1969 American Football League season: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
(41 intermediate revisions by 30 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|American Football League season}} |
|||
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}} |
||
{{Infobox AFL2 |
{{Infobox AFL2 |
||
Line 5: | Line 6: | ||
| imagesize = |
| imagesize = |
||
| caption = |
| caption = |
||
| Eastchampion = [[1969 |
| Eastchampion = [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] |
||
| Westchampion = [[1969 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] |
| Westchampion = [[1969 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] |
||
| AFLchampion = |
| AFLchampion = [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] |
||
| regular_season = September |
| regular_season = September 14 –<br>December 14, 1969 |
||
| playoffs_start = December 20, 1969 |
| playoffs_start = December 20, 1969 |
||
| sb_site = [[Oakland |
| sb_site = [[Oakland Coliseum|Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]], [[Oakland, California]] |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{AFL Team Map 1969}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | [[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 49 - Robert Holmes.jpg|right|thumb|The Chiefs topped the Raiders in the [[1969 American Football League Championship Game|1969 AFL championship game]].]]The '''1969 AFL season''' was the tenth and final [[season (sports)|regular season]] of the [[American Football League]]. To honor the AFL's tenth season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] player wore a patch on his jersey with the logo during [[Super Bowl IV]], the final [[Professional American football championship games|AFL-NFL World Championship Game]] prior to the [[AFL–NFL merger]]. |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
==Division races== |
==Division races== |
||
In its final two years of existence the AFL had ten teams, grouped into two divisions. Each team played a home-and-away game against the other four teams in its division, a home-and-away series against one of the five teams in opposite division, and one game each against the remaining four teams from the opposite division. |
In its final two years of existence, the AFL had ten teams, grouped into two divisions. Each team played a home-and-away game against the other four teams in its division, a home-and-away series against one of the five teams in opposite division, and one game each against the remaining four teams from the opposite division. Using that format, the [[1968 New York Jets season|defending World Champion]] [[1969 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] went 10–0 against the five teams they played twice, but were 0–4 against the top four teams in the West. |
||
For the 1969 season, a provision was made for a |
For the 1969 season, a provision was made for a [[1969–70 American Football League playoffs|four-team playoff]] to determine the AFL champion, the league's representative in the Super Bowl, with the #1 team in the division hosting the #2 team in the opposite division. The NFL also had a [[1969–70 NFL playoffs|four-team playoff]], introduced in {{nfly|1967}}, matching the winners of the Capitol and Century divisions, and the Coastal and Central divisions. |
||
The 1970 merger placed the |
The 1970 merger placed the ten AFL teams (along with three teams from the pre-1970 NFL) into the 13-team [[American Football Conference|AFC]]. The other NFL teams went into the 13-team [[National Football Conference|NFC]]. |
||
{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable" |
||
Line 166: | Line 169: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| align=center|14 |
| align=center|14 |
||
| bgcolor="#004851"|'''[[1969 New York Jets season|<span style="color:white;">N.Y. Jets</span>]]''' |
|||
| N.Y. Jets |
|||
| 10–4–0 |
| 10–4–0 |
||
| bgcolor="#4495D2"|'''[[1969 Houston Oilers season|<span style="color:white;">Houston</span>]]''' |
|||
| Houston |
|||
| 6–6–2 |
| 6–6–2 |
||
| bgcolor="#999999"|'''[[1969 Oakland Raiders season|<span style="color:black;">Oakland</span>]]''' |
|||
| Oakland |
|||
| 12–1–1 |
| 12–1–1 |
||
| bgcolor="#CC0000"|'''[[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|<span style="color:gold;">Kansas City</span>]]''' |
|||
| Kansas City |
|||
| 11–3–0 |
| 11–3–0 |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 319: | Line 322: | ||
===Standings=== |
===Standings=== |
||
For its tenth and final season before merging with the NFL, the AFL instituted a four team playoff tournament with the second place teams in each division also participating. |
