NFL playoffs, 1970–71

The NFL playoffs following the 1970 NFL season led up to Super Bowl V.

This was the first playoff tournament after the AFL-NFL Merger. An eight-team playoff tournament was designed, with four clubs from each conference qualifying. Along with the three division winners in each conference, one wild card team, the second place team with the best record from each conference, was added to the tournament. The first round was named the "Divisional Playoffs", while the Conference Championship games were moved to the second playoff round and the Super Bowl became the league's championship game.

However, the home teams in the playoffs were still decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams, who would always play on the road. Also, a rule was made that two teams from the same division could not meet in the Divisional Playoffs.

Divisional playoffs

December 26, 1970

AFC: Baltimore Colts 17, Cincinnati Bengals 0

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Bengals
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
RT=0
Home=Colts
H1=7
H2=3
H3=0
H4=7
HT=17

"at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland"

*TV: NBC, 1PM EST

The Bengals started out their first season as an NFL team 1-6, but stormed into the playoffs by winning their last seven games. However, Baltimore paid them little respect. The Colts' defense limited the Bengals to 7 first downs and 139 total yards of offense. The closest Cincinnati came to scoring was Horst Muhlmann's 50-yard field goal attempt, which was blocked by Colts linebacker Ray May. Meanwhile, Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas threw two touchdown passes: a 45-yard completion to Roy Jefferson in the first quarter and a 53-yard reception to Eddie Hinton in the fourth period. Jim O'Brien added a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter. Rookie running back Norm Bulaich rushed for 116 yards.

*Scoring
**BAL - Jefferson 45 pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick)BAL 7-0
**BAL - field goal O'Brien 44 BAL 10-0
**BAL - Hinton 53 pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 17-0

NFC: Dallas Cowboys 5, Detroit Lions 0

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Lions
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
RT=0
Home=Cowboys
H1=3
H2=0
H3=0
H4=2
HT=5

"at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas"

*TV: CBS, 4PM EST (Play-by-Play: Frank Glieber, Color: Frank Gifford)

Although they recorded 209 rushing yards, the Cowboys could only manage a field goal and a safety. But they still managed to shut out the Lions. In the first quarter, Detroit quarterback Greg Landry's fumble set up Dallas kicker Mike Clark's 26-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead. Then in the final period, Dallas marched 76 yards in 15 plays to advance to the Detroit one-yard line. Rather than kick a field goal on fourth down, the Cowboys elected to give the ball to running back Duane Thomas, and was stopped short of the goal line. But three plays later, Dallas defensive end George Andrie sacked Landry for a safety. The Cowboys then clinched the victory in the final moments with defensive back Mel Renfro's interception at their own 29-yard line. The contest remains the lowest-scoring postseason game in NFL history.

*Scoring
**DAL - field goal Clark 26 BAL 3-0
**DAL - Safety, Andrie tackled Landry in end zone DAL 5-0

December 27, 1970

AFC: Oakland Raiders 21, Miami Dolphins 14

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Dolphins
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=7
RT=14
Home=Raiders
H1=0
H2=7
H3=7
H4=7
HT=21

"at Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California"

*TV: NBC, 4PM EST (Play-by-Play: Curt Gowdy)

Quarterback Daryle Lamonica threw two touchdown passes and the Raiders scored 14-points in the second half to defeat the Dolphins, 21-14. In the second quarter, Oakland running back Charlie Smith's fumble set up Miami quarterback Bob Griese's 16-yard touchdown pass to Paul Warfield. The Raiders then tied the game later in the period with Fred Biletnikoff's 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daryle Lamonica. In the third quarter, Oakland cornerback Willie Brown intercepted a Griese pass and returned it 50-yards to the end zone. Later in the final period, Oakland receiver Rod Sherman made an 82-yard touchdown reception to seal the victory.

*Scoring
**MIA - Warfield 16 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA 7-0
**OAK - Biletnikoff 22 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) 7-7
**OAK - Brown 50 interception return (Blanda kick) OAK 14-7
**OAK - Sherman 82 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick) OAK 21-7
**MIA - Richardson 7 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) OAK 21-14

NFC: San Francisco 49ers 17, Minnesota Vikings 14

Linescore Amfootball
Road=49ers
R1=7
R2=3
R3=0
R4=7
RT=17
Home=Vikings
H1=7
H2=0
H3=0
H4=7
HT=14

"at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota"

*TV: CBS, 1PM EST (Play-by-Play: Ray Scott, Color: Pat Summerall)

Quarterback John Brodie lead the 49ers to their first NFL playoff victory by throwing for 201 yards and touchdown and rushing for another. The Vikings scored first when Minnesota defensive back Paul Krause picked San Francisco running back Ken Willard's fumble in midair and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. But the 49ers scored 17 unanswered points, first with Brodie's 24-yard touchdown pass to Dick Witcher. Then in the second quarter, San Francisco converted a Vikings fumble into Bruce Gossett's 40-yard field goal. Brodie scored the clinching touchdown, a 1-yard run, with 1:20 left.

