My Top 7 NFL Playoff Games of the 1970s

I grew up watching football in the 1970s, an era many consider to be the greatest in NFL history. During this decade, there were many competitive playoffs games, and the rivalries were intense.

The rivalry I followed the most was the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. That link will take you to my article covering the rivalry, my episodes of how I remembered the rivalry, and an episode where I sat down with Frank Reading (Redskins fan) to reminisce.

But going back to the playoffs in the 70s. Below are my personal top 5 from the decade. Normally I like to countdown, but this time I decided to start with my favorite playoff game of the decade, one I think may have been the greatest of all-time. Enjoy!

You can also pick up a book from one of our SHN podcasters, Joe Zagorski, covering the entire decade. The book is titled The NFL in the 1970s and it is highly recommended if you enjoy the 70s.

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#1 - 1971 (Dolphins vs. Chiefs)

December 25, 1971: Miami Dolphins (27) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (24) – Municipal Stadium, Kansas City.

In a contest that lasted nearly 83 minutes, the Dolphins and Chiefs went into double-overtime in an epic battle in KC. The Chiefs jumped out to an early 10–0 lead, but Miami evened the score before halftime. Kansas City regained control in the third quarter with a 15- play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took ten minutes off the clock.

But, again, Miami came back to tie the score. The two teams exchanged turnovers before the Chiefs scored another touchdown on a 91-yard drive, including a 63-yard hook-up between Lenny Dawson and Elmo Wright.

Then, the Dolphins tied the game at 24 after a 71-yard drive. With only 1:25 left on the clock, Ed Podolak returned the ensuing kick-off 78 yards, and that run set up a 32-yard field goal attempt by Jan Stenerud. But the usually reliable Stenerud was wide right, and that was it for regulation time. In overtime, Kansas City took the opening kickoff, and another great return by Podolak put the ball at the 46. KC got into field goal range, but the Dolphins blocked the 42-yard attempt.

When it was their turn, Miami attempted a 52-yard field goal that fell short. The two teams exchanged punts before Dolphins fullback Larry Csonka rambled 29 yards to put Miami into field goal range. Miami kicker Garo Yepremian booted a 37-yard field goal to give the Dolphins the 27–24 victory. Ed Podolak had an amazing game–eight receptions for 110 yards, 17 carries for 85 yards, and three kickoff returns for 154 yards. His 350 all-purpose yards remain an NFL playoff record. Paul Warfield gained 140 yards for Miami in seven receptions while middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti had 20 tackles.

#2 - 1977 (Raiders vs. Colts)

December 24, 1977: Oakland Raiders (37) vs. Baltimore Colts (31) – Memorial Stadium, Baltimore

It was a defensive battle early until Oakland’s Clarence Davis scored on a 30-yard touchdown run. Colts’ DB Bruce Laird intercepted a Ken Stabler pass in the second quarter, returning it 61-yards for a TD to tie the score. Baltimore took a 10–7 halftime lead on a 36-yard field goal.

Stabler reversed that score early in the 3rd when he connected with receiver Cliff Branch for a 41-yard gain and then hit Dave Casper for an eight-yard score. It was a short-lived lead. Marshall Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a Baltimore touchdown.

The Raiders committed their fourth turnover of the day on their next possession, and things looked bleak. But Oakland’s defense came up big twice–forcing a punt and, then, blocking the punt courtesy of linebacker Ted Hendricks.

Two plays later, Dave Casper caught a 10-yard touchdown pass, and the Raiders took the lead, 21–17. Baltimore came right back, scoring on their first drive of the fourth quarter–80 yards worth–to go ahead again, this time, 24–21.

Oakland would not be denied. Carl Garrett returned the ensuing kickoff to the 47-yard line, and then Stabler connected with fullback Mark Van Eeghen for a 25 yard gain. A pass interference penalty on Baltimore set up a touchdown run by Pete Banaszak.

But the game was far from over. The see-saw battle continued as the Colts drove 73 yards for another touchdown to take a 31–28 lead. That’s when the defenses stiffened, and the teams exchanged punts. Oakland got the ball back with 2:55 left in regulation, and a 42-yard completion to Dave Casper brought the Raiders to the Baltimore 14-yard line.

From there, a 22-yard field goal sent the game into OT. Baltimore got the ball first but was forced to punt. Then, Oakland drove 41 yards in nine plays to set up a field goal attempt, but Mike Barnes blocked the kick. The Colts’ offense stalled again, and Oakland drove to the Colts’ 35-yard line. There, DE Fred Cook’s sack took the Raiders out of field goal range. But Stabler kept the drive alive with a 19-yard completion to Cliff Branch. That play set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dave Casper less than a minute into the second overtime period.

It was the deciding score, 37–31. Casper scored three TDs on the day. Stabler threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Marshall Johnson had a solid game for the Colts, gaining 134 yards on three kickoff returns and sixteen yards on a punt return.

#3 - 1974 (Raiders vs. Dolphins)

December 21, 1974: Oakland Raiders (28) vs. Miami Dolphins (26) – Oakland Alameda County Coliseum

Nat Moore got the game off on the right foot for the Dolphins, returning the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. Oakland tied the score in the second quarter when NFL MVP Ken Stabler connected with Charlie Smith on a 31-yard touchdown pass.

But Miami retook the lead before halftime on a 33-yard field goal. The Raiders took their first lead of the game with a touchdown on their opening drive of the third quarter, but Miami came right back with a touchdown of its own. A blocked extra point made the score 16–14.

A 46-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian at the start of the fourth quarter increased the Dolphins’ lead to 19–14. Later in the quarter, Oakland took the lead 21–19 when Stabler and receiver Cliff Branch (NFL receiving yardage leader) hooked up for a 72-yard touchdown. After a 68-yard, four-play drive, Miami retook the lead that ended in a 23-yard touchdown run by Benny Malone. With just 2:00 left in the game, Oakland drove the ball from their own 32-yard line to the Dolphins’ eight. The play of the game came next.

Dolphins’ defensive end Vern Den Herder was dragging down Stabler from behind, but ‘The Snake’ was able to slither away to throw a desperation pass to RB Clarence Davis, who fought his way through three Miami defenders to make the catch and then hold on for a touchdown. That winning touchdown would become known as “The Sea of Hands.” Stabler completed 20 of 30 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns that day (only one INT). Fred Biletnikoff caught eight of those passes for 122 yards and a TD.

#4 - 1972 (Steelers vs. Raiders)

December 23, 1972: Pittsburgh Steelers (13) vs. Oakland Raiders (7) – Three Rivers Stadium

Defense dominated as the teams went into the locker room tied 0–0 at halftime. Pittsburgh took a 3–0 lead when Roy Gerela kicked an 18-yard field goal early in the 3rd quarter, and the Steelers increased the gap to 6–0 in the fourth.

That’s when the Raiders’ offense came to life with an 80-yard drive to take a 7–6 lead with 1:13 left on the clock. With just 22 seconds left on the clock and facing 4th and 10 on their 40-yard line, Franco Harris scored the controversial winning touchdown on what will be known forever as “The Immaculate Reception.”

#5 - 1975 (Cowboys vs. Vikings)

December 27, 1975: Dallas Cowboys (17) vs. Minnesota Vikings (14) – Metropolitan Stadium

The Vikings took a 7–0 lead into the locker room courtesy of a rookie mistake. Offensive lineman Pat Donovan tried but couldn’t recover a punted ball that he thought had touched his teammate Cliff Harris.

The Vikings recovered the flub on the Dallas four-yard line and punched it for a touchdown a few plays later. The first sustained drive didn’t occur until early in the third quarter when the Cowboys evened things up at 7–7. Dallas took a 10–7 lead before Minnesota responded with their only good offensive drive of the game–a 70- yard, 11-play drive that ended with a TD.

The Cowboys’ next possession resulted in a punt, and Minnesota took over with just 3:12 left on the clock, hoping to run out the clock. But the Doomsday Defense rose to the occasion, forcing a punt, and Dallas took possession on their 15- yard line with 1:51 left.

Keeping the drive alive after converting a 4th and 16 at mid-field, Dallas decided to go for it all on 2nd and 10 with 24 seconds and no timeouts. Roger Staubach hurled a long pass to Drew Pearson, who caught the ball on his hip at the four and ran into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown.

The play stood even after the Vikings argued that Pearson pushed off and should have been flagged for offensive interference. Staubach, a devout Catholic, said he threw the ball as he recited the Hail Mary prayer. The play became known as “The Hail Mary Pass.” Staubach finished the game 17–29 for 246 yards and that last-second TD, while the Doomsday Defense limited the Vikings to a total of 215 yards.

#6 - 1972 (Cowboys vs. 49'ers)

December 23, 1972: Dallas Cowboys (30) vs. San Fransisco 49’ers (28) – Candlestick Park

Dallas fell behind quickly when Vic Washington ran the opening kickoff 97 yards to put the 49ers up 7–0. The Cowboys cut the lead to 7–3 with a 37-yard field goal, and after the teams exchanged turnovers, the 49ers scored another touchdown to go up 14–3. A second Dallas turnover led to another 49ers touchdown.

But the Cowboys came back with a field goal and a touchdown to narrow the gap to 21–13. Dallas continued to have problems holding onto the ball in the third quarter. A fumble led to another 49ers touchdown, which increased their lead to 28–13. Towards the end of the third quarter, Cowboys Coach Tom Landry replaced quarterback Craig Morton with Roger Staubach, who had missed most of the season due to injury.

Staubach promptly fumbled on his opening drive, setting the 49ers up for a 32-yard field goal. But kicker Bruce Gosslet missed the attempt, and later running back Calvin Hill broke off a 48- yard run to set up a Toni Fritsch field goal. After the Doomsday Defense forced a 49ers punt, Staubach led the offense to a touchdown with just under two minutes to play.

After Dallas recovered an onside kick, Staubach scrambled for 21 yards. Two-pass completions followed the scramble that put Dallas ahead 30–28 with just 52 seconds left. The 49ers came close to field goal range, but an interception by safety Charlie Waters ended the game. The Cowboys outgained the 49ers in total yards 402–255 and first downs 22–13. But they also committed five turnovers and allowed five sacks. 49ers’ defensive end Cedrick Hardman was responsible for 3.5 of those sacks.

#7 - 1976 (Raiders vs. Patriots)

December 18, 1976: Oakland Raiders (24) vs. New England Patriots (21) – Oakland Alameda County Coliseum

New England defeated Oakland 48–17 in Week 4 of the season, handing the Raiders their only loss of the year. And after the opening drive of the playoff game, it looked like New England would win again. The Patriots marched 86 yards in 10 plays to take a 7–0 lead.

But the Raiders narrowed the gap to four points on Errol Mann’s 40-yard field goal and took the lead, 10–7, in the second quarter on a Ken Stabler-to-Fred Biletnikoff 31-yard touchdown pass. But the Patriots grabbed the lead back on their opening drive of the third quarter. NE went 80 yards in nine plays, scoring a touchdown on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Steve Grogan to tight end Russ Francis.

The Patriots expanded the lead to 21–10 on a 10-play, 55-yard drive, but Oakland fought back with a 70-yard drive in eight plays to close the gap to four. The teams exchanged punts before New England misfired on a 50-yard field goal attempt. Oakland took possession with good field position and 4:12 left on the clock. They drove to the Patriots’ 28-yard line before stalling.

An incomplete pass made it 4th and 18, but a roughing the passer penalty on nose tackle Ray “Sugar Bear” Hamilton gave Oakland a first down on the 13-yard line with 57 seconds on the clock. (Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks questioned the penalty, saying, “It looked to me like Ray hit the ball first. If he did deflect the ball, then it was an incorrect call.”)

With that penalty assist, Oakland moved the ball to the four-yard line and faced a 3rd and 1 when another penalty–this time a personal foul on safety Prentice McCray–gave the Raiders a first down on the 1-yard-line. That’s when Stabler faked a handoff and dove into the end for the winning score with 14 seconds remaining on the clock. Ken Stabler (1976 NFL top-ranked QB) went 19-of-32 on the day for 233 yards and a touchdown, and Fred Biletnikoff caught nine of those passes for 137 yards and one touchdown.

#8 - 1979 (Rams vs. Cowboys)

December 30, 1979: LA Rams (21) vs. Dallas Cowboys(19) — Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas.

1979 had not been a great season for either the Rams or Cowboys. After eleven games, the Rams record was 5–6. They finished the season first in their division with a very average 9–7 record. The Cowboys stood at 8–2 after week ten but then lost three games in a row and finished first with an 11–5 record. Dallas had beaten LA by a combined 58–6 score in their last two meetings.

In a 1st quarter dominated by the defenses, the Cowboys took a 2–0 lead, the result of a safety. The Rams had a chance to take a 3–2 lead before the 2nd quarter, but they missed on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

The 2nd quarter started with more defensive dominance. But, the Rams finally managed to put together a solid drive, getting the ball to the Cowboys’ 32-yard line before quarterback Vince Ferragamo connected with running back Wendell Tyler for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Dallas narrowed the gap to 7–5 when former Rams kicker Rafael Septien booted a 33-yard field goal.

But the Rams offense was beginning to have some success now, and with just 11 seconds left in the first half, Ferragamo connected with Ron Smith on a 43-yard touchdown strike.

On the Rams opening 3rd quarter drive, Cowboys defensive back Dennis Thurman intercepted a Ferragamo pass to give Dallas the ball at the Rams 32-yard line. But the Rams D rose to the occasion and forced a punt. But the Dallas D also forced a punt. Dallas tried some trickery with a halfback option play. Ron Springs connected with Tony Hill in the end zone, but officials ruled he didn’t get both feet inbounds.

But the Rams were penalized for pass interference on the next play giving the Cowboys the ball at the one-yard line, and Springs punched it in for the touchdown to narrow the gap to 14–12.

On the Rams’ next possession, Cliff Harris intercepted a Ferragamo pass and returned it 22-yards. Unlike their previous interception, Dallas capitalized on this turnover with a touchdown. The TD gave Dallas the lead 19–17 with 12:46 left on the game clock. After that, neither offense could mount a significant drive. LA had the ball at midfield with 2:16 left in the game. Ferragamo connected with receiver Billy Waddy at the 28, and Waddy took it to the end zone. Dallas got the ball back, but the Rams’ defense shut them down.

It would be the final game in the career of Roger Staubach, and the Rams would go on to play in their first Super Bowl.

Wendell Tyler rushed for 82 yards and had another 40 yards receiving. Billy Waddy caught 3 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Tony Dorsett rushed for 87 yards.

#9 - 1972 (Dolphins vs. Browns)

December 24, 1972: Miami Dolphins (20) Cleveland Browns (14) — Orange Bowl, Miami.

The 14–0 Dolphins came into this game as the heavy favorites, but perhaps they underestimated the Browns, who started the season at 2–3 but then won eight of their next nine.

Miami had the first scoring opportunity but missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. But shortly afterward, Dolphins Charlie Babb blocked a punt and ran it in for a touchdown. Soon after that, Miami added a field goal to take a 10–0 lead.

Cleveland got the ball to the Miami 25-yard line in the second quarter, but a Curtis Johnson interception ended the scoring threat. After some costly penalties, Miami missed a 53-yard field goal and blew two other scoring opportunities.

On their second possession of the 3rd quarter, the Browns scored a touchdown, primarily from a 38-yard punt return and a 21-yard pass reception. Miami increased their lead to 13–7 when kicker Garo Yepremiun nailed a 46-yard field goal.

The Browns moved the ball into Miami territory, but Dick Anderson intercepted a Mike Phipps pass. But Anderson fumbled the ball, and the Browns recovered it. Two plays later, Phipps connected with receiver Fair Hooker on a 27-yard touchdown pass to give Cleveland a 14–13 lead.

With under seven minutes left in the game, the Dolphins knew time was running out on their perfect season. Miami responded by driving 80 yards in only six plays to retake the lead 20–14.

The Browns attempted to come back, but their scoring threat ended when Dolphins linebacker Doug Swift intercepted his second pass of the game.

The Dolphins “No Name Defense” intercepted five passes on the day. Cleveland running back Bo Scott had a big day gaining 94 yards rushing and another 30 yards receiving.

#10 - 1970 (Cowboys vs. Lions)

December 26, 1970: Dallas Cowboys (5) vs. Detroit Lions (0) — Cotton Bowl, Dallas.

In what remains the lowest-scoring playoff game ever played, the Cowboys completely outplayed the Lions but came extremely close to losing the game.

Dallas recovered a Detroit fumble in the first quarter and took possession at their 45-yard line. A 14-yard completion from Craig Morton to Walt Garrison and two good runs by Duane Thomas put the Cowboys in field goal range. Kicker Mike Clark booted a 26-yarder to give Dallas a 3–0 lead.

The Lions’ offense couldn’t get anything going against the Doomsday Defense, but they did manage to get the ball to the Cowboys’ 29-yard line before fumbling it away again. Charlie Waters picked up his second recovery.

The defenses continued to control the game in the 3rd quarter as neither team’s offense could muster a scoring threat. In the 4th quarter, Dallas drove 76 yards in 15 plays but faced a 4th down at the one-yard line. The ordinarily conservative Tom Landry decided to go for the touchdown instead of settling for a field goal. But the stingy Lions’ defense rose to the occasion and stopped Dallas from scoring.

Unable to get any running game established, Detroit had to throw, and quarterback Greg Landry was brought down in the end zone by George Andrie and Jethro Pugh. Dallas took possession of the ball but went three and out and punted. The Lions took over at their 20-yard line with 2:18 left on the clock. Backup quarterback Bill Munson replaced Greg Landry, but he couldn’t get much going until he connected with Earl McCullouch to convert a 4th and ten from their 32.

The completion gave them a first down at the Cowboys’ 29-yard, and they still had two timeouts remaining. But they only had 59 seconds left on the clock. After two incompletions, Munson threw a high pass, that was tipped, and intercepted by Mel Renfro. From there, the Cowboys ran out the clock.

The Lions held the Cowboys to 38 yards passing, but Dallas outgained Detroit in rushing yards 209–76. The Lions had five turnovers on the day.

There you have it. My top 10 NFL playoff games from the 1970s. If you wish to reminisce about some football from the 70s, below are a few other articles and podcast episodes on the network:

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)