1971–72 NFL playoffs
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National Football League playoffs The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaki ...
for the 1971 season began on December 25, 1971. The postseason tournament concluded with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
defeating the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in
Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
, 24–3, on January 16, 1972, at
Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium that stood in New Orleans from 1926 to 1980. It was officially the Third Tulane Stadium and replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium", which was located where the Telephone Exchange Building is now. Th ...
in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road. It was the first time that the NFL scheduled games on
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
, a decision that drew considerable criticism.


Participants


Bracket


Schedule

In the United States,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
broadcast the AFC playoff games, while
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
televised the
NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
games and
Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
.


Divisional playoffs


Saturday, December 25, 1971


NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
:
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
20,
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
12

Although the Vikings outgained the Cowboys in total yards 311–183, Dallas forced 5 turnovers and converted some of them into 13 points en route to a 20–12 win. Early in the first quarter,
Larry Cole Larry Rudolph Cole (born November 15, 1946) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played in five Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl VI and XII. He played college football at the U ...
forced a fumble from
Dave Osborn Dave Osborn (born March 18, 1943 in Everett, Washington) is a former professional American football player who played running back for 12 seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. Career Osborn was drafted by the Vikings in th ...
that was recovered by fellow lineman
Jethro Pugh Jethro Pugh Jr. (July 3, 1944 – January 7, 2015) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys for fourteen seasons. He played college football at Elizabeth City State College. Early ye ...
on the Vikings 36-yard line. Dallas then drove to the Minnesota 19, mainly on the strength of an 18-yard completion from
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
to
Bob Hayes Robert Lee Hayes (December 20, 1942 – September 18, 2002), nicknamed "Bullet Bob", was an Olympic gold medalist sprinter who then became an American football split end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys (for 11 seasons). ...
, before defensive tackle
Alan Page Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American retired judge and former professional football He gained national recognition as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during 15 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and C ...
's 3rd down sack forced them to settle for Mike Clark's 26-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 lead. The Vikings responded with a 27-yard field goal by
Fred Cox Frederick William Cox (December 11, 1938 – November 20, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a kicker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. After playing college football for ...
that tied the score. In the second quarter, the Vikings got a big chance to take the lead when quarterback Bob Lee completed a 49-yard pass to Bob Grim on the Dallas 29-yard line. But linebacker
Chuck Howley Charles Louis Howley (born June 28, 1936) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Howley spent his first two seasons with the Chicago Bears, who ...
ended the drive with an interception, returning the ball 26 yards to the Vikings 37, and the Cowboys drove to a 44-yard Clark field goal that put them up 6-3. Minnesota had another chance to score as Clint Jones returned the kickoff 61 yards, but all this would result in was 3 incomplete passes and a missed 41-yard field goal attempt by Cox. Early in the second half,
Cliff Harris Clifford Allen Harris (born November 12, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Sup ...
intercepted a pass from Lee and returned it 30 yards to the Vikings 13-yard line, setting up
Duane Thomas Duane Julius Thomas (born June 21, 1947) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at West Texas State University. Early yea ...
' 13-yard touchdown run to give Dallas a 13–3 lead. Minnesota had a big chance to get back in the game when
Charlie West Charlie West (born August 31, 1946, in Big Spring, Texas) is a former safety who played for three National Football League teams. He played in Super Bowl IV as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He also still holds the University of Texas El ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards, but this merely resulted in another missed field goal try by Cox, this one a 46-yard attempt. Late the third quarter, Dallas safety
Charlie Waters Charlie Tutan Waters (born September 10, 1948) is a former American football player, a safety in the National Football League for twelve seasons, all with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Clemson University. Early years Born in M ...
returned a punt 24 yards to the Cowboys 48, sparking their only sustained drive of the second half. Moving the ball 52 yards, including a 30-yard completion from Staubach to
Lance Alworth Lance Dwight Alworth (born August 3, 1940), nicknamed “Bambi”, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) an ...
on 3rd and 15, Dallas went up 20-3 on Staubach's 9-yard touchdown pass to Hayes. Still, Minnesota was not quite out of the game. Early in the 4th quarter, Paige sacked Staubach in the end zone for a safety. Then Vikings coach
Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (born May 20, 1927) is a former head coach and player of American football, Canadian football, and a former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Grant served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings ...
replaced Lee with
Gary Cuozzo Gary Samuel Cuozzo (born April 26, 1941) is a former professional American football player. High school career Cuozzo played high school football at Glen Ridge High School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Football career An undrafted quarterback from ...
, who led the team to the Dallas 19 after the free kick. But Cowboys linebacker
Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from ...
made a clutch interception that essentially put the game away. Cuozzo did manage to lead the team to a touchdown on a 6-yard pass to tight end
Stu Voigt Stuart Alan "Stu" Voigt (born August 12, 1948) is a former American football player. He played tight end for 11 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). High School and College Career Born in the Westmorland dis ...
, making the score 20-12, but by then barely more than 2 minutes remained on the clock. This was the first postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Vikings.


