The
National Football League playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) playoffs is the annual single-elimination tournament held to determine the league champion. The four-round tournament is held after the league's regular season. Since the 2020 season, seven teams from each of ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
defeating the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
in
Super Bowl VI, 24–3, on January 16, 1972, at
Tulane Stadium in
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
.
Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams which 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 liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
, a decision that drew considerable criticism.
Participants
Map of playoff teams
Bracket
Schedule
In the United States,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
broadcast the
AFC playoff games, while
CBS televised the
NFC games and
Super Bowl VI.
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, December 25, 1971
NFC:
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
20,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
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 forced a fumble from
Dave Osborn that was recovered by fellow lineman
Jethro Pugh 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 to
Bob Hayes, before defensive tackle
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American former Minnesota Supreme Court judge and professional American football, football player for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. He was the NFL's MVP in 1971. He was awarded the Presid ...
'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 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 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 American football, football player who was a Safety (American football position), safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seas ...
intercepted a pass from Lee and returned it 30 yards to the Vikings 13-yard line, setting up
Duane Thomas' 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 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 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 wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), and the Dal ...
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. (May 20, 1927 – March 11, 2023) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Viki ...
replaced Lee with
Gary Cuozzo, 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 an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide ...
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, 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. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
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 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 professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs ...
's 24-yard field goal.
Willie Lanier intercepted a pass from
Bob Griese and returned it 17 yards to set up
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the K ...
's 7-yard touchdown pass to
Ed Podolak, increasing the lead to 10–0. However, Griese rallied the Dolphins back on their next drive, completing a 23-yard pass to
Paul Warfield and a 16-yarder to tight end
Marv Fleming on the way to
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He also played in the NFL for three years with the ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. Shortly before halftime, the Dolphins defense recovered a fumble from Podolak deep in Chiefs territory, enabling
Garo Yepremian 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' 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
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti (, December 15, 1940 – July 30, 2019) was an American professional American football, football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played c ...
recovered a fumble to give his team a big scoring opportunity. But Kansas City took the ball right back when linebacker
Jim Lynch 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, 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 punted back to the Chiefs. Podolak signaled for a fair catch, but
Dennis Homan caught the punt as time expired in regulation. Chiefs Coach
Hank Stram 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 (January 5, 1947 – September 21, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back and kick returner. He played for eight years, primarily for the Miami Dolphins, in the American Footbal ...
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 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 game.
Chiefs running back
Wendell Hayes added 100 rushing yards, while Wright caught 3 passes for 104 yards. Dolphins receiver
Paul Warfield finished with 7 receptions for a career postseason high 140 yards, while Csonka rushed 24 times for 86 yards
and linebacker
Nick Buoniconti
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti (, December 15, 1940 – July 30, 2019) was an American professional American football, football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played c ...
racked up 20 tackles.
Kansas City would not reach the playoffs again until 1986 nor reach the Divisional Round until 1991.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Dolphins and Chiefs.
Sunday, December 26, 1971
AFC:
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
20,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
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, 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'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 that was blocked by defensive tackle
Bubba Smith (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 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 would be the Colts' last postseason win representing Baltimore. The franchise moved to
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and did not win a playoff game in their new home until
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
.
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 and nicknamed the 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 ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
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 blocked a punt from
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
, enabling his team to take over on the 49ers 28. This set up quarterback
Billy Kilmer's 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Jerry Smith. San Francisco responded with a 23-yard field goal from
Bruce Gossett, but
Speedy Duncan returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to set up a field goal for the Redskins, a 40-yard kick by
Curt Knight. 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 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 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 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
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
14,
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the 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 ...
3
This was a rematch of the
first NFC Championship Game played
the previous season in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. Prior to , the NFL rotated hosting rights of playoff games between divisions, and 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 record and defeated the
NFC Central
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for t ...
champion
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
20–12 at
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the West North Central states, north central United State ...
in the Divisional Round to advance to the NFC Championship game. San Francisco won the NFC West with a 9–5 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
24–20 at
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...
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.
Th ...
in the Dallas suburb of
Irving. 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. Both teams played on
artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...
in their home stadiums. The 49ers moved to an expanded
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...
in 1971, which had artificial turf from 1970 through 1978.
As was the case in 1970, the teams did not meet in the regular season, thus their most recent game was Dallas' win in the 1970 NFC title game, the final NFL game at
Kezar Stadium. Their most recent regular season game, in
1969 on
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...
at the
Cotton Bowl, ended in a 24–24 tie.
In the first playoff game at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys' defense dominated the 49ers' offense, allowing only 61 rushing yards, nine first downs, and forcing three interceptions.
Scoreless into the second quarter, veteran Dallas defensive end
George Andrie intercepted a
screen pass
A screen pass is a play in gridiron football consisting of a short pass to a receiver who is protected by a screen of blockers. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is ...
from
John Brodie and returned it seven yards to the 49ers' two to set up
Calvin Hill's one-yard touchdown run.
This was the only score of the game until the middle of the third quarter, when Brodie's 24-yard completion to tight end
Ted Kwalick set up
Bruce Gossett's 28-yard field goal.
Following a missed 47-yard field goal by Gossett on San Francisco's next drive, Dallas QB
Roger Staubach finished the quarter with a 17-yard completion to halfback
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American professional 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 ...
. Then he started off the fourth with a 23-yard pass to tight end
Billy Truax.
Duane Thomas completed the 14-play, 80-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run for a 14–3 lead, and the final score.
With nine 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 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 an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide ...
. 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
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...
, 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), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
This was the second postseason meeting between the 49ers and Cowboys, with Dallas winning both.
The NFC champion Cowboys made their second consecutive
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
appearance. Dallas defeated the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
of the
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
24–3 in
Super Bowl VI at
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
to win their first Super Bowl.
The Cowboys made two more consecutive appearances in the NFC title game, but lost both, to the
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
and
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. After a one-year absence from the title game (and
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 ...
), the Cowboys captured their third NFC championship in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
.
The 49ers lost again to the Cowboys the following year in the
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 ...
, this time in the Divisional Round. San Francisco did 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 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
, when they finally beat Dallas in the NFC title game en route to their first
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
appearance and 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
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
21,
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
0
The Dolphins reached the AFC 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 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
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 champion
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
20–3 at
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and foot ...
in the Divisional 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 NFL season, 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 ...
when they were the AFC wild card. Just as significantly, it pitted Dolphins coach
Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula ( ; January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American professional American football, football player, coach and executive who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. He played seven s ...
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 a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
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 completed only 4 passes, the Dolphins defense shut out the Colts. Defensive back
Dick Anderson intercepted Johnny Unitas three times, returning one of them 62 yards for a touchdown.
Paul Warfield 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 an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He also played in the NFL for three years with the ...
'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 History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
of the
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
in
Super Bowl VI.
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'' of passerine birds
Sports
* Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana
* Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise
* B ...
) 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. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, 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
NFL 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