1968

"THIS WEEK IN THE AFL"

AFL WEEK 9                               AFL WEEK 10

Two back-to-back 1968 AFL "Week In Review" films are now together and in color on one 51-minute DVD from Rare Sportsfilms! Shown are the highlights of weeks 9 and 10 of the 1968 season. (See below):

WEEK 9

• San Diego Stadium - Favored Chargers eventually prevail over young Dolphins in surprisingly close 34-28 home victory. Willie West gives Chargers quick 7-0 lead with 44-yd interception return. But Russ Smith's 27-yd TD run and a 15-yd scoring pass from Bob Griese to Doug Moreau has game tied 14-14 just before SD FG puts Chargers up 17-14 by the end of the first half. In the third quarter, Jim Kiick's 5-yd TD run gives Dolphins their only lead before a 25-yd halfback option pass from Jim Allison to Lance Alworth puts San Diego back on top, 24-21. A John Hadl to Alworth TD pass and a second FG increase Charger lead to 34-21 before Dolphins score a final touchdown.
• Oakland Coliseum - Two weeks ago the first-place Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders 24-10 in Kansas City, but this week in Oakland the Raiders overwhelm the Chiefs 38-21 to tie for first place in the AFL west. A Daryle Lamonica to Warren Wells TD pass puts Oakland in front 7-0 as the game gets underway. All the Oakland heroes, Fred Biletnikoff, Pete Banaszak, Billy Cannon, Hewritt Dixon (the AFL's leading rusher), etc help Oakland take advantage of numerous KC turnovers in the Raider's big win. Dave Grayson covered Mike Garrett like a blanket all day, rendering him a no-factor and by late in the second half both teams are substituting liberally. Chiefs backup QB Jackie Lee replaces Len Dawson and his 61-yard TD bomb to Frank Pitts is the final score of the day. One of the fine Raider backup halfbacks, Charlie Smith, also sees some action, but no one yet knows that in two weeks in this very stadium, he will become better known in one of the most famous AFL games of all time - thanks to a fictional mountain girl named "Heidi"!

WEEK 10

• Mile High Stadium - Denver QB Steve Tensi's TD pass to Al Denson in the first quarter brings Broncos to within 5 points at 12-7, but it's all downhill from there for Denver as Raiders dominate 43-7. Denver mistakes (on a kickoff following another Raider TD, Floyd Little downs the ball in the end zone after it bounces out of the end zone and back across the goal line!) and three interceptions by Oakland contribute to this AFL Western Division rout. Subbing this week for the injured Daryle Lamonica, veteran QB George Blanda uses six different receivers. Warren Wells scores two TD's including a 94-yard pass and run which puts Raiders out of reach. 41-year-old Blanda throws for 300 yards, four touchdowns and also musters the strength to kick two FG's to keep Raiders tied for first place with Chiefs in the AFL West.
• Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati - The two favorites to win AFL "Rookie of the Year" appear in this game! Robert Holmes of Southern University leads the league with seven touchdowns already this season for the Kansas City Chiefs and he runs for 158 yards in this game. Paul Robinson out of Arizona is first in the AFL in rushing with 705 yards so far. But the most surprising thing about this game is the lack of scoring, as the game is dominated by defense. With the score tied 6-6 in the third quarter, Dale Livingston kicks his third FG to put the Bengals on top, 9-6. In the fourth quarter Jan Stenerud's boot again ties the game, 9-9! But in the end, it's Robert Holmes' run which scores the only TD of the game and wins it for the Chiefs, 16-9!
• Fenway Park - Last year's leading AFL ground gainer Jim Nance has his first 100-yard day of the season and Gino Cappelletti becomes only the second player in pro football history to ever score 1,000 points, but this is about all that Boston Patriot fans have to cheer about. Neither rain nor penalties nor 40-mph winds keep the San Diego Chargers from a 27-17 victory. San Diego's Russ Smith runs for two touchdowns and a John Hadl to Gary Garrison TD bomb boosts the Charger lead to 27-3 by the end of the third period. In the 4th quarter a Jim Nance 1-yard TD plunge and a Tom Sherman to Gino Cappelletti TD pass bring the final score to 27-17.
• War Memorial Stadium - A field goal and two touchdown runs by Bob Cappadonna give the Bills a nice 17-0 lead by halftime, but in the second half TD runs by Griese and Kiick, plus a Griese to Karl Noonan TD pass are all that is needed to give the upstart Dolphins a 21-17 win over the Buffalo Bills.
• Shea Stadium - Four Jim Turner field goals and two short touchdown runs by Bob Mathis give the New York Jets an important 26-7 win over the Houston Oilers! Hoyle Granger scores on a 47-yard draw play for the only Houston points of the day.

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