AFC:

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
27,
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
24 (2OT)

In the longest NFL game played to date at 82 minutes, 40 seconds (in game time) (and the Chiefs' last game at Municipal Stadium), Miami kicker
Garo Yepremian Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian (June 2, 1944 – May 15, 2015) was a Cypriot-Armenian American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for 15 seasons, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. During his nine seasons in Mia ...
kicked the winning 37-yard field goal after 7:40 of the second overtime period. The Chiefs opened up the scoring with
Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud (, ; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian- American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with Kansas City Chiefs. The first Norwe ...
's 24-yard field goal.
Willie Lanier Willie Edward Lanier (born August 21, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a middle linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the Amer ...
intercepted a pass from
Bob Griese Robert Allen Griese (pronounced ; born February 3, 1945) is a former American football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Gries ...
and returned it 17 yards to set up
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
's 7-yard touchdown pass to
Ed Podolak Edward Joseph Podolak (born September 1, 1947) is a former professional American football player, a running back for nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League and National Football League. Early years Ed Podolak w ...
, increasing the lead to 10–0. However, Griese rallied the Dolphins back on their next drive, completing a 23-yard pass to
Paul Warfield Paul Dryden Warfield (born November 28, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1977 for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, except for a year in t ...
and a 16-yarder to tight end
Marv Fleming Marvin Lawrence Fleming (born January 2, 1942) is a former professional American football player, a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, seven with the Green Bay Packers and five with the Miami Dolphins. He was a memb ...
on the way to
Larry Csonka Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is a former professional American football fullback who played for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years, and a short stint with the Mem ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. Shortly before halftime, the Dolphins defense recovered a fumble from Podolak deep in Chiefs territory, enabling
Garo Yepremian Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian (June 2, 1944 – May 15, 2015) was a Cypriot-Armenian American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for 15 seasons, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. During his nine seasons in Mia ...
to kick a 14-yard field goal to tie the game, 10-10. Kansas City retook the lead in the third quarter, on a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 10 minutes off the clock and ended with
Jim Otis James Lloyd Otis (born April 29, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s. Otis played college football for Ohio State University, a ...
' 1-yard score. Miami responded quickly though, storming right back to tie the game with a 1-yard touchdown run from Jim Kiick. In the fourth quarter, Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti recovered a fumble to give his team a big scoring opportunity. But Kansas City took the ball right back when linebacker
Jim Lynch James Robert Lynch (August 28, 1945 – July 21, 2022) was an American football linebacker. Lynch played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he was named an All-American and won the Maxwell Award in 1966. Lynch is a memb ...
intercepted Griese's pass on the Chiefs 9-yard line. Kansas City then stormed 91 yards, including a 63-yard completion from Dawson to rookie receiver
Elmo Wright Elmo Wright (born July 3, 1949) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). While at the University of Houston, he became the first football player ever to perform an end zone dance. Wright was an All-A ...
, to retake the lead, 24–17, with Podolak's 3-yard touchdown run. Miami struck right back as Griese completed passes to Warfield for gains of 17 and 26 yards before finishing the 71-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Fleming, tying the game at 24 with 1:25 left in regulation. Podolak returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Dolphins 22-yard line before being shoved out of bounds by Miami's Curtis Johnson, giving Stenerud a chance to win the game for the Chiefs in the final minute of regulation. But he missed the field goal attempt from 32 yards wide right, and Miami regained the ball for their final possession in regulation. The Dolphins were unable to move the ball, and
Larry Seiple Larry Robert Seiple (born February 14, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a punter for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) from 1967 through 1969, and the NFL's Dolphins from 19 ...
punted back to the Chiefs. Podolak signaled for a fair catch, but
Dennis Homan Dennis Frank Homan (born January 9, 1946 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys (1968–1970) and the Kansas City Chiefs (1971 ...
caught the punt as time expired in regulation. Chiefs Coach
Hank Stram Henry Louis Stram (; January 3, 1923 – July 4, 2005) was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NF ...
mistakenly thought his team had an opportunity for a free kick from 68 yards, which, if good, would have resulted in a game-winning field goal (according to the rules, there is no option for a free kick if the player signaling for a fair catch does not catch the ball). Fearing a return by Miami speedster
Mercury Morris Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris (born January 5, 1947) is a former American football running back and kick returner. He played for seven years, primarily for the Miami Dolphins, in the American Football League (AFL) as a rookie in 1969, then ...
if Stenerud's kick fell short, Kansas City declined, and the game went to overtime. Kansas City took the opening kickoff of the first overtime period, and Podolak returned it to the 46-yard line. Kansas City then drove into scoring range, but Stenerud's 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Yepremian also attempted a 52-yard field goal later in the period, but it was short. As the first overtime period came to an end, Dolphins safety
Jake Scott Jacob E. Scott III (July 20, 1945 – November 19, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a free safety and punt returner from 1970 to 1978 for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NF ...
intercepted a pass from Dawson on the Chiefs 46. But the team was unable to move the ball and had to punt. Following a Kansas City punt, Csonka's 29-yard run set up Yepremian's game-winning score. Podolak's 350 all-purpose yards (8 receptions for 110 yards, 17 carries for 85 yards, 3 kickoff returns for 154 yards, two punt returns for one yard) in this game remain an NFL playoff record, and is still the fourth highest total in NFL history. "I don't think any one player in a big game, a monumental game like that, had a day like Eddie Podolak had," said Stram after the gam

