I think despite the hype the public still saw it as an exhibition game between the NFL champions and some upstarts.
KC had a defensive back who was nicknamed “The Hammer” because he would hit the receivers with his forearm. He made quite a deal about how he was gonna hit the Green Bay players with his “Hamma Blow”.
Donny Anderson ran over him and knocked him cold. All the GB players were laughing while they carted him off the field.
That’s my recollection too. The NFL and AFL were not considered to be on the same level by people at that time.
And when the Packers beat the Chiefs in that first Super Bowl, 35 to 10, it just confirmed for many people that the AFL had some catching up to do.