1960 American Football League season
Encyclopedia
The 1960 American Football League
season was the inaugural regular season
of the American Football League
.
The season ended when the Houston Oilers
defeated the Los Angeles Chargers
in the inaugural AFL Championship game.
The Denver Broncos, who wouldn't have a winning season until they went 7-5-2 in 1973, were the Western Division leaders halfway through 1960. They won the AFL's very first game, played on September 9, 1960, beating the Boston Patriots 13-10. The Patriots' Gino Cappelletti
scored the AFL's first points with a 35 yard field goal. Other results in Week One were the Los Angeles Chargers 21-20 win over the Dallas Texans, the Houston Oilers 37-22 win over the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Titans' 27-3 win over the Buffalo Bills. In the Raiders game, J.D. Smith caught a pass from Tom Flores to score the first two-point conversion in pro football history.
In Week Eight (October 30), Denver lost to the visiting Texans, 17-14, and didn't win any of their last eight games, finishing with the AFL's worst record at 4-9-1. The Chargers, still in Los Angeles, pulled ahead the next week with a Friday night win over the New York Titans, 21-7, and finished at 10-4-0. The Eastern Division lead was held by Houston, except for a setback from a 14-13 loss to Oakland on September 25. In Week Five, the Oilers beat the visiting Titans, 27-21 and led the rest of the way.
* — Qualified for Championship Game.
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
season was the inaugural regular season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
.
The season ended when the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
defeated the Los Angeles Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the inaugural AFL Championship game.
Division races
The AFL had 8 teams, grouped into two divisions. Each team would play a home-and-away game against the other 7 teams in the league for a total of 14 games, and the best team in the Eastern Division would play against the best in the Western Division in a championship game. If there was tie in the standings, a playoff would be held to determine the division winner.The Denver Broncos, who wouldn't have a winning season until they went 7-5-2 in 1973, were the Western Division leaders halfway through 1960. They won the AFL's very first game, played on September 9, 1960, beating the Boston Patriots 13-10. The Patriots' Gino Cappelletti
Gino Cappelletti
Gino Cappelletti is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played at the University of Minnesota, and was a star in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots...
scored the AFL's first points with a 35 yard field goal. Other results in Week One were the Los Angeles Chargers 21-20 win over the Dallas Texans, the Houston Oilers 37-22 win over the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Titans' 27-3 win over the Buffalo Bills. In the Raiders game, J.D. Smith caught a pass from Tom Flores to score the first two-point conversion in pro football history.
In Week Eight (October 30), Denver lost to the visiting Texans, 17-14, and didn't win any of their last eight games, finishing with the AFL's worst record at 4-9-1. The Chargers, still in Los Angeles, pulled ahead the next week with a Friday night win over the New York Titans, 21-7, and finished at 10-4-0. The Eastern Division lead was held by Houston, except for a setback from a 14-13 loss to Oakland on September 25. In Week Five, the Oilers beat the visiting Titans, 27-21 and led the rest of the way.
| Week | EASTERN | WESTERN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tie (Hou, NYT) | 1-0-0 | Tie (Den, LAC) | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | HOUSTON OILERS | 2-0-0 | DENVER BRONCOS | 2-0-0 |
| 3 | Tie (Hou, NYT) | 2-0-0 | Tie (DalT, Den) | 2-1-0 |
| 4 | NEW YORK TITANS | 3-1-0 | DENVER BRONCOS | 3-1-0 |
| 5 | HOUSTON OILERS | 3-1-0 | DENVER BRONCOS | 3-1-0 |
| 6 | HOUSTON OILERS | 4-1-0 | DENVER BRONCOS | 3-2-0 |
| 7 | HOUSTON OILERS | 5-1-0 | DENVER BRONCOS | 4-2-0 |
| 8 | HOUSTON OILERS | 5-2-0 | Tie (Den, LAC) | 4-3-0 |
| 9 | HOUSTON OILERS | 6-2-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 5-3-0 |
| 10 | HOUSTON OILERS | 6-3-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 6-3-0 |
| 11 | HOUSTON OILERS | 7-3-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 6-4-0 |
| 12 | HOUSTON OILERS | 6-3-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 7-4-0 |
| 13 | HOUSTON OILERS | 8-4-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 8-4-0 |
| 14 | HOUSTON OILERS | 9-4-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 9-4-0 |
| 15 | HOUSTON OILERS | 10-4-0 | L.A. CHARGERS | 10-4-0 |
Standings http://nflhistory.net/linescores/pdf/1960a.pdf
Playoffs
- AFL Championship Game
- Houston OilersTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
24, Los Angeles ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
16, January 1, 1961, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
- Houston Oilers
Quarterback
| Player | Comp. | Att. | Comp% | Yards | TD's | INT's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Tripucka Frank Tripucka Francis Joseph Tripucka is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback, at Notre Dame, in the National Football League, in the Canadian Football League, and in the early American Football League.-Notre Dame Fighting Irish:Tripucka was backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy... (DEN) |
248 | 478 | 51.8 | 3038 | 24 | 34 |
| Jack Kemp Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st... (LA) |
211 | 406 | 52 | 3018 | 20 | 25 |
| Al Dorow Al Dorow Albert Richard "Al" Dorow was an American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback. He played collegiately for Michigan State and professionally in the National Football League and the American Football League.... (NYT) |
201 | 396 | 50.8 | 2748 | 26 | 26 |
| Butch Songin Butch Songin Edward F. "Butch" Songin is a former quarterback for the Boston College Eagles, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Rugby Union, and for the American Football League's Boston Patriots and New York Titans... (BOS) |
187 | 392 | 47.7 | 2476 | 22 | 15 |
| Cotton Davidson Cotton Davidson Francis Marion Davidson , known by his nickname "Cotton" Davidson, was an American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback... (DAL) |
179 | 379 | 47.2 | 2474 | 15 | 16 |
| George Blanda George Blanda George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker... (HOU) |
169 | 363 | 46.6 | 2413 | 24 | 22 |
| Tom Flores Tom Flores Thomas R. "Tom" Flores is a retired American football quarterback and coach. Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the National Football League history to win a Super Bowl as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach... (OAK) |
136 | 252 | 54 | 1738 | 12 | 12 |
| Johnny Green Johnny Green (American football) John Edward Green was a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played in four American Football League seasons from 1960–1963 for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Titans.... (BUF) |
89 | 228 | 39 | 1267 | 10 | 10 |
| Babe Parilli Babe Parilli -Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.... (OAK) |
87 | 187 | 46.5 | 1003 | 5 | 11 |
| Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell is a retired American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played in five NFL and two American Football League seasons from 1953–1957 and 1960-1961 for 3 different teams... (BUF) |
65 | 145 | 44.8 | 1033 | 7 | 13 |
| Dick Jamieson Dick Jamieson Richard Alexander Jamieson was an American football and baseball player and coach of football. He was the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League in 1997. He also served as offensive coordinator for the Cardinals in 1985 when the franchise was in St... (NYT) |
35 | 70 | 50 | 586 | 6 | 2 |