50 years ago today, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers played in the NFL championship game in Lambeu Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game 21-17 when quarterback Bart Starr scored on a one yard run. The game was played in below zero weather in one of the coldest games in NFL history. The temperature reached the low point of -13 degrees. The game became known as the "Ice Bowl" because of how cold it was.
It was the second straight time that the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL championship game. The Packers would go on to defeat the Oakland Raiders 33-14 in the second Super Bowl.
Dan Reeves was a running back for the Cowboys on that day. In 2015, he discussed the game with Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated.When describing how cold it was, Reeves said "I don't know that you can describe it. Probably the best way that people can relate is that the day before, on Saturday, it was 15 degrees, or like going from 70 degrees to 102." The 32 degree difference made it a difficult adjustment for the players. It may have been a particular difficult adjustment for the Cowboys who came from Texas, a warm weather state.
Reeves said that the Cowboys had cotton gloves, but quarterbacks, running backs and receivers did not wear them. Reeves said that the Cowboys wore saran wrap on their feet right above their socks in order to keep their feet warm. However, Reeves said "We did that and that would kind of help, until you made a move or cut and all of a sudden, you'd have a hole in the saran wrap and you'd feel the cold air come in." The Cowboys did their best to manage the cold, but not everything worked.
The ground was frozen that day, which made it difficult for both teams to gain their footing on the field. Vrentas pointed out that the frozen turf inspired the "frozen tundra" label that is still associated with Lambeau Field. Reeves said "You could hardly stand up. It was just very difficult to keep your footing." Both teams fought through the frozen conditions as best they could. Both teams competed against each other and the elements.
The rivalry between the Packers and the Cowboys was cemented that day. The previous year the Packers defeated the Cowboys 34-27 in the NFL championship game. The Cowboys were stopped at the goal line near the end of the game. So, the rivalry had started before the "Ice Bowl."
Regarding the rivalry between the two teams, Reeves said "You did your own scheduling back then, and Coach Landry and Coach Lombardi had been on the same staff in New Yor; they were good friends, so we always played in presason. They were a good football team, and that's where rivalries come from, when you have two good teams that are very competitive. And Coach Landry and Coach Lombardi were both very competitive." The rivalry between the Packers and the Cowboys has been one of the best rivalries in the history of the NFL. The rivalry is symbolized by the "Ice Bowl."
It's difficult for a team to play in harsh and cold conditions. However, its more difficult when the team loses. The winning team at least has the consolation of the victory. Regarding the loss, Reeves said "It was very disappointing. We had the lead in the fourth quarter, and then to lose it at the end of the game, it was very disappointing. We had been disappointed the year before, felt like we should have scored to tie the game the year before. We lost two close ball games for the right to go to the first and second Super Bowls, so it was very disappointing." Sport is filled with exileration in victory and disappointment in loss. One team will be happy, while the other will be disappointed. The Cowboys were disappointed after both NFL championship games against Green Bay. However, their effort was solid. The Cowboys of 1966-1968 are still remembered as a good football team.
Packers offensive lineman Jerry Kramer made the block against Cowboy defensive lineman Jethro Pugh that enabled Starr to score the winning touchdown. When speaking to Bob Fox of bleacherreport.com, Kramer said that he felt responsible for the play because he had suggested to Coach Lombardi that the Packers call the play during the game. Kramer said "I mean I had suggested the play on Thursday. It seemed like the play was squarely on my shoulders...I knew that to be successful as a blocker that I had to keep my head up and my eyes open." Kramer knew his responsibility as an offensive lineman. He successfully fulfilled his responsibility, which helped Starr to score the winning touchdown.
Referee Norm Schachter blew the whistle to start the game. He did not blow the whistle again. A sound barely came out and Schachter said the "whistles froze on us." They did not use whistles the rest of the game. They simply yelled or raised their voices when they wanted to get the attentions of the players.
Green Bay's Don Chandler kicked the ball off to start the game. Simms Stokes ran the ball to the Cowboy 33 after briefly losing his footing. On the Cowboys' first play from scrimmage, quarterback Don Meredith passed the ball to a wide open Bob Hayes who caught it for a 10 yard gain. The Cowboys tried two running plays to Reeves, who struggled to gain traction on the frozen field. A pass to a wide receiver failed as the receiver slipped on a pass that was underthrown by Meredith. After four plays, the Cowboys punted.
On Green Bay's first play from scrimmage, Running back Donny Anderson fumbled, but the Packers recovered. Throughout the first drive Green Bay tried a mix of running plays and passing plays, which Bart Starr said was their game plan. Anderson ran well and caught a pass during the drive. The Cowboys also had a penalty for pass interference and one for defensive holding. The Packers seemed more ready for the game than the Cowboys. One Cowboy player said that the Packers were thinking about football, while the Cowboys were thinking about the cold. Green Bay had the football first and goal from the nine yard line. On second and goal from the 8, Starr threw a touch down pass to Boyd Dowder. After the extra point by Chandler, the Packers lead 7-0.
