1966 NFL season The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League , and the season after which was played Super Bowl I , though it was called the AFL - NFL World Championship Game . The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons , thus an odd number of teams ( making byes necessary ) . This was the last season that the NFL had just two divisions , in which setup the conference champions went directly to the NFL Championship Game . Atlanta Falcons . The league awarded an expansion franchise to the city of Atlanta on June 30 , 1965 . NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership of the Atlanta Falcons to Rankin Smith Sr . The Falcons were awarded the first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft , as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds . The league also provided the Falcons with an expansion draft six weeks later . The AFL - NFL merger agreement . As the competitive war between the NFL and the American Football League reached its peak , the two leagues agreed to merge on June 8 , 1966 . Under the agreement : Major rule changes . Goal post s were standardized in the NFL . They were to be between 3 to in diameter , painted bright yellow , with two non - curved supports offset from the goal line , and uprights above the crossbar . In 1967 , the new " slingshot " goal post would be made standard , with one curved support from the ground . In 1974 , the goal posts would be returned to the end line , and the uprights would be extended to above the crossbar . The new goal - post rule is often referred to as the " Don Chandler Rule " , referring to Don Chandler , the place - kicker for the Green Bay Packers . Although widely denied , the height increase of the uprights was in reaction to the previous season ' s Western Conference playoff game in Green Bay . Chandler kicked a controversial field goal that tied the game with under two minutes remaining . The kick was high above the upright , and many spectators thought that the kick missed . Chandler later hit a field goal that defeated the Baltimore Colts in overtime . The Packers went on to defeat the Cleveland Browns in the 1965 NFL championship game . Conference races . In the Western Conference , Green Bay ' s first loss was in " Week Five " , falling 21 - 20 in San Francisco to tie them with the Rams . The Rams ' lost 35 - 7 to Minnesota the next week , and Green Bay stayed in front until " Week Nine " , when Minnesota beat them 20 - 17 . Baltimore ' s 19 - 7 win over Atlanta briefly tied it with the Packers at 7 - 2 - 0 in " Week Ten " , but the Colts lost to Detroit the next week , 20 - 14 . The Packers clinched the title in " Week Thirteen " . In the Eastern Conference , the St . Louis Cardinals took the early lead , winning their first five games . ( The Dallas Cowboys were also unbeaten , but due to a bye in Week One , they had played one fewer game and thus were a half - game behind the Cardinals in the standings ) . The unbeaten teams met in " Week Six " , and both were still unbeaten after they played to a 10 - 10 tie . However , both teams suffered their first defeat the next week , with St . Louis losing at Washington , 26 - 20 , and the Cowboys falling in Cleveland , 30 - 21 . In " Week Nine " ( November 6 ) , St . Louis beat the Giants , 20 - 17 , while Dallas came up short in a 24 - 23 loss to the Eagles . The next week , Dallas won at Washington 31 - 30 on a field goal with 0 : 15 left , while the Cards fell at Pittsburgh , 30 - 9 , cutting their safety margin to a half - game again . St . Louis had a bye in " Week Eleven " , and a 20 - 7 Dallas victory over Pittsburgh gave the Cards and Cowboys records of 7 - 2 - 1 . Both teams won the next week , setting up the stage for their December 4 meeting in Dallas during " Week Thirteen " . The Cards took a 10 - 7 lead in the first quarter , but Dallas won 31 - 17 to take over the conference lead . In " Week Fourteen " , Dallas hosted Washington , and lost 34 - 31 on a field goal at 0 : 08 . The Cardinals were in a must - win game against what should have been an easy opponent , the new ( 2 - 10 - 0 ) Atlanta Falcons . Instead , the Falcons notched their third win and virtually ended St . Louis ' s hopes to go to the title game . The St . Louis Cardinals , who lost again the next week , never got that close to the Super Bowl again before moving to Phoenix twenty years later . Final standings . " W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , PCT = Winning Percentage , PF = Points For , PA = Points Against " " Note : Prior to 1972 , the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team ' s winning percentage in the official standings "