NFL playoffs, 1973-74
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1973 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl VIII
. 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.
AFC
The Raiders scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Steelers. Oakland scored first on Marv Hubbard
's 1-yard touchdown run in the opening period. But with the Raiders leading 10-0 in the second period, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw
threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Barry Pearson
to cut Oakland's lead 10-7 at halftime. However, Raiders kicker George Blanda
added two more field goals, and cornerback Willie Brown
blew the game wide open by intercepting a pass from Bradshaw and returning it 54 yards for a touchdown. After Blanda kicked his fourth field goal of the game to make the score 26-7, Bradshaw threw a 26-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. But the Raiders put the game away when Hubbard scored his second 1-yard touchdown run.
NFC
Quarterback Fran Tarkenton
threw 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead the Vikings to a victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota scored first on kicker Fred Cox
's 19-yard field goal. But then a fumbled punt set up Larry Brown
's 3-yard touchdown run to give the Redskins a 7-3 lead. The Vikings then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 79 yards to score on Bill Brown's 2-yard rushing touchdown. After the Redskins retook the lead, 13-10, with 2 field goals, Tarkenton threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
. Nate Wright
's interception then set up Gilliam's 8-yard touchdown reception. Although Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer
threw a 28-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, Cox kicked his second field goal to close out the scoring.
AFC: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins outgained Cincinnati in total yards, 400-194, and first downs, 27-11, while also scoring on three of their first four possessions and shutting out the Bengals in the second half. The Dolphins racked up 241 yards on the ground, including 106 from Mercury Morris
and 71 from Larry Csonka
, while receiver Paul Warfield
caught 5 passes for 95 yards and a score.
Miami scored first on quarterback Bob Griese
's 13-yard touchdown pass to Warfield. Then after Bengals kicker Horst Muhlmann
scored a field goal, Csonka and Morris each scored rushing touchdowns. However, Cincinnati scored 13 unanswered points before halftime: Neal Craig
returned an interception 45-yards for a touchdown, and Muhlmann added 2 more field goals to pull the score to within 21-16. But Miami controlled the second half, scoring 13 unanswered points, including Griese's second touchdown pass of the game.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys avenged a 37-31 regular season loss to L.A. as two Rams turnovers in the first quarter gave the Cowboys a 14-0 lead. Lee Roy Jordan
's interception of a John Hadl
pass on the first play of the game led to Calvin Hill
's 3-yard touchdown run. Mel Renfro
then recovered a Lawrence McCutcheon
fumble on the L.A. 35-yard line to set up the Cowboys again which later resulted in Drew Pearson
's 4-yard touchdown reception. Toni Fritsch then added a 39-yard field goal to increase Dallas' lead by 17. But the Rams were able to cut the Cowboys lead 17-16 by the fourth quarter with David Ray
's 3 field goals and Tony Baker
's 5-yard rushing touchdown and a relentless pass rush that sacked Staubach seven times (2½ by Jack Youngblood
, 2 by Merlin Olsen
). However, quarterback Roger Staubach
threw a short pass over the middle to Drew Pearson, and as the Rams were about to stop Pearson for a short gain, defensive backs Dave Elmendorf
and Steve Preece
collided and fell, allowing Pearson to scamper untouched for an 83-yard touchdown that effectively clinched the game. Fritsch added another field goal for the 27-16 final.
led the Dolphins to a victory with 117 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Miami scored on their first drive of the game when quarterback Bob Griese
's 27-yard run set up Csonka's 11-yard rushing touchdown. Csonka scored again late in the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-0 at halftime. However, after the teams exchanged field goals, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler
threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Siani
to cut the lead, 17-10. In the fourth quarter, after Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian
made a 26-yard field goal, the Raiders were faced with fourth down and inches and were forced to "go for it". But the Miami defense stopped Oakland, and the Dolphins used their running game to take time off the clock and set up Csonka's third touchdown to clinch the game.
and defensive tackle Bob Lilly
to injuries, Dallas could not get anything going. Minnesota jumped to a 10-0 lead by halftime with a Fred Cox
field goal and an 86-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Chuck Foreman
. The Cowboys finally scored on Golden Richards
' 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. But Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton then threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
. After Toni Fritsch's 17-yard field goal cut the lead to 17-10, Minnesota then converted two fourth quarter turnovers into 10 points: Bobby Bryant
returned an interception 63-yards to the endzone, and Jeff Wright
's interception set up Cox's 34-yard field goal.
