Don Chandler

Carroll Dale

Zeke Bratkowski

Phil Bengston

Ron Kostelnik

Lionel Aldridge

Lee Roy Caffey

• Green Bay had not won the West since 1962.
• Paul Hornung's suspension for gambling for the '63 season set off a chain of events that caused the Packers to fall short in both '63 and '64.
• So he started the first day of training camp of 1965 by giving his players an ultimatum: This year we are going to be number one! If you don't think we're number one, I don't want you playing for me! If you can't go out there and win, pack your gear and go home!

Most of the Packers had played in the championship games of '60, '61, and '62. But a number of newcomers were expected to help return the team to the top in '65.

• Hornung could no longer do the kicking. Having lost his confidence after being out a year, he cost the Pack several games in '64 by missing PATs and FGs, including five of the latter in one game against the Colts.
• So Lombardi traded a third round draft choice for Don Chandler, whom he knew from his time as an assistant with the Giants. Chandler saved a roster spot by doing both the punting and the placekicking.
  One of the reasons the Giants parted with Chandler was that Don pro­posed a novel plan for participating in the 1965 season. With his business interests in Tulsa demanding more of his attention, he asked permission to split his week, taking care of business in Oklahoma before returning to New York for several days of practice. Coach Allie Sherman and owner Well­ington Mara summarily refused his request. When Chandler first met with Lombardi after the trade, he proposed the same arrangement. I thought I had heard all the coaching speeches, Don recalled. I was convinced of what I wanted to do, and I told him that when we first sat down. An hour or so later, I couldn't wait to change my plans. I'll say this about Vince Lombardi: he was hypnotic when he wanted to be. I remember the first time I sat in when he delivered one of those pregame speeches. When it was over, I was afraid to miss a field goal, not because we might lose, but because I'd have to face him afterward.
• Other important additions included WR Carroll Dale from the Rams and C Bill Curry, drafted out of Georgia Tech.

The Packers shot out of the gate fast, winning their first six games.

• But QB Bart Starr's injury in Game 7 at Chicago contributed to two straight defeats - to the Bears and Lions.
• Still struggling on offense, the Pack edged the Rams 6-3 on two Chandler FGs, then clobbered the Vikings.
• But the rematch at Los Angeles didn't go well, the home team administering a 21-10 beating.
• After downing Minnesota again, the Packers traveled to Baltimore 1/2 game behind the Colts. Fortunately for Green Bay, the Bears had knocked Johnny Unitas out for the season the week before, and Green Bay took sole pos­session of first place with a 42-27 triumph.
• But they squandered their half-game lead the last Sunday of the season when John Brodie threw a last-minute TD pass to pull the 49ers into a tie at 24.
• That necessitated a playoff with Baltimore for the West crown. Since the Packers had won both regular season meetings, they hosted the game. With the Colts down to their third QB in Tom Matte, the Packers lost Starr on the first play of the game. Backup Zeke Bratkowski led a gritty victory won on Chandler's OT FG 13-10. Don had also booted a highly controversial tying FG in the last seconds of regulation that the Colts insisted sailed wide of the post.
  The dispute caused the league to raise the uprights to 20' for the 1966 season. The rule was often referred to as the "Don Chandler Rule."

• The St. Louis Cardinals hung with Cleveland at first, matching their 4-1 start. But the Cards. wracked by injuries, won only one more game to fall to a tie for 6th in the conference.
• The Dallas Cowboys compiled the best season in their six-year history, winning their last three and five of their last seven to break even, 7-7, good enough for a second-place tie with the Giants.

