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.

-From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Divisional Playoffs

AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF
December 26, 1970

Baltimore Colts 17, Cincinnati Bengals 0

Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

To Take Second Step Toward Super Bowl, Colts Completely Outclass Bengals

BALTIMORE (AP)- John Unitas tossed Baltimore touchdown passes of 45 and 53 yards in the opening and final quarters and the Colts defense throttled the Cincinnati Bengals for a 17-0 National Football League playoff victory Saturday.

The triumph sent the Colts into next week's American Conference title game in Baltimore against the winner of the Oakland-Miami game Sunday.

In ending Cincinnati's Cinderella dream, the Colts permitted the Bengals past midfield only once while stopping their seven game winning streak in the nationally televised contest.

Unitas completed only six of 17 passes on a cold, blustery day, but gained 145 yards with the aid of his two long strikes to wide receivers Roy Jefferson and Eddie Hinton.

Rookie Norm Bulaich of Baltimore had his best day as a pro, gaining 116 yards on 25 carries. His running mate, Tom Nowatzke, gained 25 yards on 10 attempts.

Unitas, showing no effects of an injured right shoulder, connected with Jefferson on a third down pass in the final minute of the first quarter.

Jefferson, who also ran from a set position in the backfield- a maneuver tried for the first time last week- caught the pass on the run on about the eight yard line while surrounded by three defenders.

Hinton, who made three receptions for 86 yards, gathered in his TD pass on about the 20 and legged it into the end zone.

The Bengals, the second leading rushing team hi the AFC, picked up only 63 yards on the ground with 25 by Paul Robinson, the best performance. Cincinnati made only seven first downs, two in the first half, and the others in the last quarter.

Virgil Carter, dumped three times for 17 yards in losses and under constant pressure from the Baltimore rush, completed only 7 of 21 passes for 82 yards.

The Colts extended their winning streak to five in a row while running their 1970 record to 12-2-1 as they played before their first home non-sellout crowd in 52 games. The attendance in Memorial Stadium, with temperatures in the low 30s and winds up to 30 miles an hour, was 51,127, or about 9,000 below capacity.

The first TD pass by Unitas came two plays following a dropped interception attempt by Ken Riley on the Cincinnati 35.

Each team had a field goal blocked in the first half and Jim O'Brien of Baltimore missed another attempt from 44 yards late in the third quarter. However, the Baltimore rookie booted a successful 44-yarder into the wind in the second quarter to increase Baltimore's lead to 10-0 at the half.

The Bengals, a third year expansion team which scored 312 points during the regular season, was shut out for the second time this year. Cincinnati had posted an 8-6 record while winning the Central Division title.

The Colts, a touchdown favorite, completely outclassed the Bengals, the surprise team in these playoffs with the worst record of the eight playoff teams.

However, just being here meant quite an achievement for Cincinnati coach Paul Brown, one of pro football's winningest coaches who took over the expansion club after being fired by Cleveland and then sitting out five years. Cincinnati beat out Cleveland in their division.

Brown had predicted a winner in Cincinnati in five years when he took over the team, so he was two years ahead of time.

Baltimore won the Eastern Division crown behind old pro Unitas and this victory took the Colts another step along the way toward a second shot at the Super Bowl and its $15,000 payoff per player. The Colts were the first NFL team beaten by an old American Football League team in the Super Bowl, losing to the New York Jets 16-7 in 1968.

Scoring  Summary

First Quarter

BAL- Jefferson 45 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick)

Second Quarter

BAL- FG O'Brien 44

Fourth Quarter

BAL- Hinton 53 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick)

AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF
December 27, 1970

Oakland Raiders 21, Miami Dolphins 14

Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California

Lamonica, Raiders 'Bomb' Miami

OAKLAND (UPI) – Willie Brown ran 50 yards with an intercepted pass and Rod Sherman Hauled in an 82-yard “bomb" from Daryle Lamonica in the second half of a mudfest Sunday as the Oakland Raiders snapped a 7-7 tie for a 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins that put them into the AFC title game next week against Baltimore.

Brown's touchdown, coming on his fourth interception of the season, gave Oakland the lead for the first time with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

Sherman's score came with 9:34 left in the game and stood up as the margin of victory as the Raiders, seven point favorites, gained a berth in a title game for the fourth consecutive season.

The game was played on a wet and muddy field but rain, which had battered the area since Saturday let up just before the kickoff. The condition made things extremely difficult for the defensive teams and running was hazardous at best.

Lamonica, the AFC's top passer this season, earlier hit Fred Biletnikoff with a 22-yard pass and the two he had in this game gave him 24 for the season.

The young Dolphins, who gained the playoffs by winning their last six games, never gave up after falling two touchdowns behind and Bob Griese took them 69 yards in eight plays with 4:28 to go to put Miami within a touchdown of a tie. The score came on a seven yard pass by Griese to Willie Richardson. Griese also accounted for the first Miami score, throwing 16 yards to Paul Warfield in the first quarter as the Dolphins jumped to a 7-0 lead.

