hampered all season by injuries to its star receivers Glenn Bass and Elbert (Golden Wheels) Dubenion; additionally, league-leading rusher Gilchrist had been traded to the Denver Broncos. The Bills adjusted, riding their stellar defense and a short, controlled passing game to a 10-3-1 record and a second consecutive AFL Eastern Division title. The team's offensive unit received significant contributions from newly acquired Bills Bo Roberson, Jack Spikes and Billy Joe en route to a championship game rematch with the Chargers, who had smashed Buffalo 34-3 earlier in the season and again were heavily favored. This time, the Bills shut out San Diego's high-powered offense 23-0 on the Chargers' home field, Balboa Stadium. Buffalo cornerback Butch Byrd electrified Bills fans with a 74 yard punt return for a touchdown, and the defense registered five sacks on San Diego's dangerous quarterback, John Hadl. Buffalo was at the center of one of the most significant events that precipitated the AFL–NFL merger. After the 1965 season, Bills' placekicker Pete Gogolak, who introduced the innovation of kicking "soccer style" to American football instead of approaching the ball head-on, decided to test the free agent market. The NFL's New York Giants were in desperate need of a placekicker, and signed Gogolak away from the AFL. This began the escalation of a bidding war for talent between the two leagues that eventually brought team owners to the negotiating table, resulting in a common draft of players out of college, and the AFL-NFL merger that was completed in 1970. A big reason for Buffalo’s sustained success during the mid-1960s was the team’s dominant defensive core roster from 1964 to 1967. Many Bills fans of the era are convinced that linebacker Stratton, cornerback Byrd, tackle Tom Sestak, and end Ron McDole should be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Currently, the only Buffalo player from the 1960’s championship teams in the Hall is offensive guard Shaw). Two defensive reserves of note from the era are linebackers Marty Schottenheimer, who went on to win 200 regular season games as an NFL head coach ranking him eighth all time in that category; and Paul Maguire, the AFL’s all-time leader in punting yardage, who went on to a distinguished broadcasting career. The team faced two significant challenges in 1966: The beginning of coach Saban's 6-year hiatus from Buffalo; and the continuing emergence of a young rival AFL Eastern Division quarterback.