• Starr suffered from severely bruised ribs. Just lifting his right arm caused pain. Two days before the big game, Lombardi told reporters, If I told you Bart was going to start, I might be wrong. And if I told you he wasn't going to start, I might not be telling the truth. I just won't know for sure until he warms up on Sunday.
• Vince's two RBs, Hornung and Jim Taylor, both 30, suffered the usual aches and pains of a grueling season, but each pronounced himself ready to go. Taylor had a pulled groin muscle, and Hornung contended with a twisted knee, a sprained wrist, and sore ribs. In addition, WR Boyd Dowler nursed a bad ankle and two damaged ribs. DT Ron Kostelnik had a sprained knee.
  There was no way Taylor would miss a confrontation with his nemesis, Jim Brown. Jimmy from LSU was obsessed with Jimmy from Syracuse, whom Lombardi called the greatest player in NFL history. After every game, Tay­lor wanted to know how many yards his rival had gained. I'm always aware of Brown, said Taylor. When we meet head-to-head, I want to do better than he does. I think about it. The Green Bay FB was the only runner to dethrone Brown from the rushing leadership during his nine years in the league. In 1962, Taylor gained 1,474y, 478 more than Brown.
• The other Packer obsessed with Brown was MLB Ray Nitschke, whose defense was determined to limit the greatest weapon in the league. An intelligent runner who played FB like a HB, Brown read his blocks and knew where his teammates and the defenders were at all times.
• In particular, Nitschke & Company worked hard to stop the Browns' bread-and-butter play - the power sweep. Run from a double-wing set, the play was designated "Flip-8" when run to the right and "Flip-9" when run to the left.
  Browns QB Frank Ryan: The trick was to get the ball to Jim when he was in full speed. Jim was so fast and so quick that if we could get the ball to him and he could get around end, he could be effective.
  C John Morrow: We only needed to give him a crack - 18 inches - and he would be in the secondary. But one way or another, he'd get the yards. Jim got the job done.
  The toss sweep was Brown's favorite play because it usually got him into open space where he could create. That's when I'd go into my bag of stuff. They're in trouble now. I'm in their territory, 55 things happening at once. I'm moving, evaluating their possible moves, trying to outthink and outmaneuver them, using my speed, quickness, and balance.
  Writers sometimes referred to the Browns QB as Dr. Ryan since he had re­ceived a Ph.D. in mathematics from Rice University. His dissertation was entitled, "A characterizatoin of the set of asymptotic values of a function holomorphic in the unit disk."
• From studying film, Nitschke became convinced that stopping Brown required a village - specifically, the entire Green Bay D that allowed the fewest yards in the league by a whopping 571y over second-place Dallas. DEs Willie Davis and Lionel Aldridge would have to turn Brown in with help from OLBs Dave Robinson and Lee Roy Caffey. And when Brown turned in, Nitschke, like a heat-seeking missile, would make the tackle.
  D coordinator Phil Bengston met with Nitschke late in the practice week to go over the defensive signals. Whenever Cleveland lined up in the double­wing set, Bengston would signal from the sideline the adjustments Ray would call before the snap. To disguise the defense in an attempt to con­fuse Brown, Bengston employed several different schemes against the sweep depending on whether the CB, LB, or S was responsible for stepping up and containing the play.
• Lombardi stressed to his squad that the team that ran the ball better would win on Sunday. Rushing was stronger than passing for each team, as the offensive stats showed: Passing yards - Browns 9th, Packers 12th; rushing yards - Packers 1st, Browns 3rd. Total offense - Browns 3rd, Packers 5th.
• Without making a public announcement, Lombardi decided to start Starr after Saturday morning's practice when Bart said he felt fine.

• Coach Blanton Collier announced that second-year WR Paul Warfield would start for the first time all season after suffering a cracked collarbone against the College All-Stars in the annual preseason game. Warfield had played a key role in the Browns' title game victory in 1964 by drawing double cover­age from the Colts that freed the other WR, Gary Collins, to haul in three TD passes.
• Cleveland's only questionable performer was T Dick Schafrath, the leader of the O-line. He wasn't able to work all week because of a pulled hamstring.
• The Browns had coasted down the stretch after clinching the division with three weeks to go. They lost to the Rams in Los Angeles and squeaked past the depleted Cardinals. So the nagging question for Cleveland was whether they could regain the edge that had propelled them to 10 victories in their first 12 games.
• Oddly, the championship game marked the first visit of the Browns to Green Bay for anything other than exhibition games.

The Browns worked out at Lambeau Field the day before the game.

• The turf was frozen but fast, just what they wanted for their ground game.
• However, the forecast for Sunday called for snow in the morning, changing to sleet and freezing rain as the day progressed.
• To avoid distractions, the team spent the night in Appleton WI, 30 miles SW of Green Bay. That decision would create a problem Sunday morning.

CBS televised the game nationwide.

• Ray Scott, Ken Coleman, and Frank Gifford handled the telecast.
• Jack Drees and Jim Morse manned the radio broadcast which was heard around the world via Armed Forces Radio.

High schoolers help shovel snow.

Carroll Dale catches underthrown ball as Walter Beech slips down.

