1964 American Football League Championship Game

1964 American Football League championship game
DateDecember 26, 1964
StadiumWar Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York
RefereeBob Finley
Attendance40,242
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersCurt Gowdy, Paul Christman[1]
Buffalo is located in the United States
Buffalo
Buffalo
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Location in the United States

The 1964 AFL Championship Game was the American Football League's fifth championship game, played at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, December 26.[2][3][4][5][6]

The Buffalo Bills (12–2) of the Eastern Division hosted the defending AFL champion San Diego Chargers (8–5–1) of the Western Division. The two had met twice in the regular season and the Bills won both, most recently by three points in San Diego a month earlier on Thanksgiving Day. Hall of fame wide receiver Lance Alworth of the Chargers was injured in the final regular season game (left knee hyperextension) and did not play.[7][8] The Chargers had lost three of their last four games to end the regular season, and the Bills were slight favorites to win the title at home;[9] with Alworth out they became strong favorites.[10][7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1964 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Bills bruise Chargers; win A.F.L. title, 20-7". Chicago Sunday Tribune. December 27, 1964. p. 1, section 2.
  3. ^ "Buffalo's Bills bull past San Diego for title, 20-7". Milwaukee Journal. UPI. December 27, 1964. p. 1, sports.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Rathet, Mike (December 27, 1964). "Buffalo gains AFL championship". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 1B.
  5. ^ "Buffalo Bills out-charge Charger 20-7 in finale". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. December 28, 1964. p. 9.
  6. ^ Shrake, Edwin (January 4, 1965). "Foggy feast for Buffalo's faithful". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
  7. ^ a b "Alworth is out of AFL title game". Chicago Daily Tribune. UPI. December 26, 1964. p. 1, section 2.
  8. ^ "Chargers lose star for AFL title game". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 26, 1964. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Weather factor in pro finales". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 24, 1964. p. 10.
  10. ^ "Bills rated as strong favorites to win AFL title". Schenectady Gazette. (New York). Associated Press. December 26, 1964. p. 18.