1971–72 NFL playoffs

Dallas Cowboys' running back Duane Thomas rushing the ball for a touchdown in Super Bowl VI
Dates	December 25, 1971 – January 16, 1972
Season	1971
Teams	8
Games played	7
Super Bowl VI site	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana
Defending champions	Baltimore Colts
Champions	Dallas Cowboys
Runners-up	Miami Dolphins
Conference runners-up	Baltimore Colts San Francisco 49ers
NFL playoffs ← 1970–71 1972–73 →

The National Football League playoffs for the 1971 season began on December 25, 1971. The postseason tournament concluded with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, 24–3, on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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, a decision that drew considerable criticism.

Participants

Within each conference, the three division winners and the non-division winner with the best overall regular season record of all remaining teams in the conference qualified for the playoffs. The NFL did not use a seeding system until the 1975 season, and instead home teams during the first two rounds of the playoffs alternated by division. Thus, it is possible that a team could host another club with a better regular season record. For the Super Bowl, the championship round was played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference.

Bracket

Note: Prior to the 1975 season, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation of division winners. Had the playoffs been seeded, the divisional round matchups would have been #3 Cleveland at #2 Miami and #4 wild card Baltimore at #1 Kansas City in the AFC; #4 wild card Washington at #1 Minnesota and #3 San Francisco at #2 Dallas in the NFC.

** Indicates double overtime victory

Schedule

In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl VI.

Divisional playoffs

Saturday, December 25, 1971

NFC: Dallas Cowboys 20, Minnesota Vikings 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'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.^[1]

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 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 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 replaced Lee with Gary Cuozzo, who led the team to the Dallas 19 after the free kick. But Cowboys linebacker Lee Roy Jordan 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.^[2]

AFC: Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 (2 OT)

In the longest NFL game played to date at 82 minutes, 40 seconds (in game time)^[3] (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's 24-yard field goal. Willie Lanier intercepted a pass from Bob Griese and returned it 17 yards to set up Len Dawson'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'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 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).^[4] Fearing a return by Miami speedster Mercury Morris 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.^[5]

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.^[6] 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^[7] and linebacker Nick Buoniconti racked up 20 tackles.^[8] 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.^[2]

Sunday, December 26, 1971

AFC: Baltimore Colts 20, Cleveland Browns 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.^[9]

Nottingham was the sole offensive star for either team with 92 rushing yards, 5 receiving yards, and two scores.

This was third postseason meeting between the Colts and Browns. Both teams split their previous two meetings.^[2]

NFC: San Francisco 49ers 24, Washington Redskins 20