A Football Interloper’s First Gust of Success
By JOHN EISENBERGDEC. 15, 2012

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The 1958 N.F.L. championship game, won by the Baltimore Colts in overtime over the Giants, is one of the most important games in professional football history. Watched by an estimated 40 million television viewers across the country, it helped the N.F.L. e… Moremerge from the shadows of major league baseball and college football.

Another overtime championship game is less heralded by sports historians but was just as vital to the process of propelling the N.F.L. into decades of growth. The contest 50 years ago to determine the American Football League championship on Dec. 23, 1962, was equally dramatic and important.

When millions of television viewers watched the Dallas Texans defeat the Houston Oilers, 20-17, on Tommy Brooker’s 25-yard field goal in double overtime, the N.F.L. realized the A.F.L., a pesky upstart confederacy, was not going away, as many in the older league had expected.

That day, it became inevitable that the rival leagues would have to merge, as they did in 1966, creating the N.F.L. that is now the United States’ pre-eminent sport.

Played at Jeppesen Stadium in Houston, a single-deck structure used for high school games, the 1962 A.F.L. title game had it all: momentum swings, wild weather, late-game dramatics, a shocking controversy and plenty of star power. The quarterbacks, Dallas’s Len Dawson and Houston’s George Blanda, later made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Denver Broncos 1961
Schedule & Game Results
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Score Offense Defense
Week Day Date OT Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1… MorestD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sun September 10 boxscore W 1-0 @ Buffalo Bills 22 10 12 279 179 100 2 13 284 118 166 3
2 Sat September 16 boxscore L 1-1 @ Boston Patriots 17 45 10 270 201 69 4 19 392 346 46 1
3 Sun September 24 boxscore L 1-2 @ New York Titans 28 35 18 286 223 63 2 13 203 95 108 3
4 Sun October 1 boxscore L 1-3 @ Oakland Raiders 19 33 14 275 164 111 3 14 256 103 153
5 Sun October 8 boxscore L 1-4 Dallas Texans 12 19 19 271 214 57 6 18 230 39 191 1
6 Sun October 15 boxscore W 2-4 Oakland Raiders 27 24 14 294 212 82 3 21 388 247 141 5
7 Sun October 22 boxscore W 3-4 New York Titans 27 10 20 338 205 133 4 17 359 281 78 6
8 Sun October 29 boxscore L 3-5 @ San Diego Chargers 0 37 14 304 228 76 7 13 312 211 101 5
9 Sun November 5 boxscore L 3-6 Houston Oilers 14 55 19 204 130 74 6 24 582 348 234 2
10 Sun November 12 boxscore L 3-7 San Diego Chargers 16 19 19 358 272 86 5 13 209 153 56 3
11 Sun November 19 boxscore L 3-8 Buffalo Bills 10 23 11 273 161 112 9 13 235 155 80
12 Sun November 26 boxscore L 3-9 @ Houston Oilers 14 45 11 159 115 44 8 21 311 251 60 6
13 Sun December 3 boxscore L 3-10 Boston Patriots 24 28 19 281 217 64 4 11 244 173 71 2
14 Sun December 10 boxscore L 3-11 @ Dallas Texans 21 49 19 219 199 20 5 23 413 265 148 3 Less

Denver Broncos
V.S.
Dallas Texans
14 Sun December 10 boxscore L 3-11 @ Dallas Texans 21 49 19 219 199 20 5 23 413 265

Boston Patriots
V.S.
Denver Broncos
13 Sun December 3
L 3-10 Boston Patriots 24 28 19 281 217 64 4 11 244 173

Houston Oilers
V.S.
Denver Broncos
12 Sun November 26
L 3-9 @ Houston Oilers 14 45 11 159 115 44 8 21 311 251 6

Buffalo Bills
V.S.
Denver Broncos
11 Sun November 19
L 3-8 Buffalo Bills 10 23 11 273 161 112 9 13 235 155

San Diego Chargers
V.S.
Denver Broncos
10 Sun November 12
L 3-7 San Diego Chargers 16 19 19 358 272 86 5 13 209 153 56

Denver Broncos
V.S.
Houston Oilers
9 Sun November 5
L 3-6 Houston Oilers 14 55 19 204 130 74 6 24 582 348