Bob Jeter and Tom Moore break up pass to Gary Collins.

Bill Glass tries to tip Bart Starr's pass.

Starr consults with Lombardi.

Starr passes.

In the trenches

Taylor darts through the hole.

Ryan sacked.

Starr surveys the defense.

Taylor runs behind chop block.

Forrest Gregg - 1

Forrest Gregg - 2

Starr makes one of his 47 handoffs on the afternoon.

Hornung tries to elude Ross Fichtner.

Boyd Dowler snags pass.

Elijah Pitts leave the field with a face full of mud.

Hornung on the run

Nitschke knocks pass out of Brown's hands in EZ.

Nitschke saves TD.

Mud Bowl

Hornung through the hole.

Brown on the move

Another one of Hornung's 18 carries.

Dick Modzelewski and Vince Costello

Hornung looks for an opening.

Taylor leans in.

Muddy warriors: Hornung, Kramer, Thurston

Taylor pounds one more time.

Hornung follows Tom Moore late in game.

Ghost Warriors: Modzelewski, Wiggin, Johnson

Spent warrior.


Taylor and Hornung give Lombardi a ride.

Lombardi and Hornung leave triumphant.

• Quarter 1
  The snow had stopped by kickoff, but the footing was soft and mushy as melting snow covered the field. The yard lines had been cleared. However, the conditions worsened when it started to rain.
  When he kicked off to start the game, Lou Groza set a record for most appearances in a championship game. Tom Moore returned the kickoff from the goal line to the 22. Starr alternated passes and runs to move to two first downs. A 3rd-and-6 completion to Taylor to the 36 lengthened the possession. Two plays later, Starr threw to Hornung open over the middle to the 47.
  
  Starrs throws an early pass.
  After Jimmy banged to the Cleveland 48, Starr surprised the Browns with a long pass to LE Carroll Dale. Unable to get enough mustard on the ball with his bandaged ribs, Starr underthrew the pass. Dale came back for it as the defender, Walter Beech, slipped down. Carroll caught the ball on the 15 as the S, Ross Fichtner, also overran the play and lost his footing, and scooted into the EZ. Don Chandler converted. Packers 7 Browns 0 (11:08)
  Starr explained the TD after the game. That wet ball just slipped. It squibbed off my hand when I threw it, and it never would have been a score except that Dale made it one. I threw short. Dale stopped, came back, caught it, and went by Beach when he slipped. On a day like this, you need everything.
  Bart later recalled why he went for the jugular so soon. We knew it had to be bad for them pyschologically, so we hit them right way.
  Starting from the 34 after the kickoff, Jim Ryan started strong with three straight completions, the last one putting 6 on the board. First, he lofted a beautiful pass down the right sideline to Jim Brown running a step ahead of Dave Robinson, who pushed Jim out at the GB 36. Then LE Paul Warfield took a ball down the seam to the 17.
  Lombardi pulled CB Doug Hart from the game after Warfield's reception and never put him back in. Bob Jeter replaced him.
  From there, Ryan saw his other flanker, Gary Collins, get loose from CB Herb Adderley and hit him in the EZ. Collins caught the ball just before careening into the snow bank off the edge of the field. The holder, Bobby Franklin, fumbled the snap. Groza picked it up and threw it to Franklin, who was downed at the 7. That broke a string of 96 in a row for Groza. Packers 7 Browns 6 (10:07)
  
  Ryan fades to pass.
  Willie Davis on the Browns' passing attack. They surprised us with that. We were set to stop Brown. We thought they would try to establish their running game first and then pass. So we didn't have the big pass rush right at the start. Our LBs weren't firing through because on those sweeps they'll try to string it out and give the pursuit a chance to come up. We weren't looking for passes that early. It was a fine play selection by Ryan.
  The Pack's second possession didn't go nearly as well as the first. On 3rd­and-12, Jim Kanicki and Bill Glass sacked Starr on the 8. That led to ex­cellent field position for the Browns when Leroy Kelly fair caught Chandler's punt at the GB 39.
  From there, Cleveland took the lead. After Brown gained 2, Ryan hit War­field to the 24. Following two runs for 7y, Ryan failed to connect with Paul behind the goal posts in the EZ. So Groza booted a 24y FG. Browns 9 Packers 7

Brown runs through one of the few big holes he found all day.

Brown tries to get loose.

