NFL playoffs, 1975-76

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The NFL playoffs following the 1975 NFL season led up to Super Bowl X. This was the first season in which the league used a seeding system in the playoffs. Thus, the surviving clubs with the higher seeds were made the home teams for each playoff round. The three division champions in each conference were seeded 1 through 3 based on their regular season won-lost-tied record, and the wild card qualifier in each conference became the 4 seed.

However, the league continued to prohibit meetings between two teams from the same division in the Divisional Playoffs. Thus, there would be times when the pairing in that round would be the 1 seed vs. the 3 seed and 2 vs. 4.

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 Pittsburgh Steelers (Central winner) Minnesota Vikings (Central winner)
2 Oakland Raiders (West winner) Los Angeles Rams (West winner)
3 Baltimore Colts (East winner) St. Louis Cardinals (East winner)
4 Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys

Note: The Pittsburgh Steelers (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Cincinnati Bengals (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.

Contents

[edit] Divisional playoffs

[edit] December 27, 1975

[edit] AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Baltimore Colts 10

1 2 3 4 Total
Colts 0 7 3 0 10
Steelers 7 0 7 14 28

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Steelers defense forced 4 turnovers and held the Colts to 154 total yards of offense, while Pittsburgh's Franco Harris shreded Baltimore's defense with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Steelers scored first after linebacker Jack Ham's interception set up running back Harris' 8-yard rushing touchdown. Baltimore responded when Lloyd Mumphord returned a 58-yard interception to set up Glenn Doughty's 5-yard touchdown reception. With the Colts leading 10-7 in the third quarter, Pittsburgh cornerback Mel Blount intercepted a pass and returned to the Baltimore 7-yard line. From there, Rocky Bleier scored on a 7-yard rushing touchdown. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw recorded a 2-yard touchdown run, and Andy Russell picked up a Colts fumble and returned it for an NFL playoff record 93 yards to the end zone.

  • Scoring
    • PIT - Harris 8 run (Gerela kick)
    • BAL - Doughty 5 pass from Domres (Linhart kick)
    • BAL - FG Linhart 27
    • PIT - Bleier 7 run (Gerela kick)
    • PIT - Bradshaw 2 run (Gerela kick)
    • PIT - Russell 93 fumble return (Gerela kick)

[edit] NFC: Los Angeles Rams 35, St. Louis Cardinals 23

1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 0 9 7 7 23
Rams 14 14 0 7 35

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

The Rams defense scored 2 touchdowns in the first half while running back Lawrence McCutcheon ran for an NFL playoff record of 37 carries for 202 yards. Los Angeles built a 21-0 lead off of quarterback Ron Jaworski's 5-yard touchdown run, and interception returns for touchdowns by Jack Youngblood and Bill Simpson for 47 and 65 yards, respectively. The Cardinals came back to score on a rushing touchdown by running back Jim Otis, but the Rams responded on the first play of their next drive with Jaworski's 66-yard touchdown pass to Harold Jackson. After St. Louis cut the score to 28-16 with a field goal and a touchdown pass from quarterback Jim Hart, Simpson intercepted another pass to set up the Rams final touchdown.

  • Scoring
    • LA - Jaworski 5 run (Dempsey kick)
    • LA - Youngblood 47 interception return (Dempsey kick)
    • LA - Simpson 65 interception return (Dempsey kick)
    • STL - Otis 3 run (kick blocked)
    • LA - Jackson 66 pass from Jaworski (Dempsey kick)
    • STL - FG Bakken 39
    • STL - Gray 11 pass from Hart (Bakken kick)
    • LA - Jessie 2 fumble return (Dempsey kick)
    • STL - Jones 3 run (Dempsey kick)

[edit] December 28, 1975

[edit] AFC: Oakland Raiders 31, Cincinnati Bengals 28

1 2 3 4 Total
Bengals 0 7 7 14 28
Raiders 3 14 7 7 31

at Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California

The Raiders jumped to a 31-14 lead, then held off a Bengals comeback in the final period. Oakland kicker George Blanda made a 31-yard field goal, while quarterback Ken Stabler threw two touchdown passes in the first half, one for 9 yards to Mike Siani and an 8 yard one to Bob Moore. Cincinnati's lone score in the first was a 1-yard run by running back Stan Fritts. The Raiders then scored on their first drive of the second half with running back Pete Banaszak's 6-yard touchdown run to take a 24-7 lead. Then after the Bengals marched 91 yards to cut the lead, 24-14, with Lenvil Elliot's 6-yard touchdown run, Stabler threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this time a 2-yard pass to tight end Dave Casper. But in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson threw two touchdown passes, a 26-yard score to Charlie Joiner and a 14-yard pass to Isaac Curtis, to cut to pull it to 31-28. The Bengals then recovered a Banaszak fumble deep in Oakland territory, but the Raiders stopped the Cincinnati offense on fourth down and ran out the last two minutes of the game.