On Dallas' second possession, the Cowboys once again struggled to move the football. Running back Don Perkins ran the ball fairly well on a few plays, but was eventually stopped for no gain on a second down play. On third down, Meredith threw to Reeves who slipped and fell on an underthrown pass by Meredith. The Cowboys once again punted the football.
Green Bay's running back Ben Wilson gained 13 yards. Then, on a play action pass, Starr connected with Dowler for a 43 yard touch down pass over the middle. Just like that, Green Bay lead Dallas 14-0.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys took over at their 40 yard line. Meredith, who said that the cold made the football seem bigger, threw an interception to Packer cornerback Herb Adderly. The announcers noticed that Meredith's passes did not have the same "zip" as they usually did. Clearly, the Cowboys were struggling with the cold more than the Packers in the early going of the game.
Green Bay took over in Dallas territory. They made it into field goal range. However, eventually, Dallas' defensive lineman George Andre sacked Starr all the way back to the Cowboy 42 yard line on third down, which knocked Green Bay out of field goal range. This play gave the Cowboys a chance to come back.
Both offenses struggled for the rest of the first half. Dallas' struggled in part because the conditions neutralized the speed of Bob Hayes. He struggled to gain traction on the frozen field and the Cowboys could not pass deep to Hayes. They tried screen plays and short passes to Hayes. Also, the Packers noticed that Hayes kept his hands in his pockets when the Cowboys ran the football, but took his hands out of his pockets when Dallas passed. So, this tipped off the Green Bay defense what play Dallas was running. When Hayes had his hands out of his pockets, the Packers knew that the Cowboys were passing the football.
Green Bay had the ball in its own territory with under five minutes to play in the first half. The Cowboys' defense made a play that would keep Dallas in the game going into half time. As Starr went back to pass, Cowboy defensive end Willie Townes sacked Starr who fumbled the football. The Cowboys' George Andrie recovered the football and ran 7 yards for the Cowboys' first touchdown. The Cowboys were back in the game. Danny Villanueva kicked the extra point and Dallas had narrowed the score to 14-7.
After Green Bay and Dallas both struggled on their ensuing possessions, Dallas punted to Green Bay. The Packers' Willie Wood fumbled after calling for a fair catch. Dallas' Phil Clark recovered at the Green Bay 17. The Cowboys could not move the football, so they settled for a 21 yard field goal by Villanueva to close out the scoring for the first half. Despite not getting a first down in the second quarter, Dallas had scored 10 points in the final 5 minutes of the half. The deficit had been narrowed to four points.
At the beginning of the second half, the Cowboys shut down the Green Bay offense and forced the Packers to punt. The Cowboys played well offensively to begin the second half. Reeves took a swing pass and gained 7 yards on the first play. Perkins ran for 8 yards on the next play. This was the first Cowboy first down since the first quarter. Meredith threw a pass over the middle to Frank Clarke for another first down. The Cowboys utilized quick pitches and sweeps to gain yards to begin the second half. However, after gaining yards on a run, Meredith fumbled inside the Packer 15 yard line. The football was recovered by Green Bay.
In the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Packers continued to sputter offensively. The icy conditions continued to effect the offensive lineman and the running backs. The timing for the blocking and rushing patterns was off all day for both teams. Green Bay offensive lineman Forrest Gregg said "I remember how hard it was keeping your balance." Gregg said if an offensive lineman slipped, the defensive player could have an easier path to the quarterback. All it took was a momentary slip, and the defensive lineman was right next to the quarterback.
After Green Bay punted, Dallas took over at the Green Bay 46 yard line. Reeves ran for 11 yards. Then Meredith faked a pass to the left and threw to Reeves for an 3 yard gain. However, on the next play, Meredith was sacked for a 9 yard loss. Villanueva tried a 47 yard field goal, which fell short. Willie Wood fielded the missed field goal and ran to the Green Bay 27 yard line.
On the next possession, the Green Bay offense continued to struggle. The Dallas defense played well and stopped Green Bay from moving the football. Dallas recorded their 7th sack of the game and Green Bay had to punt. Now both defenses were playing well and both offenses were struggling.
On the last play of the third quarter, Don Perkins gained 5 yards. The third quarter was over. Despite outplaying Green Bay for the quarter, Dallas could not score. They still trailed the Packers by four points.
However, the Cowboys would finally score on the first play of the fourth quarter. Reeves threw a half back option pass to a Cowboy receiver for a 50 yard touchdown. Just like that, Dallas had their first lead of the game. Villanueva added the extra point. Dallas 17 Green Bay 14.
After taking the lead, the Cowboy defense continued to play well. However, Meredith struggled to communicate with his teammates in the huddle because it was so cold. Meredith's cheeks were so cold that he could not form audible words. At this time, the Cowboys continued to run the football and play a conservative offense. They hoped their defense could contain the Green Bay offense.
