1964 American Football League Championship Game

Game summary

San Diego opened the game with an 80-yard drive in four plays, but it was their only score as the Bills won 20–7 for their first league championship. Combined with the next season, the Bills' consecutive AFL titles are the only two championships ever won by a major league team based in Buffalo.

One of the game's most iconic plays was one known as the "hit heard 'round the world," when Bills linebacker Mike Stratton laid a particularly hard hit on Chargers running back Keith Lincoln that broke a rib and forced him out of the game midway through the first quarter. Without Lincoln and Alworth, the San Diego offensive attack was severely hindered.

Bills' fullback Cookie Gilchrist rushed for 122 yards on sixteen carries, while quarterback Jack Kemp completed ten of twenty passes for 188 yards and scored a fourth quarter touchdown on a sneak. Rookie kicker Pete Gogolak added two field goals in the first half. War Memorial Stadium was filled with a sellout attendance of 40,242.

Box score

Scoring

• First quarter
  • SD – Dave Kocourek 26-yard pass from Tobin Rote (Keith Lincoln kick). Chargers 7–0
  • BUF – Pete Gogolak 12-yard field goal. Chargers 7–3
• Second quarter
  • BUF – Wray Carlton 4-yard rush (Gogolak kick). Bills 10–7
  • BUF – Pete Gogolak 17-yard field goal. Bills 13–7
• Third quarter
• Fourth quarter
  • BUF – Jack Kemp 1-yard rush (Gogolak kick). Bills 20–7 Top passers
• SD – Tobin Rote – 10/26, 118 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
• BUF – Jack Kemp – 10/20, 188 yards Top rushers
• SD – Keith Lincoln – 3 rushes, 47 yards
• BUF – Cookie Gilchrist – 16 rushes, 122 yards Top receivers
• SD – Keith Kinderman – 4 receptions, 52 yards
• BUF – Glenn Bass – 2 receptions, 70 yards

Statistics

Aftermath

It was the final game for Chargers quarterback Tobin Rote, who had led the Detroit Lions to the NFL title seven years earlier in 1957 and the Chargers to the AFL crown in 1963. He was replaced in the game by John Hadl, who had played most of the regular season.

The 1964 AFL championship game was the penultimate pro football championship game played in Buffalo (the Bills hosted again in 1966, but lost in their attempt for a third consecutive AFL crown). Held six days after the completion of the 1964 regular season, it was the only AFL title game not played on Sunday, as well as the final one televised in black-and-white. The NFL's championship game was played the following day on Sunday, December 27.

This was the last AFL game on ABC television; rights were sold in January 1964 to NBC for $36 million over five years, beginning with the 1965 season. This infusion of cash helped spur a bidding war for talent with the NFL, which led to the AFL–NFL merger agreement in June 1966. With the exception of the 1966 Continental Football League championship, ABC did not carry pro football again until after the completion of the merger and the subsequent creation of Monday Night Football for the season.

Players' shares

The winning Bills split their players' shares for the title game 43 ways for $2,668 each, while the Chargers split theirs into 44 shares for $1,738 each. These shares were about one-third of those for the NFL title game in 1964, at $8,000 and $5,000 each. With the new television deal with NBC, the players' shares for the AFL title game nearly doubled in 1965.

References

References

1. (December 27, 1964). "Bills bruise Chargers; win A.F.L. title, 20-7". Chicago Sunday Tribune.
2. (December 27, 1964). "Buffalo's Bills bull past San Diego for title, 20-7". Milwaukee Journal.
3. Rathet, Mike. (December 27, 1964). "Buffalo gains AFL championship". Eugene Register-Guard.
4. (December 28, 1964). "Buffalo Bills out-charge Charger 20-7 in finale". The Bulletin.
5. Shrake, Edwin. (January 4, 1965). "Foggy feast for Buffalo's faithful".
6. (December 26, 1964). "Alworth is out of AFL title game". Chicago Daily Tribune.
7. (December 26, 1964). "Chargers lose star for AFL title game". Spokesman-Review.
8. (December 24, 1964). "Weather factor in pro finales". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
9. (December 26, 1964). "Bills rated as strong favorites to win AFL title". Schenectady Gazette.
10. (December 28, 1964). "Linebacker key in Buffalo win". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
11. link. (January 29, 2009)
12. (January 29, 1964). "AFL, NBC ink pact". Eugene Register-Guard.
13. (May 23, 1964). "American Football League may be expanded in 1966". Nashua Telegraph.
14. (December 27, 1964). "Bills get $2,668". Chicago Tribune.
15. (December 28, 1964). "Facts and figures". Milwaukee Journal.
16. (December 27, 1965). "Bills turn solid gold with $100 quarterback". Toledo Blade.