*Scoring
**MIN - Krause 22 fumble return (Cox kick) MIN 7-0
**SF - Witcher 24 pass from Brodie (Gossett kick)7-7
**SF - field goal Gossett 40 SF 10-7
**SF - Brodie 1 run (Gossett kick) SF 17-7
**MIN - Washington 24 pass from Cuozzo (Cox kick) SF 17-14

Conference Championships

January 3, 1971

AFC: Baltimore Colts 27, Oakland Raiders 17

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Raiders
R1=0
R2=3
R3=7
R4=7
RT=17
Home=Colts
H1=3
H2=7
H3=10
H4=7
HT=27

"at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland"

*TV: NBC, 2PM EST (Play-by-Play: Curt Gowdy)

The Colts sealed the victory in the fourth quarter by intercepting Raiders backup quarterback George Blanda twice, and Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas throwing a 68-yard touchdown pass to Ray Perkins. The Colts jumped to a 10-0 lead with kicker Jim O'Brien's 16-yard field goal and Norm Bulaich's 2-yard touchdown run. Then, Oakland starting quarterback Daryle Lamonica was knocked out of the game after suffering a thigh injury in the second quarter. But the Raiders tied the game in the third quarter with Fred Biletnikoff's 38-yard touchdown recepetion. The Colts then took the lead again with another O'Brien field goal and another Bulaich touchdown. Early in the fourth period, Blanda threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Warren Wells, but then threw two interceptions, each in the Baltimore end zone. Unitas' 68-yard touchdown pass to Perkins in the game's final minutes sealed the Colts' victory.

Blanda finished the game with 17 of 32 completions for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. At 43 years old, he was the oldest quarterback ever to play in a championship game.

This would turn out to be the final home playoff win for the Colts in Baltimore before they moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

*Scoring
**BAL - field goal O'Brien 16 BAL 3-0
**BAL - Bulaich 2 run (O'Brien kick)BAL 10-0
**OAK - field goal Blanda 48 BAL 10-3
**OAK - Biletnikoff 38 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)10-10
**BAL - field goal O'Brien 23 BAL 13-10
**BAL - Bulaich 11 run (O'Brien kick) BAL 20-10
**OAK - Wells 15 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) BAL 20-17
**BAL - Perkins 68 pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 27-17

NFC: Dallas Cowboys 17, San Francisco 49ers 10

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cowboys
R1=0
R2=3
R3=14
R4=0
RT=17
Home=49ers
H1=3
H2=0
H3=7
H4=0
HT=10

"at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco"

*TV: CBS, 5PM EST (Play-by-Play: Ray Scott, Color: Pat Summerall)

Although Dallas quarterback Craig Morton only completed 7 out of 22 passes for 101 yards, rookie halfback Duane Thomas rushed for 143 yards and Dallas converted two third quarter interceptions into 14 points to defeat the 49ers. After a 3-3 halftime score, Cowboys linebacker Lee Roy Jordan's interception led to Thomas' 13-yard touchdown run. Then Dallas converted Mel Renfro's interception into fullback Walt Garrison's 5-yard touchdown reception. The 49ers cut the lead to 17-10 with quarterback John Brodie's 26-yard touchdown pass to Dick Witcher, but were shut out for the rest of the game.

This was the last 49ers home game played at Kezar Stadium.

*Scoring
**SF - field goal Gossett 16 SF 3-0
**DAL - field goal Clark 21 3-3
**DAL - Thomas 13 run (Clark kick) BAL 10-3
**DAL - Garrison 15 pass from Morton (Clark kick) DAL 17-3
**SF - Witcher 26 pass from Brodie (Gossett kick)DAL 17-10

uper Bowl

Baltimore Colts (AFC) 16, Dallas Cowboys (NFC) 13, at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

Bracket

:Note: Prior to the 1975 season, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.Round8
RD1=Divisional Playoffs
RD2=Conf. Championship Games
RD3=Super Bowl V
December 27 - Oakland Coliseum|Miami Dolphins|14|Oakland Raiders|21
December 26 - Memorial Stadium|Cincinnati Bengals|0|Baltimore Colts|17
December 26 - Cotton Bowl|Detroit Lions|0|Dallas Cowboys |5
December 27 - Metropolitan Stadium|San Francisco 49ers |17|Minnesota Vikings|14
January 3 - Memorial Stadium|Oakland Raiders|17|Baltimore Colts|27
January 3 - Kezar Stadium|Dallas Cowboys|17|San Francisco 49ers|10
January 17 – Miami Orange Bowl|Baltimore Colts|16|Dallas Cowboys|13

References

*"Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League" (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
*"The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995" (ISBN 0-89204-523-X)