San Diego Chargers
V.S.
Denver Broncos
8 Sun October 29
L 3-5 @ San Diego Chargers 0 37 14 304 228 76 7 13 312 211 101

Touchdown Log
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Rk Date Opp Result Quarter Dist Type Detail
1 1961-09-10 @ BUF W, 22-10 1 50 pass Lionel Taylor 50 yard pass from… More Gene Mingo (Gene Mingo kick)
2 1961-09-10 @ BUF W, 22-10 2 23 pass Al Frazier 23 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (two point run successful)
3 1961-09-10 @ BUF W, 22-10 3 52 pass Lionel Taylor 52 yard pass from Gene Mingo (Gene Mingo kick)
4 1961-09-16 @ BOS L, 17-45 3 69 pass Gene Mingo 69 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
5 1961-09-16 @ BOS L, 17-45 4 3 pass Lionel Taylor 3 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
6 1961-09-24 @ NYT L, 28-35 1 5 pass Donnie Stone 5 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Gene Mingo kick)
7 1961-09-24 @ NYT L, 28-35 3 9 rush Donnie Stone 9 yard rush (Gene Mingo kick)
8 1961-09-24 @ NYT L, 28-35 4 3 rush Fred Bukaty 3 yard rush (Gene Mingo kick)
9 1961-09-24 @ NYT L, 28-35 4 1 rush Fred Bukaty 1 yard rush (Gene Mingo kick)
10 1961-10-01 @ OAK L, 19-33 4 2 rush Fred Bukaty 2 yard rush (two point pass successful)
11 1961-10-01 @ OAK L, 19-33 4 5 pass Gene Prebola 5 yard pass from George Herring (two point pass successful)
12 1961-10-08 DTX L, 12-19 4 12 pass Al Frazier 12 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (run failed)
13 1961-10-08 DTX L, 12-19 4 22 pass Lionel Taylor 22 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (pass failed)
14 1961-10-15 OAK W, 27-24 1 7 rush Donnie Stone 7 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
15 1961-10-15 OAK W, 27-24 2 1 rush Donnie Stone 1 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
16 1961-10-15 OAK W, 27-24 4 26 pass Al Frazier 26 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
17 1961-10-22 NYT W, 27-10 1 58 pass Al Frazier 58 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
18 1961-10-22 NYT W, 27-10 4 5 pass Donnie Stone 5 yard pass from George Herring (Jack Hill kick)
19 1961-10-22 NYT W, 27-10 4 18 pass Gene Mingo 18 yard pass from George Herring (Jack Hill kick)
20 1961-11-05 HOU L, 14-55 3 1 rush George Herring 1 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
21 1961-11-05 HOU L, 14-55 4 14 rush Donnie Stone 14 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
22 1961-11-12 SDG L, 16-19 1 1 rush Fred Bukaty 1 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
23 1961-11-12 SDG L, 16-19 4 87 pass Al Frazier 87 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
24 1961-11-19 BUF L, 10-23 1 45 rush Fred Bukaty 45 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
25 1961-11-26 @ HOU L, 14-45 1 9 pass James Stinnette 9 yard pass from George Herring (Jack Hill kick)
26 1961-11-26 @ HOU L, 14-45 4 19 rush George Herring 19 yard rush (Jack Hill kick)
27 1961-12-03 BOS L, 24-28 2 23 pass Donnie Stone 23 yard pass from Frank Tripucka (Jack Hill kick)
28 1961-12-03 BOS L, 24-28 4 55 punt Al Frazier 55 yard punt return (Gene Mingo kick)
29 1961-12-03 BOS L, 24-28 4 90 kickoff Al Frazier 90 yard kickoff return (Gene Mingo kick)
30 1961-12-10 @ DTX L, 21-49 2 7 pass Donnie Stone 7 yard pass from George Herring (Gene Mingo kick)
31 1961-12-10 @ DTX L, 21-49 4 23 blocked punt Chuck Gavin 23 yard blocked punt return (Gene Mingo kick)
32 1961-12-10 @ DTX L, 21-49 4 18 pass Al Frazier 18 yard pass from Donnie Stone (Gene Mingo kick)
Opponent Touchdown Log
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