AFL Question / Opinions Sought

[Halas Hall]

Was John Madden the last head coach to have coached in an American Football League game? Which game do people think was the best in the ten-year history of the American Football League?

[Jay Z]

Was he the last living AFL coach? No, Joe Collier is still alive.

[Brian wolf]

Lots of great AFL games and I wish I could collect them. I still believe the 1968 AFL Championship game was the best based off the clips of the game I saw, the NBC radio broadcast and NFL Films video, the large, roarous Shea Stadium crowd and the insane windy conditions. The all out passing by both teams predicted future football though the sportswriters at the time thought it was ridiculous. Despite the final score, it was actually a defensive game going into the final ten minutes which got frantic. Of course the Jets win would lead to what was considered a monumental SB upset but I believe the Jets were better than the Colts because they had beaten a similar team in the KC Chiefs that year.

Other great AFL Games

The Heidi game ... of course, which changed broadcast standards going into primetime ...

1967 Jets vs Raiders wk 13 ... Had the Jets won this shootout with Oakland, they would have met for the AFL Championship in Oakland. Namath kept playing with a broken jaw from a forearm smash from Ike Lassiter.

1969 AFL Championship Game ... many fans favorite game due to the vicious hitting on both sides but sloppy turnovers as well. The Raiders and Madden I believe, took the Chiefs lightly due to beating them twice.

1962 AFL Championship Game ... the longest game ever for a while and a game George Blanda would love to have back.

1969 AFL Playoff ... the Jets last postseason game with Namath with bitter weather and wind and a defensive slugfest, with the Chiefs getting another shot at Oakland.

[RichardBak]

I'd pick the '68 NY-Oakland title game. I've sometimes wondered how the Colts would've fared against the Raiders in SB III.

[JohnR]

There were many great games. Some with little historical importance but were hugely entertaining nonetheless.
There's the first time the Raiders beat the Chargers. Wild back & forth 34-33 game at Balboa in '63. Big win for Al.
In '68 the Bills & Broncos had a shootout with an absolutely insane ending. (Marlin the Magician)

Heidi takes the top position as far as fame. It was a prelude to the championship played in better weather.
The '69 championship involved two very strong teams, but the 4th qtr was downright silly. It was as if neither team wanted to play the Vikings. The Chiefs fumbling the ball away repeatedly and Daryle giving it right back (repeatedly).

[Brian wolf]

Another great Oak/NYJ game was in 1966.
The Jets had the lead but Flores threw the game winning TD pass to Art Powell in the last minute in Oakland.

[Bryan]

The best games consistently were the Jets-Raiders games with Namath. They were almost all fantastic.

I think the opposite end of the spectrum were the Raiders-Chiefs games with Lamonica. They were competitive, but almost all of those games were ridiculous with usually one and sometimes both teams making a boatload of questionable plays and decisions. Even the officiating was ridiculous at times.

[RichardBak]

The best games consistently were the Jets-Raiders games with Namath. They were almost all fantastic.

Oh, I agree. Broadway Joe vs. the Mad Bomber. To me, that was the AFL in a nutshell.

[Brian wolf]

Its actually kind of sad that the best AFL games basically involved the Chiefs, Raiders, Jets and Chargers. The Bills had some great games but also dominated the east from 63-66. The Oilers were better early in the decade but had a tough team at the end without a QB. Miami had a QB in Griese, who kept things interesting but the team was mostly cannon fodder like the Bengals and Broncos in the west, who squandered alot of talent. The Patriots were tough in the mid decade with Parilli but a slow team.

Another great game was the Jets beating the Chiefs 20-19 to start the 1968 season. Considering the Chiefs usually dominated the team, the win gave them the confidence to feel they could go all the way.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

A few other games to bring up:

Buffalo at Denver in 1960 -- The Bills built a 38-7 lead late in the third quarter. Lionel Taylor then scored 3 TDs for the Broncos and almost had a 4th. The game ended a 38-38 tie.

The Titans and Broncos played a great Thanksgiving game -- it was a crazy back and forth affair that ended 46-45 in the Titans favor.

Then the classic Texans at Patriots game in 60 or 61. Texans QB Cotton Davidson (who led the aforementioned Raiders rally vs the Chargers in 1963) threw a pass into the end zone for what likely would have been a game-winning touchdown but a fan actually jumped out of the stands and knocked it down. Seriously. It happened.