Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

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74_75_78_79_
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Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

My apologies if this was already a topic I posted in the past. I looked up previous posts of mine, placed "champ" in the search engine. Many pages of posts came up, but none of this kind. And I think I'd remember if I did. So I'll post this, here, thread.

We all know who each of them are, but just for extra-convenience, here are the League Champions of each year to see/shuffle-up...

1960 - Eagles (NFL), Oilers (AFL)
1961 - Packers (NFL), Oilers (AFL)
1962 - Packers (NFL), Texans (AFL)
1963 - Bears (NFL), Chargers (AFL)
1964 - Browns (NFL), Bills (AFL)
1965 - Packers (NFL), Bills (AFL)
1966 - Packers (NFL), Chiefs (AFL)
1967 - Packers (NFL), Raiders (AFL)
1968 - Colts (NFL), Jets (AFL)
1969 - Vikings (NFL), Chiefs (AFL)

Here is my list...

1) '62 Packers
2) '66 Packers
3) '63 Bears
4 - tie) '61 Packers, '65 Packers
6) '67 Packers
7) '69 Chiefs
8) '68 Jets
9) '68 Colts
10) '69 Vikings
11) '67 Raiders
12) '66 Chiefs
13a) '64 Browns
13b) '64 Bills
15) '63 Chargers
16) '65 Bills
17) '60 Eagles
18) '61 Oilers
19) '62 Texans
20) '60 Oilers

Learn something new everyday! I didn't know that Wally actually took over for Houston in '61 after fives games (1-3-1 thus far), and then went 10-0! And that was that (Ivy hopping onboard for '62)! Wally and Shula ('72) sort-of (sort-of) have something in common! And looking at those final scores in that 9-game-stretch in '61...a bit '94 Forty Niners-esque, I'd say! Would have loved to have ranked them higher, but it only being 'Year 2' of the new AFL, can you really blame me? And Blanda (despite, yes, another 22 INTs) was a Beast! But, again, sadly 'stuck' in 'Year 2' of the AFL. Only God knows just how great those '61 Oilers were in historic-comparison to others. I used to think that, maybe, '62 was better despite losing the AFLCG (and in OT, mind you, to Hank - yep! no shame) if only due to the league getting even better, but unless some of you here can correct me - I think not after all. '61 seems to have more 'bite'!

And with so much insane respect I have for Concrete Charlie, I really can't place those Eagles any higher! They just simply reeked of "good-enough" to win their conference playing against a new, young team that was merely "good enough" to simply make the NFL Championship Game as well. Basically by default in that two 7-5s were tied at 2nd in the conference! And the Birds took advantage, and barely succeeded (at home) anyway! '49, to me, is the very best Eagles team ever! 2017...2nd-best!

Yes. no Hornung in '63, but Bears were so very, very, very strong! They were insanely strong (a rock)! Defensively, at the very least! In my mind (JMO), they do, indeed, beat Chargers as SF did Miami 21 years later! Nice enough chance Bears still win-it-all in '63 had Paul played all year long! Not just that, but I think the '64 Bills were better than - as well as more-balanced than - the '63 Chargers. Everyone talks of Bears/Chargers Super Bowl in '63. No. I think a Browns/Bills SB the following year is the far better attraction! It may have even gone into OT! I respect the Genius of Gillman so much, but those '63 Chargers not being able to beat the 10-4 Raiders even once, just feeding off the 7-wins-and-less teams, really doesn't do it for me on an historic level (maybe I'm wrong; maybe).

Me placing the Colts and Vikings beneath the very teams that actually bested them when it mattered most may get me the most gruff. Maybe they were upsets. But minor upsets IMO at best; and, perhaps, I may be in sheer minority. I understand what many here may say about they having a problem with '69 Chiefs even getting into the 'dance' in the first place. They didn't even win their division. 12-1-1 Raiders beat them twice in scoreboard-close games. And, yes, each contest involved KC scoring last thus making the game seem closer than it was. Well, the rules now changed (as MLB baseball did that very year) and the "better" team - the Raiders - should have simply thrept them (as both G-men and Bears should have to both Browns and Rams respectively in 1950). It's part of the game; everyone knowing the (perhaps, new) rules in-advance before the season begins (Dallas should have thrept NYG in '07, etc).

But should I have actually placed Jets above Chiefs? Reading an article recently about Buddy Ryan (unable to find it at the moment - otherwise I'd paste it), they actually compared the '68 Jets defense stats to the '85 Bears stats. And though you'd think they'd be the last two defenses to compare to one another, those stats were hauntingly similar! Even if Buddy may have not 'officially' been a DC at an earlier point in his career, damn, he still made a significant mark! Maybe Jets were better than Chiefs! Who knows for certain!

'62 Packers...So superior!! If not 'Mt Rushmore' All-Time', at the very, very least please make them MtRM prior to that very 'demarcation' (16-game season)/peak-of-disco year!!
Last edited by 74_75_78_79_ on Sun May 08, 2022 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Brian wolf
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by Brian wolf »

Three best teams were the 66 Packers, 69 Raiders and 69 Chiefs ...
ChrisBabcock
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by ChrisBabcock »

So I guess we can't pin you down and ask who would win a hypo Bills/Browns Super Bowl in 1964. ;)
sluggermatt15
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by sluggermatt15 »

Brian wolf wrote:Three best teams were the 66 Packers, 69 Raiders and 69 Chiefs ...
Agree. The 1969 Chiefs defense has the most hall of famers of any unit in pro football history with six. They have to be a top 5 or top 10 team of that era.
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by Brian wolf »

The 67-68 Colts could have beaten any team, any time but had letdowns following huge winning streaks while trying to stay undefeated ... I feel had Baltimore played the Rams again after their only end of season loss, they would found a way but they just couldnt wrap up the division in LA with a chance to face GB at 12-0-2 in 67. In 68, they had the Jets where they wanted them in the first half but squandered many chances to score and had they gotten at least a 10-14 point lead, I am not sure that Broadway Joe would have led enough of a comeback with an injured Don Maynard.

