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1965 NFL playoffs

American football tournament

Field	Value
title	NFL playoffs
year	1965
dates	December 26, 1965-January 2, 1966
season
num_teams	3
matches	2
title game name	[NFL Championship Game](1965-nfl-championship-game)
stadium	Lambeau Field
location	Green Bay, Wisconsin
defending champions	[Cleveland Browns](1964-cleveland-browns-season)
champions	[Green Bay Packers](1965-green-bay-packers-season)
(9th title)
runner-up	[Cleveland Browns](1965-cleveland-browns-season)
conf-runner-up1	[Baltimore Colts](1958-baltimore-colts-season)
seasonslistnames	NFL playoffs
prevseason	[1958](1958-nfl-playoffs)
nextseason	[1967](1967-nfl-playoffs)

(9th title) | runner-up = Cleveland Browns | conf-runner-up1 = Baltimore Colts

The 1965 NFL playoffs determined the champion of the National Football League in professional American football for its 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. The teams had played twice during the regular season and Green Bay had won both: 20–17 in Milwaukee on September 26, and 42–27 in Baltimore on December 12.

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, so fifth-year running back Tom Matte, a quarterback in college at Ohio State, was thrust into service behind center. Defensive back Bobby Boyd, a one-time Oklahoma quarterback, assumed the back-up role. 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; 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 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

Main article: 1965 NFL season

Final standings

Postseason

Bracket

December 26 January 2, 1966 |RD2-seed1 = E |RD2-team1 = Cleveland |RD2-score1 = 12 |RD1-seed1 = W |RD1-team1 = Baltimore |RD1-score1 = 10 |RD2-seed2 = W |RD2-team2 = Green Bay |RD2-score2 = 23 |RD1-seed2 = W |RD1-team2 = Green Bay |RD1-score2 = 13}} :Both games were at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Western Conference playoff

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.

NFL Championship Game

Main article: 1965 NFL Championship Game

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:

References

(December 23, 1965). "Matte hopes for Fran's success". Eugene Register-Guard.
Lea, Bud. (September 27, 1965). "Packers ride 'taxi' to 20-17 win". Milwaukee Sentinel.
Johnson, Chuck. (December 13, 1965). "Hornung scores 5 touchdowns as Packers break Colts, 42-27". Milwaukee Journal.
(December 21, 1965). "Rule Brown out of game". Youngstown Vindicator.
Hartnett, Ken. (December 26, 1965). "Packers battle Colts, Chargers meet Bills today". Youngstown Vindicator.
(December 27, 1965). "Packers edge Colts: injuries mar GB victory". Eugene Register-Guard.
(December 27, 1965). "Packers win, 13 to 10, for NFL Western title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
Lea, Bud. (December 27, 1965). "Chandler 'kicks' Packers to title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
Maule, Tex. (January 3, 1966). "The point of some return".
(January 10, 1966). "Baltimore whips Cowboys 35-3 in NFL battle of second-bests". Eugene Register-Guard.
(January 10, 1966). "Matte leads Colts to humiliating win". The Bulletin.
https://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/184032361.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1965/12/27/archives/packers-top-colts-on-field-goal-in-overtime-1310-and-win-western.html
Lea, Bud. (January 3, 1966). "Packers blast Browns for title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
Hand, John. (January 3, 1966). "Green Bay's ball-control tactics beat Browns for title, 23-12". Youngstown Vindicator.
Maule, Tex. (January 10, 1966). "A cool masterpiece".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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