By Anthony Holden
CBS SportsLine Historian

When the AFL signed its landmark $36 million television deal with NBC before the 1965 season, the NFL knew that this rival league wasn't going to go away. The AFL wasn't like the previous two AFLs that folded quickly, nor was it like the All-America Football Conference that led a brief existence from 1946-49. These guys were here to stay.

Although San Diego fell from the ranks of contenders, Lance Alworth remained one of the league's elite receivers. (AP)

So Tex Schramm, president of the Dallas Cowboys, and a major player in NFL matters, called up Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, and set up a meeting to discuss a possible merger of the two leagues. At the same time, Al Davis had taken over as AFL commissioner, replacing Joe Foss, and the combative Davis launched a full-scale war against the NFL in the procurement of players.

Pete Gogolak playing out his option with Buffalo and signing with the NFL's New York Giants -- something that was perfectly legal -- nonetheless touched off a firestorm of controversy, which led AFL owners to go after established NFL stars.

Players such as Roman Gabriel and John Brodie were courted by AFL teams, and Davis was all for trying to steal as many players as possible. As for college players, bidding wars for the best players were contested, and things got so out of control that some players were literally kidnapped by teams from one league so that teams from the other league could not contact them.

Davis' goal was to try to bury the NFL, but the reality was that the AFL was never going to outlive the NFL. However, Schramm and Hunt recognized that the two leagues could become one and stop all the madness.

They knew that if the high-priced bidding wars ensued, both leagues would be hurt. So with the blessing of NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, they were told to hammer out an agreement, and in June of 1966, it was announced that the two leagues would join forces in time for the 1970 season, with all AFL teams being folded into the NFL.

As part of the merger deal, it was decided that the champions of both leagues would play a game at the end of the year to determine a true world champion. This game would late become known as the Super Bowl.

Davis was furious, figuring he had been undermined by Hunt and the other AFL owners who agreed to the proposal, so he resigned as commissioner and returned to the Oakland Raiders, hell-bent on turning the Raiders into the meanest and best team in pro football, a team that would beat all comers regardless of what league they played in. The Raiders were good in 1966, but they weren't the best. Not yet anyway.

The Buffalo Bills, two-time defending AFL champions, were the favorites to represent the AFL in that first Super Bowl. But they would have to do it without their coach, Lou Saban, who resigned just a week after the 1965 title game to return to college coaching at the University of Maryland. Defensive coordinator Joe Collier took his place, and Collier's Bills struggled all season to retain their rightful place atop the Eastern Division.

The Bills began the season 0-2 before taking out their frustrations on the Miami Dolphins, the first expansion team in AFL history. Miami was playing its third game ever, and the Bills unloaded a 58-24 thrashing on the Dolphins. The 58 points remain a team record for Buffalo and the most points ever surrendered by the Dolphins.

That started a three-game winning streak for Buffalo, but a loss to Boston and a tie with San Diego left the Bills at 3-3-1 at the midway point of the season, one game behind the Patriots. The veteran Bills turned it on in the second half and won five in a row, but a 14-3 loss at Boston in Week 13 meant that in order for the Bills to win their third straight division crown, they would need to win their season finale against Denver, and the Patriots would have to lose to New York.

And that's what happened. On a Saturday at Shea Stadium, Joe Namath shredded the Patriots, 38-28, and the next day, Buffalo toppled hapless Denver, 38-21, to win the crown.

As usual, it was the Buffalo defense that keyed the season. The Bills led the AFL in rushing defense, they held opponents to a league-worst 44 percent completion percentage, and surrendered a league-low 255 points. On offense, Jack Kemp was efficient at quarterback, and running backs Bobby Burnett and Wray Carlton ground out tough yards to keep the chains moving.

Losing the division was a heartbreak to a Boston team that possessed the league's leading rusher, second-year man Jim Nance, who had an AFL record 1,458 yards and 11 TDs. Boston's defense was also stout with linebacker Nick Buoniconti and tackle Houston Antwine leading the way. However, that defense came unglued in the pivotal season finale against New York, and it cost Boston its first division title since 1963.

The Jets continued their improvement behind Joe Namath who passed for 3,379 yards but had 27 interceptions compared to 19 touchdown passes. Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer formed a hard-nosed running back duo, and George Sauer caught 63 passes for 1,079 yards, but New York's defense failed too often for the Jets to be a serious contender.

The aging Oilers slumped to 3-11 in George Blanda's final year in Houston. Don Trull shared time at quarterback with Blanda, but both men endured struggles, and with a defense that allowed a league-worst 396 points, the Oilers had no chance even though Wally Lemm had returned as head coach.

Miami's first season was predictably bad as the Dolphins scored only 213 points under the direction of quarterbacks Dick Wood and George Wilson Jr. who combined to complete 38 percent of their passes. George Wilson Sr., the quarterback's father, wanted to tear his hair out at times watching the Miami defense get torn apart on a weekly basis.

In the West, Kansas City bounced back from a terribly disappointing 1965 season to dominate the competition on both sides of the ball. Hank Stram had a lethal scoring machine with Len Dawson throwing a league-high 26 touchdown passes, rookie Mike Garrett rushing for 801 yards, and Otis Taylor averaging 22 yards on his 58 receptions. The Chiefs finished with 448 points, 90 more than second-ranked Buffalo.

Defensively, the Chiefs squashed opponents with linemen Buck Buchanan and Jerry Mays, linebackers Bobby Bell and E.J. Holub, and defensive backs Johnny Robinson, Emmitt Thomas and Fred Williamson. The Chiefs sent a message of what was to come on opening day when they drubbed Buffalo, 42-20, then went 7-0-1 over the last eight games to win the division easily.

An early three-game losing streak put Oakland in a 1-3 hole and it never sufficiently recovered. Clem Daniels presented a rushing (801 yards) and receiving (40 catches for 652 yards) threat, Art Powell had 1,026 yards receiving and Tom Flores threw 24 touchdown passes, but the Oakland offense failed in key contests against Buffalo and Kansas City, prompting Davis to make some key changes in 1967.

San Diego's glory days officially came to an end in 1966. After winning the West five of the first six years, the Chargers won their first four games, but then hit the skids and dipped to third at 7-6-1, embarking on a slide that saw seven losing seasons over the next decade. Lance Alworth was brilliant as he led the league with 73 catches, 1,383 yards and 13 TDs, most of those passes coming from John Hadl. But the vaunted Chargers running game was absent as Paul Lowe gained only 643 yards. The Chargers pass defense was strong, but the departure of Ernie Ladd and Earl Faison softened the line and teams ran at will against San Diego.

As usual, Denver was terrible, finishing last in the West for the fourth year in a row and fifth time in seven years. The Broncos scored just 196 points and gave up 381 during a 4-10 season. Coach Mac Speedie was fired during the year and replaced by Ray Malavasi, but the change mattered little as five different quarterbacks tried and failed to charge the offense.