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
following the 1973 NFL season
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
led up to Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
. 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.
Bracket
- Note: Prior to the 1975 season1975 NFL seasonThe 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.
AFCAmerican Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
: Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
33, Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
14
The Raiders scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Steelers. Oakland scored first on Marv HubbardMarv Hubbard
Marvin "Marv" Hubbard was an American college and professional American football player. Originally from Randolph, New York, Hubbard attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He played for the Hartford Knights of the Atlantic Coast Football League...
's 1-yard touchdown run in the opening period. But with the Raiders leading 10-0 in the second period, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Barry Pearson
Barry Pearson
Barry Lynn Pearson is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs .-References:...
to cut Oakland's lead 10-7 at halftime. However, Raiders kicker George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
added two more field goals, and cornerback Willie Brown
Willie Brown (football player)
William Ferdie Brown is a former American Football cornerback. He is currently on the coaching staff of the Oakland Raiders.-Playing career:...
blew the game wide open by intercepting a pass from Bradshaw and returning it 54 yards for a touchdown. After Blanda kicked his fourth field goal of the game to make the score 26-7, Bradshaw threw a 26-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. But the Raiders put the game away when Hubbard scored his second 1-yard touchdown run.
NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
: Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
27, Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
20
Quarterback Fran TarkentonFran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
threw 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead the Vikings to a victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota scored first on kicker Fred Cox
Fred Cox
Frederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker who played for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career . Fred was raised in Monongahela, PA, where his family owned a grocery store...
's 19-yard field goal. But then a fumbled punt set up Larry Brown
Larry Brown (running back)
Lawrence "Larry" Brown, Jr. is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played running back for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1976....
's 3-yard touchdown run to give the Redskins a 7-3 lead. The Vikings then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 79 yards to score on Bill Brown's 2-yard rushing touchdown. After the Redskins retook the lead, 13-10, with 2 field goals, Tarkenton threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
John Gilliam
John Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St...
. Nate Wright
Nate Wright
-Professional career:Wright earned All-Pro honors at defensive back in 1974 and 1976. His career consisted mostly of time as a defensive back with the great Minnesota Vikings teams of the 1970s...
's interception then set up Gilliam's 8-yard touchdown reception. Although Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer
Billy Kilmer
William Orland Kilmer, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins...
threw a 28-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, Cox kicked his second field goal to close out the scoring.
AFC: Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
34, Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
16
The Dolphins outgained Cincinnati in total yards, 400-194, and first downs, 27-11, while also scoring on three of their first four possessions and shutting out the Bengals in the second half. The Dolphins racked up 241 yards on the ground, including 106 from Mercury MorrisMercury Morris
Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris , is a former American football player, nicknamed early on for his mercurial quickness when running with the ball. Morris was a running back and kick returner for 9 years, playing mostly for the Miami Dolphins...
and 71 from Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
, while receiver Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
caught 5 passes for 95 yards and a score.
Miami scored first on quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
's 13-yard touchdown pass to Warfield. Then after Bengals kicker Horst Muhlmann
Horst Muhlmann
Horst Herbert Erich Muhlmann was a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker in the American Football League and the National Football League for nine seasons...
scored a field goal, Csonka and Morris each scored rushing touchdowns. However, Cincinnati scored 13 unanswered points before halftime: Neal Craig
Neal Craig
Neal Craig is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 1971 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fisk University....
returned an interception 45-yards for a touchdown, and Muhlmann added 2 more field goals to pull the score to within 21-16. But Miami controlled the second half, scoring 13 unanswered points, including Griese's second touchdown pass of the game.
NFC: Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
27, Los Angeles Rams 16
The Cowboys avenged a 37-31 regular season loss to L.A. as two Rams turnovers in the first quarter gave the Cowboys a 14-0 lead. Lee Roy JordanLee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
's interception of a John Hadl
John Hadl
John Willard Hadl is a former collegiate and professional football player.Hadl was born in Lawrence, Kansas. After playing halfback on both offense and defense at the University of Kansas as a sophomore, Hadl played quarterback for his last two years at Kansas, and was selected as the school's...
pass on the first play of the game led to Calvin Hill
Calvin Hill
Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns...
's 3-yard touchdown run. Mel Renfro
Mel Renfro
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
then recovered a Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon is a former American football running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1972–1980, the Denver Broncos & Seattle Seahawks in 1980 and finished his playing career in 1981 with the Buffalo Bills, reuniting with his former Rams coach Chuck Knox.-Professional Career:McCutcheon was...
fumble on the L.A. 35-yard line to set up the Cowboys again which later resulted in Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
's 4-yard touchdown reception. Toni Fritsch then added a 39-yard field goal to increase Dallas' lead by 17. But the Rams were able to cut the Cowboys lead 17-16 by the fourth quarter with David Ray
David Ray (American football)
David Eugene Ray, Jr. is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Alabama as a kicker and wide receiver. He was an All-American kicker in 1964...
's 3 field goals and Tony Baker
Tony Baker
Vernon Anthony "Touchdown Tony" Baker was an American football running back in the National Football League...
's 5-yard rushing touchdown and a relentless pass rush that sacked Staubach seven times (2½ by Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
, 2 by Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen
Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
). However, quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
threw a short pass over the middle to Drew Pearson, and as the Rams were about to stop Pearson for a short gain, defensive backs Dave Elmendorf
Dave Elmendorf
David Cole Elmendorf was an American football player. He played as a safety for nine seasons in the NFL. He was a part of the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl XIV team. In 1997 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.David attended and graduated, in 1967, from Westbury High School in...
and Steve Preece
Steve Preece
Steven "Steve" Packer Preece is a former professional football player, a defensive back in the NFL for 9 seasons, from 1969 to 1977.-Early life:...
collided and fell, allowing Pearson to scamper untouched for an 83-yard touchdown that effectively clinched the game. Fritsch added another field goal for the 27-16 final.
AFC Championship: Miami Dolphins 27, Oakland Raiders 10
Running back Larry CsonkaLarry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
led the Dolphins to a victory with 117 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Miami scored on their first drive of the game when quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
's 27-yard run set up Csonka's 11-yard rushing touchdown. Csonka scored again late in the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-0 at halftime. However, after the teams exchanged field goals, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler
Ken Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Siani
Mike Siani
Mike Siani is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for nine seasons for the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts. He was a first round draft pick of the Raiders in 1972 from Villanova...
to cut the lead, 17-10. In the fourth quarter, after Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
made a 26-yard field goal, the Raiders were faced with fourth down and inches and were forced to "go for it". But the Miami defense stopped Oakland, and the Dolphins used their running game to take time off the clock and set up Csonka's third touchdown to clinch the game.
NFC Championship: Minnesota Vikings 27, Dallas Cowboys 10
The Vikings forced 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles en route to a 27-10 victory over the Cowboys. With the loss of running back Calvin HillCalvin Hill
Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns...
and defensive tackle Bob Lilly
Bob Lilly
Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.-College career:...
to injuries, Dallas could not get anything going. Minnesota jumped to a 10-0 lead by halftime with a Fred Cox
Fred Cox
Frederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker who played for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career . Fred was raised in Monongahela, PA, where his family owned a grocery store...
field goal and an 86-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:...
. The Cowboys finally scored on Golden Richards
Golden Richards
John Golden Richards is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears. Richards was a starter for the Cowboys in Super Bowl X against the Pittsburgh Steelers...
' 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. But Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton then threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
John Gilliam
John Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St...
. After Toni Fritsch's 17-yard field goal cut the lead to 17-10, Minnesota then converted two fourth quarter turnovers into 10 points: Bobby Bryant
Bobby Bryant
Bobby Bryant was a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings during the days of the Purple People Eaters . Bryant was a fierce competitor despite his size leading to the nickname "Bones"...
returned an interception 63-yards to the endzone, and Jeff Wright
Jeff Wright (defensive back)
Jeff Ralph Wright is an American football player.He played safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1971-1977....
's interception set up Cox's 34-yard field goal.