Chiefs running back
Wendell Hayes Wendell Hayes (August 5, 1940 - December 28, 2019) was a former American football running back. Wendell played college football at Humboldt State University. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos ...
added 100 rushing yards, while Wright caught 3 passes for 104 yards. Dolphins receiver
Paul Warfield Paul Dryden Warfield (born November 28, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1977 for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, except for a year in t ...
finished with 7 receptions for a career postseason high 140 yards, while Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti racked up 20 tackle

This was the first postseason meeting between the Dolphins and Chiefs.


Sunday, December 26, 1971


AFC: History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts 20,

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
3

Don Nottingham scored two touchdowns for the Colts, while their defense limited the Browns to only 165 yards, 11 first downs, and 3 points. However, the Browns had plenty of scoring chances early in the game. On their first series, quarterback Bill Nelsen completed a 39-yard pass to
Fair Hooker Fair Hooker (born May 22, 1947) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 1969 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State ...
, but Rex Kern forced and recovered a fumble from him on the Colts 12-yard line. Baltimore had to punt on their ensuing drive, and
Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942) is a former American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1973. Career Kelly had attended Simon Gratz H ...
's 48-yard return gave the Browns a first down on the Colts 4. All the Browns got from this field position though, was a 16-yard field goal attempt from
Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft (born February 6, 1945) is a former American football punter and placekicker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He has the third most career points for a Brown behind fellow kicker ...
that was blocked by defensive tackle
Bubba Smith Charles Aaron Smith (February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011), commonly known as Bubba Smith, was an American football defensive end and actor. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American hon ...
(who would also block another field goal later on.) After the blocked field goal, the Colts drove 93 yards in 17 plays, including a 7-yard run by Nottingham on 4th and inches, to score on Nottingham's 1-yard touchdown run. Later in the second quarter, Baltimore safety
Rick Volk Richard Robert Volk (born March 15, 1945) is a former American football player who played for the Baltimore Colts, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins. He retired with 38 career interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries, and totaled 574 yards on i ...
intercepted a pass from Nelsen and returned it 37 yards to the Browns 15-yard line, setting up Nottingham's second touchdown run on a 7-yard burst. After three consecutive drives in the third quarter ended in turnovers, Cleveland finally got on the board with a 14-yard field goal by Cockroft. But Baltimore stormed right back on 74-yard drive to go up 17-3 on a field goal by Jim O'Brien. O'Brien added a 14-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring. Nottingham was the sole offensive star for either team with 92 rushing yards, 5 receiving yards, and two scores. This was third postseason meeting between the Colts and Browns. Both teams split their previous two meetings.


