The season ended when theBaltimore Colts defeated theCleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game, only to be defeated by theAmerican Football League'sNew York Jets inSuper Bowl III16–7 at theOrange Bowl inMiami. Subsequently, it was the first time in the history of professional football in which the NFL champion was not crowned as the world champion. One year later, this feat would be repeated, as the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings inSuper Bowl IV.
January 13 -Pete Calac, age 74. Native American who was a former two-way player at tackle. Played for theOorang Indians, Buffalo Bisons, andCanton Bulldogs.
June 18 -Bruce McLenna, age 26. Played one year at running back for theDetroit Lions in 1966. Was serving in the Missouri National Guard when he was killed in a car crash.
June 29 -Paddy Driscoll, age 73. Quarterback for theChicago Cardinals andChicago Bears, a member of the NFL 1920's all decade team. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1965.
The Eastern Conference was split into the Capitol and Century Divisions, and the Western Conference had the Coastal and Central Divisions. In the past, from 1933 to 1966, if two teams were tied for the division lead at season's end, a one-game playoff was conducted to break the tie. Starting in 1967, a tiebreaking system was implemented that started with net points in head-to-head competition, followed by the team that had less recently played in a title game. As such, only one team in a division would be the division winner, even if the won-lost record was the same.
For the second straight season, the Colts and Rams waged a tight season long battle for the Coastal Division title. In 1967, the Rams defeated the Colts in the season's final game to claim the title. They appeared headed for a similar showdown in 1968 (they were scheduled to face each other in the season finale in L.A.), as the Rams entered week 13 with a 10-1-1 record while the Colts were 11-1-0. But in the next to last game, the Rams were upset by the Chicago Bears 17-16 in what was known as "the lost down game." The biggest play in the game came when the Rams completed a second down pass to get into field goal range in the final minute, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty. It should have remained second down due to the Bears accepting the penalty on the Rams, but the referees forgot to reset the down marker. After two incomplete passes, the Rams lined up for a fourth down attempt, but refereeNorm Schachter and his crew waived the Bears offense onto the field on a change of possession; the Bears ran out the clock and the Colts (who won the day before) clinched the division. In the now-meaningless season finale, the Colts won 28-24.
The Bears' aforementioned win over the Rams put them in position to clinch the Central Division title with a win in the season finale vs. the Packers atWrigley Field. When Chicago lost 28-27 and the Vikings defeated the Eagles 24-17 atFranklin Field, Minnesota was in the playoffs for the first time with the first of its ten Central division championships between 1968-78. (Had Chicago and Minnesota finished tied, the Bears would have advanced due to their head-to-head sweep.)