For its tenth and final season before merging with the NFL, the AFL instituted a [[1969–70 American Football League playoffs|four team playoff tournament]] with the second place teams in each division also participating. |
||
{{col-begin}} |
{{col-begin}} |
||
{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
||
{{1969 AFL Eastern standings}} |
{{1969 AFL Eastern standings}} |
||
{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
||
{{1969 AFL Western standings}} |
{{1969 AFL Western standings|hidenote=y}} |
||
{{col-end}} |
{{col-end}} |
||
==Playoffs== |
==Playoffs== |
||
{{main| |
{{main|1969–70 American Football League playoffs}} |
||
{{Round4 |
{{Round4 |
||
<!--Date-Place|Team 1|Score 1|Team 2|Score 2 --> |
<!--Date-Place|Team 1|Score 1|Team 2|Score 2 --> |
||
<!--semi-finals --> |
<!--semi-finals --> |
||
|RD1 = Divisional Playoff Games |
|RD1 = Divisional Playoff Games |
||
|RD2 = AFL Championship Game |
|RD2 = [[1969 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship Game]] |
||
|December 20, 1969 – [[Shea Stadium]]|'''[[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]'''|13|[[1969 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]|6 |
|December 20, 1969 – [[Shea Stadium]]|'''[[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]'''|13|[[1969 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]|6 |
||
|December 21, 1969 – |
|December 21, 1969 –<br>[[Oakland Coliseum|Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]]|[[1969 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]]|7|'''[[1969 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]'''|56 |
||
<!--final --> |
<!--final --> |
||
|January 4, 1970 – |
|January 4, 1970 –<br>[[Oakland Coliseum|Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]]|'''[[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]'''|17|[[1969 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]|7}} |
||
===Super Bowl=== |
|||
{{main|Super Bowl IV}}<!--Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger--> |
|||
The [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] defeated the [[1969 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 23–7 at [[Tulane Stadium]] in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], on January 11, 1970. The [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award]] was given to Chiefs quarterback [[Len Dawson]]<ref>[https://pro-football-history.com/game/10866/1969-minnesota-vikings-vs-kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-score-7-to-23 Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs 7 to 23], [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]. Accessed January 31, 2024. "The Chiefs played the Vikings in Super Bowl IV on Sunday, January 11, 1970. The Chiefs entered the game with a record of 11-3-0, while the Vikings entered the game with a record of 12-2-0. The Chiefs won 23-7 to win Super Bowl IV, finishing their championship season with a record of 11-3-0 in the regular season, 3-0 in the playoffs."</ref> |
|||
==Stadium changes== |
|||
* After six seasons at [[Fenway Park]], the [[1969 Boston Patriots season|Boston Patriots]] moved to [[Alumni Stadium]] at [[Boston College]] in 1969.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/sports/football/early-patriots-were-a-comical-traveling-sideshow.html "A Team’s Ragtag Roots"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 28, 2012. Accessed January 31, 2024. "In 1963, the Patriots moved to Fenway Park. They walked into the Red Sox locker room and gaped at what had been Ted Williams’s locker.... By 1969, the Patriots had moved to Boston College’s Alumni Stadium, and a year later, at the end of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins, a fire erupted in the grandstand."</ref> |
|||
==Coaching changes== |
|||
===Offseason=== |
|||
*[[Boston Patriots]]: [[Mike Holovak]] was fired and replaced by [[Clive Rush]].<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2008/01/28/former-patriots-coach-dead-at/52653612007/ "Former Patriots coach dead at 88"], ''[[Worcester Telegram]]'', January 27, 2008. Accessed January 31, 2024. "The Patriots didn’t return to the playoffs before Holovak was replaced after the 1968 season by Clive Rush."</ref> |
|||
*[[Buffalo Bills]]: [[John Rauch]] became the new Bills head coach after resigning from the Oakland Raiders. [[Joe Collier]] was fired after two games into the 1968 season, and defensive coordinator [[Harvey Johnson (coach)|Harvey Johnson]] then served as interim head coach. |
|||
