1968

"THIS WEEK IN THE AFL"

Weeks 3, 4 and 5 - All on One DVD!

(1 Hour, 16 Minutes, Color)

Three back-to-back 1968 AFL "Week in Review" films are now together and in color on this 76-minute DVD from Rare Sportsfilms. Here are the games and players you'll see:

• Jets vs Patriots at Legion Field, Birmingham - Joe Namath TD passes to Don Maynard and Pete Lammons, Randy Beverly’s interception return, Mark Smolinski’s TD run off a blocked kick and 4 FGs by Jim Turner help Jets beat Boston 47-31. 70-yd pass, Mike Taliaferro to rookie Aavron March, accounts for only Pats TD of first half and 14-yd TD pass to Gene Thomas is final score of the game.
• Chiefs vs Broncos at old Municipal Stadium, K.C. - Denver holds Chiefs to two FGs, but get only a safety themselves in low-scoring 6-2 first half. Jacky Lee replaces Len Dawson for the second half and he and rookie RB Robert Holmes (2 TD’s) revive Chiefs toward an eventual 34-2 win. Bud Abell has two interceptions and the final two scores are by Otis Taylor. Jim LeClair is QB for the Broncos.
• Bills vs Bengals at Nippert Stadium - 80-yd reverse by SE Warren McVea and 11-yd FG by Dale Livingston give Bengals early 10-0 lead, but Bill’s HB “Mini” Max Anderson’s 14-yd TD run brings score to 10-7 at halftime. Bills take lead 14-10 when Gary McDermott scores on 3rd qtr. 7-yd TD run. But Cincy bounces back on interception returns of 30 and 20 yards by Charlie King and LB Al Beauchamp to grab 27-14 lead. Anderson then runs back kickoff 100-yds and Paul Guidry gets Bills a safety to close gap to 27-23 with 1:54 left. However 34-23 game ends on Tom Smiley’s 14-yd TD run, as baby Bengals now post surprising 2-1 record after first three weeks of the season!
• Raiders vs Dolphins at The Orange Bowl - A 73-yd bomb to Warren Wells and 3-yd TD pass from Daryle Lamonica to Billy Cannon give Raiders 14-0 lead by end of first qtr. A screen to Pete Banaszak for 49-yards pushes the Oakland lead to 21-0 in second quarter before a Bob Griese to Larry Seiple 4-yd TD pass puts Miami on the scoreboard. Lamonica’s 4th TD pass (11 yds to Bill Miller) ups the score to 28-7, but Griese to Karl Noonan TD pass answers. Before the half Dan Birdwell and Carlton Oats trap rookie Jim Kiick in the end zone for a safety and George Blanda kicks a 6-yd FG for a 33-14 score at intermission. A Pete Banaszak 43-yd run adds 7 more Raider points in the third qtr. before rookie Larry Csonka’s 2-yd slant brings the score to 40-21. By the end of the game, Willie Brown’s interception has capped off first place Raider’s Sat. night 47-21 win vs 2nd-year expansion Dolphins!
• Chargers vs Oilers at San Diego Stadium - Chargers enter the 4th quarter of this game trailing 14-9, but at the end, Chargers have won, 30-14! Two FG’s by Dennis Partee have Chargers leading 6-0 at the end of first quarter, but a Woody Campbell nine-yd TD run soon gives Houston the lead, 7-6. However by halftime, Chargers have taken back the lead on a FG, 9-7. Hoyle Granger’s short TD run is the only score in the 3rd qtr. and gives Houston 14-9 lead as Chargers begin final period. Brad Hubbert’s 3-yrd run overcomes Oiler lead, 16-14, and Joe Beauchamp intercepts QB Pete Beathard at the end of the game as San Diego remains undefeated at 2-0, while Oilers fall to 1-2.