• Quarter 2
  The Browns sent in extra linemen for their goal-line defense. Hornung met a stonewall on 2nd down. Then Starr tried to pass but was dropped at the 8. So Chandler booted a 15y FG. Packers 10 Browns 9 (13:14)
  The visitors went three and out as the Pack would not let Brown turn the corner, and LB Lee Roy Caffey dropped Jimmy as soon as he took the handoff on a 3rd-and-1 play. Gary Collins propelled his first punt to the GB 25.
  Every time Brown swept wide, Nitschke started yelling "Here they come! Here they come!" as he sprinted into position.
  Willie Davis, called "Dr. Feelgood" by his teammates, said Ray was our rah-rah guy, our chatterbox, and he was directing us where to go. On one play, Brown came to Davis's side and Willie realized he'd be one-on-one with the Great One. Anytime you found yourself one-on-one with Jimmy Brown, you immediately looked for help. On this play, I was one of the first ones there to meet him, and it was just Jimmy and me, and the one thing on my mind was, "I've gotta stop this guy." When Davis made the stop, he heard Nitschke behind him, Hey, Doctor, that's the way to go.
  A steady drizzle continued as the temperature inched above freezing, and the field turned to mud. The Packers made one first down when Starr hit Boyd Dowler down the middle at the 39 to convert a third down. But after a sideline completion to Dowler netted 7, the Browns stuffed Hornung twice for no gain. Chandler punted to the 15.
  
  Starr throws from the pocket.
  On 3rd and 10, Willie Wood intercepted Ryan's pass and returned to the 10. Cutting across the field in the opposite direction of the receiver, Willie tipped the ball and caught it on the rebound while on the run.
  But the Pack could get no more than a FG from there as a motion penalty against Hornung set them back 5. Starr threw three straight incompletions. Chandler extended the lead to four points with a 23y FG. Packers 13 Browns 9
  
  Nitschke and Jeter surround Brown.
  After a clipping penalty on the return, Cleveland started at the 16. Two Brown runs moved the chains to the 39. But on 3rd-and-2, Ron Kostelnik broke through to drop Jimmy from behind for a yard loss. Collins got off a sensational punt that went out of bounds on the 4.
  Using their timeouts, the Browns capitalized on the great kick to put three points on the board before halftime. First, the defense made a big play. On 3rd down, Starr tried to trick the defense with a pass. But Beech wasn't fooled and stepped in front of Hornung to intercept just in bounds at the 30.
  On 1st down, Ryan went for broke, throwing long to Collins at the 1. But Bob Jeter and Tom Brown had him double-covered and knocked the ball away. Nitschke blitzed on 2nd-and-10, drawing a blocker and enabling Robinson to sack Ryan for a loss of 5. But Frank got back into FG range by faking to Brown, then throwing a swing pass to him. Jim barreled to the 21. That set up Groza for a 28y FG. Packers 13 Browns 12 (0:48)
  Browns C John Morrow recalled his war with Nitschke that day. Ray won some battles, and I won some battles. He was trying not to get tied up too much in the line, and I was trying to cut him off. On one play, we were going to pass, and he knocked the crap out of me with his right elbow. I guess he just wanted to vent himself a little bit.
  Two runs by Taylor ran out the clock.
  HALFTIME SCORE: Packers 13 Browns 12
  The statistics reflected the score. Green Bay gained 158y to Cleveland's 135. On the ground, the Pack held an 80-49 edge. The two QBs were reasonably efficient under the conditions: Starr 6-for-12, Ryan 5-for-9.
  
  Brown tries to get up as Gary Collins returns to huddle.
  
  Hornung cuts in behind Gregg as Glass is blocked by Taylor.
  The rain stopped for halftime, but the marching bands played on the sidelines to avoid churning up the field any more. But as the teams came back out, rain mixed with snow came down again.

• Quarter 3
  With each unit wanting to set the tone for the second half, the Browns gained one first down on Ryan's 3rd down pass to Collins at the sideline for 17y to the 46. But after two incompletions, Lionel Aldridge sacked Frank at the 38. Elijah Pitts took Collins' line drive kick over his shoulder going toward the goal line at the 20 and was trapped back at the 10.
  