*[[Oakland Raiders]]: [[John Madden]] replaced [[John Rauch]], who resigned to join the Bills. At age 33, Madden become the youngest head coach in pro football.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-2-5-1969-ap-raiders/7393650/ "Raiders Raid Own Ranks; Madden Youngest Pro Boss"], ''[[The Orlando Sentinel]]'', February 5, 1969. Accessed January 31, 2024, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "The Oakland Raiders once 'again dipped into their own ranks for a head coach Tuesday, naming assistant John Madden to do the job. Madden, who at 33 becomes professional football's youngest coach, replaces John Rauch at the helm of the American Football League club which won the championship in 1967 and the Western Division title in '68."</ref> |
|||
===In-season=== |
|||
*[[San Diego Chargers]]: [[Sid Gillman]] sat out five games due to health issues. [[Charlie Waller (American football)|Charlie Waller]], the team's offensive backfield coach, served as interim. |
|||
==Officials== |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
|- |
|||
! Referee |
|||
! Umpire |
|||
! Head Linesman |
|||
! Line Judge |
|||
! Back Judge |
|||
! Field Judge |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#12) [[Ben Dreith]] |
|||
| (#27) [[Al Conway]] |
|||
| (#74) Ray Dodez |
|||
| (#24) [[Bruce Alford Sr.|Bruce Alford]] |
|||
| (#44) Dick Eichhorst |
|||
| (#58) Bob Baur |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#14) Bob Finley |
|||
| (#78) [[Art Demmas]] |
|||
| (#34) Harry Kessel |
|||
| (#62) Gerry Hart |
|||
| (#45) John Fouch |
|||
| (#52) Pat Mallette |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#18) Walt Fitzgerald |
|||
| (#53) Frank Kirtland |
|||
| (#32) [[Cal Lepore]] |
|||
| (#67) Tommy Miller |
|||
| (#70) [[Sonny Gamber|Hugh Gamber]] |
|||
| (#55) Charley Musser |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#11) [[John McDonough (American football referee)|John McDonough]] |
|||
| (#25) Walt Parker |
|||
| (#35) Leo Miles |
|||
| (#61) John Staffen |
|||
| (#49) Hunter Jackson |
|||
| (#50) Tony Skover |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#42) [[Jack Reader]] |
|||
| (#20) [[Frank Sinkovitz]] |
|||
| (#50) Al Saboto |
|||
| (#65) Aaron Wade |
|||
| (#43) Bill Kestermeier |
|||
| (#57) Bill Summers |
|||
|- |
|||
| (#15) [[Jack Vest]] |
|||
| (#22) Paul Trepinski |
|||
| (#36) Tony Veteri |
|||
| (#68) Bill Wright |
|||
| (#48) Bob Rice |
|||
| (#54) [[Bob Wortman]] |
|||
|} |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
*[http://www.databasefootball.com/boxscores/scheduleyear.htm? |
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070410082440/http://www.databasefootball.com/boxscores/scheduleyear.htm?lg=afl&yr=1969 Football Database] |
||
{{American Football League seasons}} |
{{American Football League seasons}} |
Latest revision as of 01:57, 13 June 2024
1969 AFL season | |
---|---|
Regular season | |
Duration | September 14 – December 14, 1969 |
Playoffs | |
Date | December 20, 1969 |
Eastern champion | Kansas City Chiefs |
Western champion | Oakland Raiders |
Website | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California |
Champion | Kansas City Chiefs |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/1986_Jeno%27s_Pizza_-_49_-_Robert_Holmes.jpg)
The 1969 AFL season was the tenth and final regular season of the American Football League. To honor the AFL's tenth season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each Kansas City Chiefs player wore a patch on his jersey with the logo during Super Bowl IV, the final AFL-NFL World Championship Game prior to the AFL–NFL merger.
The Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game, then soundly defeated the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
Division races
[edit]In its final two years of existence, the AFL had ten teams, grouped into two divisions. Each team played a home-and-away game against the other four teams in its division, a home-and-away series against one of the five teams in opposite division, and one game each against the remaining four teams from the opposite division. Using that format, the defending World Champion New York Jets went 10–0 against the five teams they played twice, but were 0–4 against the top four teams in the West.
For the 1969 season, a provision was made for a four-team playoff to determine the AFL champion, the league's representative in the Super Bowl, with the #1 team in the division hosting the #2 team in the opposite division. The NFL also had a four-team playoff, introduced in 1967, matching the winners of the Capitol and Century divisions, and the Coastal and Central divisions.
The 1970 merger placed the ten AFL teams (along with three teams from the pre-1970 NFL) into the 13-team AFC. The other NFL teams went into the 13-team NFC.
Week | Eastern #1 | Eastern #2 | Western #1 | Western #2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | N.Y. Jets | 1–0–0 | Hou, Bos, Buf, Mia | 0–1–0 | Oak, KC, Den, Cin | 1–0–0 | Oak, KC, Den, Cin | 1–0–0 |
2 | Hou, NY | 1–1–0 | Hou, NY | 1–1–0 | Oak, KC, Den, Cin | 2–0–0 | Oak, KC, Den, Cin | 2–0–0 |
3 | Houston | 2–1–0 | NY, Buf | 1–2–0 | Oak, Cin | 3–0–0 | Oak, Cin | 3–0–0 |
4 | Houston | 3–1–0 | N.Y. Jets | 2–2–0 | Oakland | 3–0–1 | Kansas City | 3–1–0 |
5 | NY, Hou | 3–2–0 | NY, Hou | 3–2–0 | Oakland | 4–0–1 | Kansas City | 4–1–0 |
6 | N.Y. Jets | 4–2–0 | Houston | 3–3–0 | Oakland | 5–0–1 | Kansas City | 5–1–0 |
7 | N.Y. Jets | 5–2–0 | Houston | 4–3–0 | Oakland | 6–0–1 | Kansas City | 6–1–0 |
8 | N.Y. Jets | 6–2–0 | Houston | 4–4–0 | Kansas City | 7–1–0 | Oakland | 6–1–1 |
9 | N.Y. Jets | 7–2–0 | Houston | 4–4–1 | Kansas City | 8–1–0 | Oakland | 7–1–1 |
10 | N.Y. Jets | 7–3–0 | Houston | 4–4–2 | Kansas City | 9–1–0 | Oakland | 8–1–1 |
11 | N.Y. Jets | 8–3–0 | Houston | 5–4–2 | Oakland | 9–1–1 | Kansas City | 9–2–0 |
12 | N.Y. Jets | 8–4–0 | Houston | 5–5–2 | Oakland | 10–1–1 | Kansas City | 10–2–0 |
13 | N.Y. Jets | 9–4–0 | Houston | 5–6–2 | Oakland | 11–1–1 | Kansas City | 11–2–0 |
14 | N.Y. Jets | 10–4–0 | Houston | 6–6–2 | Oakland | 12–1–1 | Kansas City | 11–3–0 |
Regular season
[edit]Results
[edit]Home/Road | Eastern Division | Western Division | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BOS | BUF | HOU | MIA | NY | CIN | DEN | KC | OAK | SD | ||
Eastern | Boston Patriots | 35–21 | 24–0 | 16–17 | 14–23 | 0–31 | 23–38 | 10–13 | |||
Buffalo Bills | 23–16 | 3–17 | 28–3 | 19–33 | 16–13 | 41–28 | 7–29 | ||||
Houston Oilers | 27–23 | 28–14 | 22–10 | 26–34 | 31–31 | 24–21 | 17–21 | ||||
Miami Dolphins | 23–38 | 24–6 | 7–32 | 9–27 | 27–24 | 20–20 | 14–21 | ||||
New York Jets | 23–17 | 16–6 | 26–17 | 34–31 | 40–7 | 16–34 | 14–27 | ||||
Western | Cincinnati Bengals | 14–25 | 27–21 | 7–21 | 23–30 | 24–19 | 31–17 | 34–20 | |||
Denver Broncos | 35–7 | 20–20 | 21–19 | 27–16 | 13–26 | 14–24 | 13–0 | ||||
Kansas City Chiefs | 22–19 | 24–0 | 17–10 | 42–22 | 31–17 | 24–27 | 27–3 | ||||
Oakland Raiders | 50–21 | 21–17 | 20–17 | 37–17 | 41–10 | 10–6 | 21–16 | ||||
San Diego Chargers | 28–18 | 45–6 | 34–27 | 21–14 | 45–24 | 9–27 | 12–24 |
Standings
[edit]For its tenth and final season before merging with the NFL, the AFL instituted a four team playoff tournament with the second place teams in each division also participating.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings of the AFL. |
|
Playoffs
[edit]Divisional Playoff Games | AFL Championship Game | |||||
December 20, 1969 – Shea Stadium | ||||||
Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | |||||
January 4, 1970 – Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | ||||||
New York Jets | 6 | |||||
Kansas City Chiefs | 17 | |||||
December 21, 1969 – Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | ||||||
Oakland Raiders | 7 | |||||
Houston Oilers | 7 | |||||
Oakland Raiders | 56 | |||||
Super Bowl
[edit]The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23–7 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 11, 1970. The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award was given to Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson[1]
Stadium changes
[edit]- After six seasons at Fenway Park, the Boston Patriots moved to Alumni Stadium at Boston College in 1969.[2]
Coaching changes
[edit]Offseason
[edit]- Boston Patriots: Mike Holovak was fired and replaced by Clive Rush.[3]
- Buffalo Bills: John Rauch became the new Bills head coach after resigning from the Oakland Raiders. Joe Collier was fired after two games into the 1968 season, and defensive coordinator Harvey Johnson then served as interim head coach.