• Chargers vs Bengals at Nippert Stadium - Only first qtr. score is a 21-yd FG by Dale Livingston. A 10-yd John Hadl to Gary Garrison TD pass nets first Charger points of the afternoon. After a Charger FG, another Hadl to Garrison TD pass increases the Charger lead and San Diego is ahead 17-3 at halftime. A 3rd qtr. 6-yd TD run by Essex Johnson brings the Bengals closer at 17-10, but later, two short Hadl TD runs complete the scoring, as Chargers win 31-10. You’ll see interceptions by Sherrill Headrick (Bengals) and Kenny Graham and Bob Howard (Chargers).
• Raiders vs Oilers at The Astrodome - In this first meeting of the two clubs since last year’s AFL Championship game, Houston opens the scoring on a Pete Beathard to Mac Haik TD pass for a 7-0 lead. Oakland scores in the 2nd qtr. on a Dave Grayson interception runback to tie the score. Later, Olin Underwood dumps QB Lamonica in the end zone for a safety and 9-7 Oiler halftime lead. In the 3rd. qtr., Lamonica’s pair of 9-yd TD passes to Warren Wells and Billy Cannon boosts the score to 24-9 Raiders. Backup QB Bob Davis enters the game in the final period and sparks Houston to a final TD (3-yd run by Hoyle Granger), but a two-point conversion fails when Dan Birdwell intercepts and Oakland wins 24-15, staying undefeated at 4-0.
• Patriots vs Broncos at Mile High Stadium - A weak Patriot offense (lacking Jim Nance) and only 7 for 20 passing for Denver lead to a halftime score of only 10-10. A late 3rd. qtr. Boston TD by Jim Whelan is enough to beat the Broncos, however a bright spot is the late 4th qtr. insertion of new rookie QB Marlin Briscoe, who scores his first career TD on a 12-yd run! Pats win, 20-17.
• Chiefs vs Dolphins at The Orange Bowl - First shown is the Dolphin’s best play of the evening - a Bob Griese to Larry Csonka screen pass that goes for 65 yards in the 4th quarter. A K.C. FG, a TD pass from Len Dawson to Gloster Richardson, a 4-yd TD run by Bert Coan and a 50-yd strike to Otis Taylor help build a 24-3 lead after just the first quarter! Before halftime, Robert Holmes takes an off-tackle play for a 76-yd TD run and a Dawson to Wendell Hayes 15-yd TD has the Chiefs winning 38-3 at the half. After a 3rd. qtr. FG, Jim Lynch’s interception goes 22 yards for the final points in a 48-3 Chiefs romp!
• Bills vs Jets at War Memorial Stadium - Bills and Jets fans still talk about this amazing AFL classic! Bills rookie QB Dan Darragh faces Joe Namath for the first time, and the woeful Bills beat the eventual Champion Jets for their ONLY win of the ‘68s season! The Jets score first on a 4-yd TD pass from Namath to George Sauer and lead 7-0. Bruce Alford’s 35-yd FG next puts points on the board for Buffalo and Ben Gregory’s 2-yd TD plunge adds 7 more, as Buffalo goes ahead, 10-7. Soon, Tom Janek intercepts a Namath pass for his second time in the game, this time returning the ball 100 yards for a 17-7 Bills lead! Emerson Boozer’s 1-yd TD brings the score to 17-14 Bills late in the half. With a minute remaining, another Alford FG makes it 20-14 but just 40 seconds later, Namath hits Don Maynard with a 55-yard bomb to end a frantic 21-20 first half! In the 3rd qtr. Namath is sacked by Mike Stratton, setting up another Alford FG and putting Buffalo back in front, 23-21. Early in the 4th quarter, Namath is again intercepted, Butch Byrd taking it back 53yds. for a 30-21 Bills lead. Only a minute later, Namath throws his 4th INT of the day, Booker Edgerson taking it back 45 yards for another TD and 37-21 Bills lead. Back come the Jets, with Namath tossing a short scoring pass to Matt Snell in the end zone (37-28). Late in the game, Namath overthrows a pass to George Sauer and Butch Byrd makes his second interception of the day. But the game isn’t over. The Jets block an ensuing Bills punt, then Namath finds George Sauer for a final TD, the Jets falling just short, 37-35 in one of the most amazing games of the season! Namath threw 4 TD passes and five interceptions, three of them run back for TD’s!