NFC:

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
24,
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
20

The 49ers defense made key plays to lead San Francisco to a 24–20 victory over the Redskins after trailing 10-3 at the end of the half. Washington scored first after
Jon Jaqua Jon V. Jaqua (born September 10, 1948) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Lewis & Clark College. He is the father of American soccer player Nate Jaqua w ...
blocked a punt from Steve Spurrier, enabling his team to take over on the 49ers 28. This set up quarterback
Billy Kilmer William Orland Kilmer Jr. (born September 5, 1939) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins. He w ...
's 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jerry Smith. San Francisco responded with a 23-yard field goal from
Bruce Gossett Daniel Bruce Gossett (born November 9, 1941) is a former National Football League placekicker from 1964 NFL season, 1964-1974 NFL season, 1974. He was in the Pro Bowl twice. He scored at least 100 points in six of his seasons. He was first-team ' ...
, but
Speedy Duncan Leslie Herbert "Speedy" Duncan (August 10, 1942 – December 9, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback and return specialist in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to set up a field goal for the Redskins, a 40-yard kick by
Curt Knight Luther Curtis Knight, Jr. (born April 14, 1943) is a former NFL placekicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (1969–1973). In 1971, Knight led the NFL in both field goals made (29) and attempts (49), and he also le ...
. With the score at 10-3 and time running out in the half, Ted Vactor returned a punt 48 yards to the 49ers 11-yard line. But with 32 seconds left, receiver Roy Jefferson was dropped for a 13-yard loss by defensive end
Cedrick Hardman Cedrick Ward Hardman (October 4, 1948 – March 8, 2019) was an American Football defensive end who played for the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders and the United States Football League's Oakland Invaders. Hardm ...
on an end around play, and Knight's ensuing field goal attempt was blocked by linebacker Frank Nunley Duncan returned the second half kickoff 66 yards to the San Francisco 34, but the 49ers made a key defensive stand, stopping Washington on the 12 when Nunley tackled Larry Brown for a 2-yard loss on 4th and inches. Three plays later, facing 3rd down and 1, quarterback
John Brodie John Riley Brodie (born August 14, 1935) is a former American football player, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer, and ...
threw a deep pass that went just over the outstretched arms of defensive back Pat Fischer and into the arms of receiver Gene Washington, who caught the ball in stride at the 40 and took off for a 78-yard touchdown reception. Then on the next series, Roosevelt Taylor's interception set up Bob Windsor's 2-yard touchdown reception to give San Francisco a 17–10 lead. Duncan returned the next kickoff 67 yards to set up a 35-yard Knight field goal, making the score 17-13. But with 3:20 left in the game, San Francisco put the game away when defensive tackle
Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...
recovered a bad snap on a Washington punt attempt in the end zone for a touchdown. After this, the Redskins managed to cut the final score to 24-20 on Kilmer's 16-yard pass to Brown in the game's closing seconds. Brown rushed for 84 yards, while also catching 6 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. Kilmer completed 11 of 26 passes for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Duncan set a franchise playoff record with 170 yards on 3 kickoff returns. Brodie finished with 10/19 completions for 176 yards and two touchdowns. This was the first postseason meeting between the Redskins and 49ers.