  One of Taylor's 27 carries.
  As on their last possession of the first half, the Pack started deep in their territory. But they imposed their will on the Browns up front as they covered 90y in 11 with just two passes. After two runs by Hornung and two by Taylor moved out to the 26, Starr connected with Dowler for a 1st down at the 38. Jimmy handled the ball three straight plays, gaining 16 on the ground before grabbing a pass for 10 more to the Cleveland 36. Starr faked a handoff to Taylor to the weak side and gave the ball to Hornung, who followed great blocking by Forrest Gregg and Taylor over RT to the 15. After Jim pushed for 2, Paul swept LE and cut back behind Kramer's great block for the TD. Packers 20 Browns 12 (5:45)
  High fog rolled in as Chandler kicked to Roberts, who returned to the 31. A face mask penalty on Ryan moved the ball all the way to the GB 47. Jim ran twice for 12y and a 1st down. After Ryan hit Collins to the 27, one of the key plays of the afternoon transpired. Brown circled long down the middle. Ryan looped a pass to him under the goal posts, but Nitschke reached out a hand at the last second on the slightly underthrown ball and wrenched it from Jim's grasp in the EZ.
  Nitschke: A linebacker can't go deep like that ordinarily, and it wasn't a normal pass pattern for Jimmy. He had his hands on the ball. You have to play the ball on something like that, and I'm not as agile as he, but I felt like he was going to get the ball, and he ran straight down the middle on that pattern, and I stayed with him. He got the ball, but it's possible our contact jarred it loose.
  Brown: Nitschke is a good tackler, big, smart, and fast. He touched a goal line pass to me just enough to keep me from catching it.
  On 3rd down, Ryan started to pass but lost control of the ball and was smothered by Davis and Caffey at the 30. Groza came out for a FG try from the 37, but DT Henry Jordan got a hand on the ball and it dropped harmlessly in the EZ.
  Afterward, Jordan explained the block. As they were coming out of the huddle, Nitschke said he wanted to hit inside the G, and Lionel Aldridge pulled the T out, and I sort of sneaked in between them and, luckily, I got my hand on it.
  With the fog descending and a light snowfall, the action took on a ghost-like aura as the Pack started from their 20. Starr hit Dale for a third-down conversion to the 34. Two Taylor runs gained a 1st down and ran out the period.
  END OF Q3: Packers 20 Browns 12

Hornung follows Taylor and Thurston.

Taylor follows Hornung through the fog.

• Quarter 4
  The relentless march continued. After Hornung misfired on a HB pass to Dale, Starr showed how to do it, connecting with Dowler on a drag pattern to the Cleveland 38 to gain a new set of downs. Taylor ran twice for almost 10y, then dove over the top for the first down at the 27. He advanced another 4 before exiting to a big hand as Tom Moore took his place. The Browns finally drew the line and stopped Hornung for 2y on two carries. So Chandler banged through a 29y FG that tied a record shared with many of three FGs in a championship game. Packers 23 Browns 12 (9:28)
  
  Starr hands to Hornung.
  The Eastern champs needed a lift, and Kelly gave it to them by returning the kickoff out to the 43. Ken Coleman told CBS viewers that there was no problem with their TV sets. It was the fog that was obscuring the action. The Packer defense descended on Ryan & Company like a fog with a sack on 3rd down that led to another fine Collins punt, this one to the 7 with 7:45 on the clock.
  Desperately needing a turnover to set up an easy score, the Browns almost caught Starr in the EZ as he tried a 2nd down pass. But Bart wiggled out to the 2. Taylor then fought his way back to the original line of scrimmage at the 7 to give Chandler more room to punt.
  
  Taylor cuts back to avoid Wiggin.
  Cleveland tried for the block, but Ralph Smith hit Chandler just after the ball left his foot. The roughing penalty made it first down at the 22. Hornung and Taylor pounded the crestfallen Browns for 13y to move the chains again. But the massed defense held Green Bay to just 2y on three runs as the clock ran down to two minutes. When play resumed, Chandler kicked to Walter Roberts at the 17, and "The Flea" returned 10y.
  
  Elemental football
  Ryan threw a desperation pass for Collins racing down the right sideline, but Adderley intercepted at the GB 26 to extinguish all hope for the visitors.
  With fans gathering at the edges of the field, the Packers ran out the clock. Lombardi first took out Hornung to give fans a chance to applaud, then Starr.
  FINAL: PACKERS 23 BROWNS 12

Fans flooded the field and went after the goal posts.

Watch highlights of the game.