• Dolphins vs Oilers at The Astrodome - Woody Campbell’s 4-yd TD run gives Oilers temporary 7-0 lead. However backup Oiler QB Bob Davis has a rough day. His snap fumble is picked up by John Bramlett and lateralled to Willie West who scores from 10 yards out to quickly tie the game 7-7. In the second quarter, a 2-YD TD plunge by rookie Larry Csonka gives the Dolphins the lead, 14-7. Later, a 50-yd bomb to Karl Noonan and a FG add up to a 24-7 Dolphin win, their first of the season!
• Broncos vs Bengals at Mile High Stadium - The Bengals score in the second qtr. on a fake FG, Bobby Hunt running around left end from the 12. In the 4th qtr., Bobby Howfield’s 44-yd FG cuts the Cincy lead to 7-3 and then Bengals lose this game when Greg Garrett knocks the ball out of HB Essex Johnson’s hand. QB Steve Tensi then leads the Broncos to the winning score, rookie Mike Haffner hauling in a 10-yd TD pass for a 10-7 win.
• Raiders vs Patriots at Oakland Coliseum - Boston takes the lead in a low-scoring first half when Gene Thomas sprints around left end to score the first TD. Later in the half Lamonica hits Warren Wells with a TD pass and at halftime Oakland still trails Boston 10-7. The second half is all Oakland, with first Wells taking a pitchout around right end all the way on a 42-yd TD run (nice block by Gene Upshaw), putting the Raiders ahead for good. Meanwhile Ben Davidson, Carleton Oats and Dan Conners, etc. are shutting down the Patriots. Another TD pass goes to Hewritt Dixon. A Charlie Smith fumble is picked up by Fred Biletnikoff and run in for another score. At the end ageless QB George Blanda comes in and tosses a TD pass to Dave Kocourek as Oakland wins the game, 41-10.
• Chiefs vs Bills at War Memorial Stadium - The Bills score first in this game, with Dan Darragh tossing a TD pass to Haven Moses in the first quarter to grab a 7-0 lead, but it would be the only TD they would score all night. The Chiefs also scored in the first qtr. on a TD pass from Dawson to Gloster Richardson, and more surprisingly, it would also be their only TD of the evening. However, the Chiefs move the ball across the field throughout the game and with Jan Stenerud kicking four FG’s (all less than 20 yards), the Chiefs win, 18-7.
• Jets vs Chargers at Shea Stadium, NY. - The largest crowd in AFL history (63,786) gathers at Shea on this Saturday night to watch a dramatic game between two top AFL contenders and the game does not disappoint. At halftime the Jets lead 9-7. In the 3rd qtr. the Jets extend their lead with a 12-play drive ending with Matt Snell going over on a 1-yd plunge (16-7 Jets). The Chargers respond with a John Hadl to Gary Garrison 84-yd bomb (16-13). With 5:45 left in the game, Garrison pulls in his 2nd TD of the evening, and the Chargers take the lead, 20-16. Namath then leads the Jets on a 13-play 75-yd scoring drive, with Emerson Boozer finally scoring on 4th and goal from the three and the Jets again lead 23-20! There is only 1:43 left for Hadl to move the Chargers into at least FG range. Hadl completes a pass to Garrison on the 30 with only 20 seconds left. Then his throw to Ken Dyer on the five is picked off by Johnny Sample and the Jets win the game!

To get your own 76-minute DVD covering weeks 3 thru 5 of the '68 AFL season, send only $29.95 plus $4.00 shipping (Illinois residents must add $2.30 state sales tax) to: