By Anthony Holden
CBS SportsLine Historian

Sunday, Nov. 27
At Bears Stadium, Denver
Bills 38, Broncos 38

In its first season of existence, the AFL knew one thing: It was not going to steal paying customers and television viewers away from the established NFL by playing a defensive-oriented game. The only way the league was going to survive was to entertain the fans, and that's what offense is designed to do.

Wide receiver Lionel Taylor was one of the top deep threats in the AFL. (AP)

All eight teams in the AFL averaged at least 20 points per game in the first year, led by the New York Titans (27.3). Of course, the Titans finished just 7-7 because they allowed a league-worst 28.5 points.

Over in the 12-team NFL, five teams failed to average at least 20 points, and only established powerhouses Cleveland and Green Bay produced more points per game than the Titans did.

There were some incredible scoring binges in the AFL, and nine of the 56 regular-season games saw the teams combine for at least 70 points, the granddaddy of them all a 50-43 victory by the Los Angeles Chargers over the Titans.

One of those high-scoring games was this shocking shootout between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. Neither team was going anywhere -- both entered the game with 4-6 records -- and a paltry crowd of 7,785 turned out in a snowstorm at Bears Stadium in Denver. But those hearty fans were rewarded when Denver rallied from a 38-7 deficit in the final quarter and a half to pull out a 38-38 tie.

"For the first three quarters I watched the greatest display of defensive football I've seen in the league this year," said Bills coach Buster Ramsey. "Every man had almost perfect execution on every play. Then, for reasons that I cannot put a finger on, the whole thing collapsed."

The Bills had practiced for five days in Denver's mile-high air, fearing that if they didn't get used to the altitude, they'd have no chance. Still, some of the Bills said they became winded in the second half and blamed their collapse on that.

Willmer Fowler, who became the first Buffalo back to top 100 yards rushing in a game with 120, broke a 61-yard run to set up Billy Atkins' early field goal. Then Jim Wagstaff's interception and 23-yard return to the Denver 31 set up Wray Carlton's short TD plunge for a 10-0 Bills lead.

In the second quarter, Elbert Dubenion (6-134) took a flat pass and turned it into a 76-yard TD, but before the half ended, Denver's Gene Mingo scored from the 1 after Ted Wegert picked up a teammate's fumble and ran 38 yards to the Bills 17.

In a 5:16 span in the third, Atkins kicked a field goal, Mack Yoho returned a Frank Tripucka interception 15 yards for a score, Fowler ran 19 yards for a TD, and Atkins made another field goal to make it 38-7, and the Bills seemed headed for an easy victory.

But the Broncos then made their move. On the first play after the kickoff, Lionel Taylor (9-199) caught a short pass and sped 80 yards for a score, and in the first 6:39 of the fourth, he caught two more TD passes from Tripucka covering 24 and 35 yards to make it 38-28.

With the Bills offense suddenly stagnant, the Broncos inched closer when Don Allen scored on a one-yard run with 4:25 left. Denver's last drive started at the 33 with 1:14 to go. Tripucka (19-41-5, 328) completed three passes, and Bills linebacker Archie Matsos was flagged for pass interference. The Broncos eventually moved to the 12, and Mingo came in to kick a 19-yard tying field goal with 12 seconds remaining to cap the improbable comeback.

"We got to feeling a little too secure with that 38-7 lead, and when Lionel Taylor broke loose on that 80-yard touchdown, everyone caved in," said Ramsey. "On that play, Jim Wagstaff tried for an interception and missed. A half dozen players had good shots at Taylor, and they missed, too. If our players didn't realize there's no place for overconfidence in pro football, they know it now."