The most points scored in an NFL preseason game happened in August of 1967. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 66-24.
This preseason game, meaningless by today’s standards, was notable as the first time the Chiefs played against an NFL team since their loss to the Packers in the prior year’s Super Bowl.
More aptly regarding the Super Bowl performance, the Chiefs were embarrassed. Not only for their 35-10 loss to Green Bay in the Super Bowl, but also for the entire American Football League.
This was the Chiefs first ever preseason game against an NFL team. And they wanted to prove they belonged. Not just for themselves, but for the entire AFL.
The AFL-NFL merger was set to finalize within the coming years, and both leagues agreed to play preseason inter-league games as a way to work into it.
The popular belief that the AFL would always be inferior to the NFL had been proven. Many, including Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.
“I think the Kansas City team is a real tough football team, but it doesn’t compare with the National Football League teams.”
Chiefs head coach Hank Stram and his team took it personally, and the comments burned in their memories during the seven-month offseason. And thus, the Chiefs were set for a long-anticipated revenge on the NFL.
The 66 points scored were the most the Bears had ever allowed in their 47 years of NFL play. The game, which took place at KC’s Municipal Stadium, was a significant victory for the Chiefs and helped elevate the perception of the American Football League.
Here’s an idea of how significant this game was for the Chiefs (from Sports Illustrated before it started using fake authors via AI).
Imagine the outcry if an NFL team did this today:
“The Kansas City Chiefs were ahead of the Chicago Bears by 36 points, and now, with less than a minute to play, one of their invisible linebackers intercepted another pass and ran it down to within two yards of the Chicago goal line.”
Backup QB Pete Beathard bombed a 60-yard pass, then on the next play, walked into the end zone on a 2-yard bootleg.
“At this wild and exhilarating moment not even their own fanatical followers—more than sated with the 60-24 score already in neon—expected the Chiefs to go all out to score again.
“The clock flashed past 50 and quarterback Pete Beathard did the expected. He sent Halfback Bert Coan into the line for no gain, obviously content to run out the clock. The Chiefs on this night had no intention of violating the code of professional sports that decrees mercy today because it could happen to you tomorrow.
“Then a stunning thing happened. Beathard called for time out. On the next play Beathard executed a perfect quarterback bootleg. Almost contemptuously he walked—did not run—around his naked left side into the end zone. Touchdown.”
Then, the Chiefs went for TWO!!
“Surely now the vengeful Chiefs would not dare attempt to fake a conversion kick and pass instead for two points? They had done this successfully earlier in the game when they were 17 points ahead, and that was shame enough. Fortunately, the Bears will never find out.”
The snap from center was bobbled, and the try was denied, hence the odd 66 instead of 67.
The Chiefs’ offense, led by quarterback Len Dawson, was highly effective, including a 70-yard touchdown pass from Dawson to Otis Taylor on the Chiefs’ first drive of the game. Dawson threw four touchdown passes in the game.
In front of 33,041 people, the Chiefs humiliated the Bears and scored the most points by a single team in NFL preseason history.
The Chiefs completed their first ever two-point conversion on a fake PAT. It became the first in the history of the AFL-NFL inter-league exhibition games.
The Bears’ coach, George Halas, reportedly viewed the game as a “black eye” for the NFL.
The Chiefs mascot was a real-live horse named “War Paint.” After every touchdown, War Paint would run the field.
Late in the game, Halas famously quipped, “If they score any more points they are going to give that horse a heart attack.”
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