for 207 yards, and on defense, Adderley recorded 4 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Left linebacker Dave Robinson and defensive back Willie Wood both had 4 interceptions. Right cornerback Bob Jeter had 8 interceptions for 78 yards. Middle linebacker Ray Nitschke was the leader of Green Bay’s defense, and his hard-hitting style of play earned the admiration of Packers fans. Nitschke had 3 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Right linebacker Lee Roy Caffey had 2 interceptions.
The Western Conference Championship Game on December 23 was held at Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Packers easily handled the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 28-7. Bart Starr completed 17 of 23 passes for 222 yards and 1 touchdown, while Travis Williams had 18 rushes for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Rams struck first in the first quarter when halfback, tight end, and flanker Bernie Casey caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Roman Gabriel. Green Bay responded in the second quarter with a 46-yard touchdown run by Williams, followed by a 17-yard touchdown reception from Carroll Dale. In the third quarter, running back Charles “Chuck” Mercein had a 6-yard touchdown run, and in the fourth quarter, Williams punched in a 2-yard touchdown run.
The 1967 NFL Championship was an absolute classic that pitted two iconic franchises against each other as the Green Bay Packers faced the Dallas Cowboys in what became known as the “Ice Bowl” on December 31. The weather at Lambeau Field reached some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded for an NFL game, with a game-time reading of -15 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind chill of -48 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bart Starr stepped up again for the Packers, completing 14 of 24 passes for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the first quarter, Boyd Dowler had an 8-yard touchdown reception, and in the second quarter, Dowler added a 46-yard touchdown reception. Dallas got on the board with a 7-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown courtesy of defensive end George Andrie. Kicker Danny Villanueva then tacked on a 21-yard field goal before scoring paused briefly. In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys took a 17-14 lead as flanker Lance Rentzel hauled in a 50-yard touchdown reception.
The play football fans remember most from this game came at the end of a remarkable drive led by Starr late in the fourth quarter. Calling “Brown Right 31 Wedge,” a play normally designed for the fullback, Starr kept the ball himself and punched it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown from 1 yard out. Starr received a critical block from right guard Jerry Kramer that allowed him to score. The Packers won 21-17.
Vince Lombardi’s last stand came in Super Bowl II against the AFL champion Oakland Raiders on January 14, 1968, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Bart Starr was once again solid, completing 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards and 1 touchdown, earning him Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors. Starr was opposed by Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who kept up as best he could, completing 15 of 34 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing 1 interception.
In the first quarter, kicker Don Chandler put Green Bay on the board first with a 39-yard field goal, then added a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter. Boyd Dowler followed with a 62-yard touchdown reception. Oakland got on the board with a 23-yard touchdown reception by split end Bill Miller. Chandler came back to kick a 43-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Donny Anderson punched in a 2-yard touchdown run, and Chandler added a 31-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Herb Adderley returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, and Oakland scored again too late with another 23-yard touchdown reception by Bill Miller.
After winning the first two Super Bowls back-to-back, Vince Lombardi retired from coaching. Never looking back, Lombardi left behind a legacy as one of the greatest motivators the sideline has ever seen. His departure also meant the departure of consistent winning for the Green Bay Packers, who wouldn’t return to the Super Bowl stage until nearly three decades later.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
August 2nd, 2026 19
August 2nd, 2026 19
August 1st, 2026 19