- Oakland Raiders: John Madden replaced John Rauch, who resigned to join the Bills. At age 33, Madden become the youngest head coach in pro football.[4]
In-season
[edit]- San Diego Chargers: Sid Gillman sat out five games due to health issues. Charlie Waller, the team's offensive backfield coach, served as interim.
Officials
[edit]Referee | Umpire | Head Linesman | Line Judge | Back Judge | Field Judge |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(#12) Ben Dreith | (#27) Al Conway | (#74) Ray Dodez | (#24) Bruce Alford | (#44) Dick Eichhorst | (#58) Bob Baur |
(#14) Bob Finley | (#78) Art Demmas | (#34) Harry Kessel | (#62) Gerry Hart | (#45) John Fouch | (#52) Pat Mallette |
(#18) Walt Fitzgerald | (#53) Frank Kirtland | (#32) Cal Lepore | (#67) Tommy Miller | (#70) Hugh Gamber | (#55) Charley Musser |
(#11) John McDonough | (#25) Walt Parker | (#35) Leo Miles | (#61) John Staffen | (#49) Hunter Jackson | (#50) Tony Skover |
(#42) Jack Reader | (#20) Frank Sinkovitz | (#50) Al Saboto | (#65) Aaron Wade | (#43) Bill Kestermeier | (#57) Bill Summers |
(#15) Jack Vest | (#22) Paul Trepinski | (#36) Tony Veteri | (#68) Bill Wright | (#48) Bob Rice | (#54) Bob Wortman |
References
[edit]- ^ Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs 7 to 23, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed January 31, 2024. "The Chiefs played the Vikings in Super Bowl IV on Sunday, January 11, 1970. The Chiefs entered the game with a record of 11-3-0, while the Vikings entered the game with a record of 12-2-0. The Chiefs won 23-7 to win Super Bowl IV, finishing their championship season with a record of 11-3-0 in the regular season, 3-0 in the playoffs."
- ^ "A Team’s Ragtag Roots", The New York Times, January 28, 2012. Accessed January 31, 2024. "In 1963, the Patriots moved to Fenway Park. They walked into the Red Sox locker room and gaped at what had been Ted Williams’s locker.... By 1969, the Patriots had moved to Boston College’s Alumni Stadium, and a year later, at the end of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins, a fire erupted in the grandstand."
- ^ via Associated Press. "Former Patriots coach dead at 88", Worcester Telegram, January 27, 2008. Accessed January 31, 2024. "The Patriots didn’t return to the playoffs before Holovak was replaced after the 1968 season by Clive Rush."
- ^ via Associated Press. "Raiders Raid Own Ranks; Madden Youngest Pro Boss", The Orlando Sentinel, February 5, 1969. Accessed January 31, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "The Oakland Raiders once 'again dipped into their own ranks for a head coach Tuesday, naming assistant John Madden to do the job. Madden, who at 33 becomes professional football's youngest coach, replaces John Rauch at the helm of the American Football League club which won the championship in 1967 and the Western Division title in '68."