I think great AFL-NFL Championship matchups would have been the 63 Bears vs. Chargers, 1964 Browns vs Bills, 1965 Packers vs Bills -- Nitschke vs Gilchrist -- 65 Browns vs Bills, 68 Colts vs Raiders ...
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

Nice article on those '61 Oilers from a nice site...

https://richardsonwrites.com/almost-fam ... on-oilers/

The League Championship Game at Balboa (Oilers 10, Chargers 3) sort of like SBLIII - two great offensive teams (Pats & Rams) ironically playing in a very, very low scoring game!
ChrisBabcock wrote:So I guess we can't pin you down and ask who would win a hypo Bills/Browns Super Bowl in 1964. ;)
Again, I think it would have made for a great Super Bowl! Browns, I think, win by a touchdown or less; OT or not! Being that there was some drop-off with them the following year, and of course who their opponent would have been, I think most-likely Buffalo doesn't give Green Bay a game in such a SB-already hypothetical.
Halas Hall
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by Halas Hall »

Per Tom Callahan's book on John Unitas - Starting on December 18, 1966 and ending on January 12, 1969 - the Baltimore Colts played thirty football games and lost two - Crazy. I can't find the quote, but I think somewhere Tom Landry said 1968 was his best Cowboys team, I may be mistaken.
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by Ronfitch »

sluggermatt15 wrote:
Brian wolf wrote:Three best teams were the 66 Packers, 69 Raiders and 69 Chiefs ...
Agree. The 1969 Chiefs defense has the most hall of famers of any unit in pro football history with six. They have to be a top 5 or top 10 team of that era.
The '66 and '67 Packer defenses also have six starters in the PFHoF. And, yes, that Chiefs unit was insanely great.
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Bryan
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by Bryan »

Statistically, the strongest teams of the decade are (in order): 62 Packers, 64 Colts, 68 Colts, 69 Vikes.

The 64 Colts aren't on the list, but they really aren't much different than the 68 Colts or 69 Vikes...dominant teams that stumbled at the finish line. Not sure about the greatness of the 69 Chiefs...got destroyed by the Raiders in 68 postseason, didn't win their division in 69, got stomped by Minnesota in the 70 opener and missed the playoffs. Yeah, 6 HOFers on defense, and two elite seasons (69 & 71) to show for it. I'll take the 60's Packers defense over the Chiefs defense. Consistent excellence.

Kind of a weird decade in general in terms of 'rankings'. Lots of upsets in title games in both leagues. The 67-69 Raiders have an exceptional regular season record, yet just one SB loss to show for it (with their weakest team in that span).
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Re: Rank all '60s League Champions, #1-to-#20

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

Halas Hall wrote:Per Tom Callahan's book on John Unitas - Starting on December 18, 1966 and ending on January 12, 1969 - the Baltimore Colts played thirty football games and lost two - Crazy. I can't find the quote, but I think somewhere Tom Landry said 1968 was his best Cowboys team, I may be mistaken.
I think I heard that Landry said the same thing as well but I'm not sure either. 1968 has to be their most-dominant regular season in franchise history; one of the most-dominant regular seasons in league history-period! Two very dominant NFL regular season performances in '68! All fourteen Baltimore Colts regular season games that year average out to a 29-10 final score! For Big D, it was 31-13! A real shame they didn't play each other at all that season; regular or, especially, post! Of Colts' 13 wins, their closest was they beating the Rams in LA by four points in the finale. Their next closest victory was by 8 points, and the rest were by double-digits. Dallas? Their closest of 12 wins was by 9 points, with the rest being in double-digits.

On an actual Monday Nighter (pre-1970, mind you), red hot 6-0 Dallas rolled up their sleeves at home (salivating), awaiting the suddenly mediocre 2-3-1 Packers! They looked so much to enact revenge for the past two NFLCGs! But not to be! Bart Starr, despite getting sacked 5 times, played an outstanding game in a 28-17 win as the Packer-D intercepted Meredith 3 times! GB basically saying, yeah we're done now but just one more against you guys for good measure - and in your backyard as well!

As superior Dallas was that regular season, let's just say they make it to SBIII...I think Namath makes well with his "guarantee" against them as well. Jets simply had more ice-in-veins than anyone from either league in a final, championship game of the season situation! Very good in the regular season NYJ was, but once the post-season began...(same with KC a year later)...

Colts were SO Superior not just that regular season, but demolishing Cleveland - in Cleveland - 34-0!! A cocky QB giving them perfect bulletin board material! You'd think that would have made each Colt pick each Jet up and break them over their knee! Yet they lost, 16-7 (those 7 points of theirs being the last seven scored)! Difficult for me to look past that and call it a "pure" upset! AFL simply surpassed the NFL! Lombardi retiring, along with Packers Dynasty ending, helped.

PS - those '61 Oilers are growing on me! I wonder if I should place them over the '63 Chargers? And am I actually wrong to place the '65 Bills beneath SD as well?
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