Dallas punted the football to Green Bay and a Cowboy player grabbed the face mask of Wood, who returned the punt. The infraction resulted in a 15 yard penalty, which gave the Packers the football at the Dallas 47 yard line.
Weather conditions were getting worse. The ground was so hard that the players were struggling to stand and run. It became easier to slip and fall. However, both teams continued to put forth maximum effort.
On first down from the Cowboy 47, Starr completed a pass to Dowler for a first down. On second down, Cowboy linebacker batted down a pass attempt by Starr. Starr tried a screen pass on third down to Chandler which fell incomplete. Chandler missed a 40 yard field goal.
With 9:44 left in regulation, Dallas took over at their own 20 yard line. The Cowboys tried running the football probably because the weather conditions were so bad. On first down, Perkins ran for 5 yards. Two more runs for Perkins did not get many yards. However, a Green Bay player was offsides and Dallas had a first down. On the next play, Reeves gained 5 yards. However, on the next play Reeves fell in the backfield and was tackled. Meredith completed a pass to Clarke for a first down. Eventually, the Cowboy offense stalled and they had to settle for a punt. Villanueva's punt was returned by Wood to the Green Bay 32 yard line.
The Packers were about to begin one of the most famous drives in NFL history. The fans and the television viewing audience were about to witness one of the most compelling and memorable drives in the history of the league. Two teams who had struggled and tussled on the "frozen tundra" of Lambeau field had one more challenge ahead of themselves.
With 4:52 remaining, Green Bay took over for it's final drive of the day. Defensive player Ray Nietske came off of the field and said "don't let me down" to the Packers' offense. Packers' offensive lineman Forrest Gregg said "I don't think there was any doubt in anybody's mind that we had to (score) or it was over for us...I don't know that the execution under those conditions will ever be surpassed." It is one of the most memorable drives in NFL history because it occurred under very difficult conditions in an NFL title game. The stakes were high and those conditions were difficult. The combinations of the stakes and the conditions made the moment unforgettable.
Green Bay began the drive with a double fake hand off and a pass to Anderson for 6 yards. Then Mercein ran for a first down. On the next play Starr passed to Dowler for a first down. After three plays, Green Bay was moving the football. They had developed a rythym in the cold weather,while the Dallas defense was playing on their heals. However, on the next play, Dallas showed some promise, as Willie Townes sacked Starr for a loss. Maybe the Cowboys' defense would be able to stall Green Bay's drive.
However, Green Bay regrouped as Starr completed a pass to Anderson for a 12 yard gain. Dallas was double teaming the wide receivers in the hope that Green Bay would run or pass to the running backs. Dallas wanted Green Bay to take time off of the clock. Then Mercein caught a 19 yard pass from Starr to get the football to the Dallas 11 yard line. Next, Mercein took a hand off from Starr and ran the football to the Dallas 2 yard line.
Green Bay had the football, first and goal, at the Dallas 2 yard line with 54 seconds remaining. They had potentially four downs to score a touchdown. On first down, Starr handed the ball to Anderson who dove to the Dallas one yard line. On second down, the Packers tried the same play. However, Anderson simply got back to the line of scrimmage. On both plays, Anderson lost his footing and could not score.
Green Bay called a time out with 16 seconds left in regulation. Starr went to the sidelines to talk to Coach Lombardi. They decided to run "31 wedge", a play that had been suggested by offensive lineman Jerry Kramer on Thursday at a film session. Mercein was supposed to get the football and run between the center and the guard. Everyone on the team, including Mercein expected him to get the football.
Instead, Starr decided to run a quarterback sneak without telling the other members of the team. Starr described why he chose to try the sneak: "It was our lead play on short yardage in a down and distance situation like this." Starr was concerned that the running backs could not gain traction on the frozen field. He expressed his concern to Coach Lombardi. Starr said "Coach, I'm up against the center, and I can shuffle and lunge my way into the end zone." So, Starr felt that he could get good footing on the play. He was confident enough to try the quarterback sneak. He needed to score because it would have been difficult to find the time to set up another play if this one did not succeed. This was the play of the game. The difference between winning and losing would be determined by this play.
Starr lunged behind the block of star offensive lineman Jerry Kramer. He found an opening which was created by the offensive line and scored the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left on the clock. The most memorable drive in NFL title history had ended with a successful quarterback sneak. Bart Starr had scored the go ahead touchdown in dramatic and memorable fashion.
Don Chandler kicked the extra point, and Green Bay lead Dallas 21-17 with 13 seconds left. Chandler kicked off and the Dallas returner stayed in the end zone for a touch back. Meredith threw two incomplete passes and the game was over. The Green Bay Packers had defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in the 1967 NFL Championship. They would beat the Oakland Raiders 33-14 in Super Bowl II two weeks later.
Both teams earned respect during this NFL championship game. The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers competed against each other and the weather. As the game wore on, the conditions worsened and the challenge for both teams became greater. Both teams walked off the field knowing they had given their all. In the end, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to win the 1967 NFL championship game - one of the most memorable games in NFL history.
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