Conference Championships


Sunday, January 2, 1972


NFC: Dallas Cowboys 14, San Francisco 49ers 3

This was a rematch of the first NFC Championship Game played the previous season in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. At the time, the NFL rotated hosting rights to playoff games between division champions. Under this format, the NFC East champion Cowboys had the right to host the 1971 title game. It was the fourth title game played by the Cowboys, and the 49ers' second title game appearance as an NFL team after the preceding season's game. Dallas won the NFC East with an 11–3 regular season record and defeated the
NFC Central The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
champion
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
20–12 at
Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneap ...
in the Divisional Round to advance to the NFC Championship game. San Francisco won the NFC West with a 9–5 regular season record and defeated the NFC East runner-up
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
24–20 at
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...
in the Divisional Round to reach the NFC title game. This was also the Cowboys' first season at the brand new
Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
in the Dallas suburb of Irving,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Since the Cowboys were on the road for the Divisional Round, the title game in San Francisco was the first NFL playoff game at Texas Stadium. As was the case in 1970, these teams did not play each other the 1971 regular season, thus their most recent meeting was Dallas' win in the 1970 NFC title game. Their most recent regular season game, which was on November 27, 1969, at the Cowboys' former home, the Cotton Bowl, had ended in a 24–24 tie. In the first playoff game at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys defense dominated the 49ers offense by allowing only 61 rushing yards and 9 first downs, and forcing 3 interceptions. In the second quarter, Dallas defensive end
George Andrie George Joseph Andrie (April 20, 1940 – August 21, 2018) was an American professional football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. Prior to his professional career he played college football at Marquett ...
intercepted a screen pass from
John Brodie John Riley Brodie (born August 14, 1935) is a former American football player, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer, and ...
and returned it 7 yards to the 49ers 2-yard line to set up
Calvin Hill Calvin G. Hill (born January 2, 1947) is a retired American football player. He played running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. Hill played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns. He also p ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. This would be the only score of the game until 6:52 remained in the third quarter, when Brodie's 24-yard completion to tight end
Ted Kwalick Thaddeus John Kwalick (born April 15, 1947) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and World Football League (WFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1969- 1974 and the Oakland Raiders from 1975-1 ...
set up
Bruce Gossett Daniel Bruce Gossett (born November 9, 1941) is a former National Football League placekicker from 1964 NFL season, 1964-1974 NFL season, 1974. He was in the Pro Bowl twice. He scored at least 100 points in six of his seasons. He was first-team ' ...
's 28-yard field goal. Following a missed 47-yard field goal by Gossett on San Francisco's next drive, Dallas QB
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
finished the quarter with a 17-yard completion to halfback
Dan Reeves Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
. Then he started off the fourth with a 23-yard pass to tight end Billy Truax.
Duane Thomas Duane Julius Thomas (born June 21, 1947) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at West Texas State University. Early yea ...
eventually finished the 14-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, making the score 14-3. With 9 minutes left in regulation, the Dallas defense took over the rest of the game, forcing turnovers on San Francisco's last three drives. First, linebacker
Chuck Howley Charles Louis Howley (born June 28, 1936) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Howley spent his first two seasons with the Chicago Bears, who ...
broke up a 4th down pass. Then on San Francisco's next possession, Brodie was intercepted by linebacker
Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from ...
. Finally, after Mike Clark's 24-yard field goal attempt was blocked by 49ers linebacker Frank Nunley, safety Cliff Harris picked off a pass from Brodie that enabled Dallas to run out the clock. After the game, Dallas received a visit in the locker room from former US President
Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
, who told Staubach, "You're the best. They should rename this place Staubach stadium."
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
This was the second postseason meeting between the 49ers and Cowboys, with Dallas winning the previous meeting. The NFC champion Cowboys made their second consecutive
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
appearance. Dallas defeated the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
of the
American Football Conference The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
24-3 in
Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
to win their first Super Bowl. The Cowboys would make two more consecutive appearances in the NFC title game, but would lose both. After a one year absence from the title game, the Cowboys would capture their second NFC championship in 1975. The 49ers would once again lose to the Cowboys the following year in the playoffs, this time in the Divisional Round. After that, they would not return to the postseason until
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, when they finally beat Dallas in the NFC title game en route to their first Super Bowl victory.


=Scoring

= *First quarter **''no scoring'' *Second quarter **DAL – Hill 1 run (Clark kick) DAL 7–0 *Third quarter **SF – field goal Gossett 28 DAL 7–3 *Fourth quarter **DAL – Thomas 2 run (Clark kick) DAL 14–3


AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Baltimore Colts 0

The Dolphins reached the AFL title game in their sixth season, thus becoming the first of the then-four NFL teams which had commenced play after the start of the Super Bowl era to play in a title game. This made them the youngest franchise to make it to a Super Bowl era title game up to that point. Miami won the AFC East with a 10–3–1 regular season record and defeated the
AFC Central The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL ...
champion
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
in the longest NFL game in history, (27–24 in double overtime) at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in the Divisional Round to advance to the AFC Championship game. This was the second consecutive AFC Championship Game contested by the Colts, their third title game in the past four seasons, and their sixth title game appearance overall. While the defending AFC and Super Bowl champions failed to repeat as AFC East champions, their 10–4 regular season record was good enough for the then-one AFC wild card berth. Baltimore defeated the
AFC Central The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL ...
champion
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
20–3 at
Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball an ...
in the Divisonal Round to reach the AFC title game. In addition to being the first playoff meeting between these teams, the AFC title game was the Dolphins' first playoff game at home. Their only previous playoff game had been in the
1970–71 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 1970 season began on December 26, 1970. The postseason tournament concluded with the Baltimore Colts defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V, 16–13, on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in ...
when they were the AFC wild card. Just as significantly, it pitted Dolphins coach Don Shula against his former team, which he had left for Miami in acrimonious circumstances prior to the 1970 season. This was the first post-
merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
conference championship game contested between division rivals, and also the first in either conference to not feature a West Division team. Miami and Baltimore split their two regular season games in the 1971 season, with the Dolphins winning 17–14 at the Orange Bowl while the Colts won 14–3 at Memorial Stadium. Although Miami quarterback
Bob Griese Robert Allen Griese (pronounced ; born February 3, 1945) is a former American football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Gries ...
completed only 4 passes, the Dolphins defense shut out the Colts. Defensive back
Dick Anderson Richard Paul Anderson (born February 10, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 196 ...
intercepted Johnny Unitas three times, returning one of them 62 yards for a touchdown.
Paul Warfield Paul Dryden Warfield (born November 28, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1977 for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, except for a year in t ...
recorded a 75-yard touchdown reception midway through the first quarter on the Dolphins second drive. Meanwhile, the Colts managed to move the ball close enough for Jim O'Brien to twice attempt field goals, but he missed both times. In the second quarter, the Colts drove from their own 18 to the Dolphins 9-yard line, featuring a 28-yard reception by Don Nottingham, but on 4th down and 1, Nottingham was stuffed by a gang of Dolphins defenders just inches short of the first down marker. In the third quarter, Unitas threw a pass that was deflected by cornerback Curtis Johnson into the hands of Anderson, who took off for a 62-yard scoring return. Then in the fourth quarter, Griese's 50-yard pass to Warfield set up
Larry Csonka Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is a former professional American football fullback who played for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years, and a short stint with the Mem ...
's 5-yard touchdown run. This was the first postseason meeting between the Colts and Dolphins. The AFC champion Dolphins made their first
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
appearance. Miami lost 24–3 to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
of the
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
in
Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
. This was the first of three consecutive AFC titles for the Dolphins, who would go on to win two consecutive Super Bowls with their first such championship being the only perfect NFL season in the modern era. This was the last AFC Championship Game appearance by the Colts while they were based in Baltimore. The Colts relocated to Indianapolis in 1984, but did not return to the AFC Championship Game until the 1995 season which incidentally was the last season of the NFL's absence from Baltimore. A Baltimore-based team would finally return to the AFC Championship Game in 2000, which Baltimore's current team (the
Ravens Ravens may refer to: * Raven, a species of the genus ''Corvus'' Sports * Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana * Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise * Benedictine Ravens, ...
) won en route to their first Super Bowl championship. Six NFL teams have been enfranchised since 1971, four of which reached a title game (two in each conference) in less than the six seasons it took Miami to do so. Of those four clubs, the only team to win their first title game was the aforementioned Ravens in their fifth season. The Ravens, upon their enfranchisement, acquired the roster of the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, who suspended operations for three seasons. The Ravens were not a 1996 expansion team from a football operations perspective.


=Scoring

= *First quarter **MIA – Warfield 75 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA 7–0 *Second quarter **''no scoring'' *Third quarter **MIA – Anderson 62 interception return (Yepremian kick) MIA 14–0 *Fourth quarter **MIA – Csonka 5 run (Yepremian kick) MIA 21–0


Super Bowl VI: Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3

This is the only Super Bowl meeting between the Cowboys and Dolphins.


References

*''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' () *''The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995'' ()


Notes


External links


Article from Sportslifer's Worldpress blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:1971-72 NFL Playoffs National Football League playoffs
Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
December 1971 sports events in the United States January 1972 sports events in the United States