  • Scoring
    • OAK - FG Blanda 31
    • OAK - Siani 9 pass from Stabler (Blanda kick)
    • CIN - Fritts 1 run (Green kick)
    • OAK - Moore 8 pass from Stabler (Blanda kick)
    • OAK - Banaszak 6 run (Blanda kick)
    • CIN - Elliott 6 run (Green kick)
    • OAK - Casper 2 pass from Stabler (Blanda kick)
    • CIN - Joiner 25 pass from Anderson (Green kick)
    • CIN - Curtis 14 pass from Anderson (Green kick)

[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys 17, Minnesota Vikings 14

1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 0 7 10 17
Vikings 0 7 0 7 14

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

With 24 seconds left in the game, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw the 50-yard winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson on a play that became known as the Hail Mary pass. After a scoreless first quarter, Fred McNeill recovered a muffed punt for Minnesota to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Chuck Foreman. Dallas did not tie the game until the third quarter when Doug Dennison scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. Then after the Cowboys added a fourth quarter field goal, the Vikings took the lead, 14-10, with 5:24 remaining in the game by marching 70 yards to score on running back Brent McClanahan's 1-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys got the ball back on its own 15-yard line with only 1:51 left, but Staubach's fourth-down-and-16 pass to Pearson set up the winning "Hail Mary pass."

It was a disappointing end to a spectacular season for the Vikings. They had finished the season with an NFC best 12-2 record and quarterback Fran Tarkenton won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, while Foreman amassed 1,761 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns.

  • Scoring
    • MIN - Foreman 1 run (Cox kick)
    • DAL - Dennison 4 run (Fritsch kick)
    • DAL - FG Fritsch 24
    • MIN - McClanahan 1 run (Cox kick)
    • DAL - Pearson 50 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick)

[edit] Conference Championships

[edit] January 4, 1976

[edit] AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Oakland Raiders 10

1 2 3 4 Total
Raiders 0 0 0 10 10
Steelers 0 3 0 13 16

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A defense struggle turned into an offensive battle as the Steelers managed to stop the Raiders' final drive for the winning score as time ran out. Only Pittsburgh could manage to score during the first three quarters, with Roy Gerela's 36-yard field goal. But late in the third period, Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert recovered a fumble at the Pittsburgh 30-yard line. The turnover set up running back Franco Harris' 25-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers a 10-0 lead. Oakland responded with Mike Siani's 14-yard touchdown reception, but was countered by John Stallworth's 20-yard touchdown catch. But the Steelers' ensuing extra point was missed, and with the score 16-7, the Raiders found themselves at the Pittsburgh 24-yard line, third down and 2 yards to go, with 18 seconds left in the game. They opted to have George Blanda kick a 41-yard field goal to pull the deficit to 6 points. Then Marv Hubbard recovered the ensuing onside kick with 9 seconds remaining to give Oakland one last attempt to win the game. Cliff Branch then caught a 37-yard reception, but he was stopped at the Pittsburgh 15-yard line before he could get out of bounds and the clock ran out. Harris had a superb performance, rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 5 passes for 58 yards

  • Scoring
    • PIT - FG Gerela 36
    • PIT - Harris 25 run (Gerela kick)
    • OAK - Siani 14 pass from Stabler (Blanda kick)
    • PIT - Stallworth 20 pass from Bradshaw (kick failed)
    • OAK - FG Blanda 41

[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Los Angeles Rams 7

1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 7 14 13 3 37
Rams 0 0 0 7 7

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

Quarterback Roger Staubach threw for 220 yards and 4 touchdown passes while also rushing for 54 yards as the Cowboys upset the favored Rams. The first passing attempt by Los Angeles quarterback James Harris, who was soon to be benched in favor of Ron Jaworski, was intercepted by Dallas linebacker D.D. Lewis. This set up Staubach's first touchdown pass, a screen to running back Preston Pearson for 18 yards. A 4-yard touchdown reception by Golden Richards and a diving catch in the end zone by Preston Pearson put the Cowboys up 21-0 by halftime. Dallas scored again on their first drive of the second half on a shovel pass to Preston Pearson for his third touchdown reception of the game. Toni Fritsch later added three field goals. Only John Cappelletti's 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter prevented the Rams from being shut out. Pearson finished the game with 7 receptions for 123 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 20 rushing yards. The Dallas defense allowed only 118 yards, a mere 22 on the ground, and sacked Jaworski 5 times.

  • Scoring
    • DAL - Pearson 18 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick)
    • DAL - Richards 4 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick)
    • DAL - Pearson 15 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick)
    • DAL - Pearson 19 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick)
    • DAL - FG Fritsch 40
    • DAL - FG Fritsch 26
    • LA - Cappelletti 1 run (Dempsey kick)
    • DAL - FG Fritsch 26

[edit] Super Bowl

Further information: Super Bowl X

Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC) 21, Dallas Cowboys (NFC) 17, at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

[edit] Bracket

  Divisional Playoffs Conf. Championships Super Bowl X
                           
  4  Cowboys 17  
1  Vikings 14  
  4  Cowboys 37  
NFC
  2  Rams 7  
3  Cardinals 23
  2  Rams 35  
    N4  Cowboys 17
  A1  Steelers 21
  4  Bengals 28  
2*  Raiders 31  
  2  Raiders 10
AFC
  1  Steelers 16  
3  Colts 10
  1*  Steelers 28  

*The Steelers (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Bengals (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.

[edit] References

Preceded by:
NFL playoffs, 1974-75		 NFL playoffs
1975-76		 Succeeded by:
NFL playoffs, 1976-77
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