The Raiders, winners of the AFC West Division title, lost two fine opportunities for scores when Charlie Smith fumbled on the 19 in the first quarter and the 10 in the third. Also, George Blanda, Oakland's 43 year old miracle man, missed a 23-yard field goal try.

For the Dolphins, who played with 11 rookies in the lineup, Garo Yeprcmian, their fine kicker missed field goal tries of 25 yards in the first quarter, and 24 yards in the the fourth.

Lamonica completed eight of 16 passes for 187 yards while Griese connected on 13 of 27 for 155.

Brown's interception was the play that broke Miami's back. Earlier, safety Jake Scott recovered Smith's second fumble at the 10 to stop an Oakland drive and the Dolphins were moving up field when Brown, who missed five games during the regular season because of a shoulder separation, leaped in front of Warfield at midfield to grab the ball and run it home.

Oakland then scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter after Yepremian missed a field goal attempt for the second time.

The Raiders were bogged down on their own 18 when Lamonica hit Sherman at the Miami 45 and the fleet Raider wide receiver drew away from rookie cornerback Curtis Johnson and ran the distance for the winning score.

The Raider defense, anchored by tackle Tom Keating, end Ben Davidson , linebacker Duane Benson and the four backs, did a fine job of shutting off Miami's running game, holding the Dolphins to well under their season game average of 147.

Scoring Summary

Second Quarter

MIA- Warfield 16 yard pass from Griese (Yepremian kick)

OAK- Biletnikoff 22 yard pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)

Third Quarter

OAK- Brown 50 yard interception return (Blanda kick)

Fourth Quarter

OAK- Sherman 82 yard pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)

MIA- Richardson 7 yard pass from Griese (Yepremian kick)

NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF

December 26, 1970

Dallas Cowboys 5, Detroit Lions 0

Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

Dallas Defense Scuttles Lions

DALLAS, Tex. (AP)- Dallas' savage Doomsday Defense victimized Detroit quarterback Greg Landry for a safety and intercepted a pass on a desperation last-minute Lion drive Saturday for a 5-0 victory in the National Football League playoffs (video).

The victory pushed the Cowboys into the National Football Conference finals next week against the survivor of Sunday's San Francisco-Minnesota clash.

The safety came with 4:45 remaining in the game. Dallas held a thin 3-0 lead at the time forged on a 26-yard field goal by Mike Clark in the first period.

The Lions stopped Dallas with a furious goal line stand at the Detroit one. Trying to pass out of trouble, Landry was dropped in his own end zone by George Andrie and Jethro Pugh.

Bill Munson entered the game for the Lions. He faced a fourth-and-10 situation with 59 seconds to play, Throwing the bomb. Earl McCullough made a sensational catch over Dallas rookie free safety Charlie Waters at the Dallas 29.

On third and 10, Renfro snared a tipped Munson pass and that was the game.

It was a brutal defensive struggle from the opening kickoff.

Detroit was held to only seven first downs and only made one serious threat other than Munson’s last-minute fireworks. The Lions drove to the Dallas 29 in the second quarter, but Altie Taylor coughed up a fumble to

Detroit also played vicious defense, allowing Dallas only 22 yards passing. Dallas, however, ground out 209 yards overland, including 135 on 30 carries by rookie Duane Thomas.

The Lions' top rusher was Mel Fair with 31 yards on 12 carries through the Cowboy defense.

It was a bad day for the quarterbacks- Landry hit only 5 of 12 passes in the nationally televised contest for 48 yards. Craig Morton of Dallas hit 4 of 18 for 38 yards.

Waters set up Clark's field goal when he recovered a Landry fumble on the Dallas 45 early in the first period on a perfect football day with temperatures in the mid-50s.

Runs by Thomas and fullback Walt Garrison put Clark in position for the field goal.

Detroit then moved to the Cowboy 29 where Taylor was smashed hard by linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and fumbled. Waters picked up the ball and returned it 20 yards. Dallas could do nothing with the break.

Holding a 3-0 halftime lead, Dallas was pinned deep in its own end of the field by three personal fouls and Detroit’s defense in the third quarter.

A 15 play drive featuring runs by Thomas and Garrison whipped Dallas 76 yards to the Detroit 1 deep in the fourth period. But on fourth down, Paul Naumoff and Jim Mitchell slapped Thomas down for a yard loss.

Then Landry, who guided Detroit to five consecutive victories to get the Lions into the playoffs as the "Wild Card" team, suffered the safety.

Dallas, which has never won the National Football League title, entered the game as the NFC East champion with a 10-4 record. Detroit finished the year with a 10-5 mark

It was the first NFL playoff game without a touchdown since 1950 when Cleveland downed the New York Giants 8-3.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

DAL- FG Clark 26

Fourth Quarter

DAL- Safety, Andrie tackled Landry in end zone

NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF

December 27, 1970

San Francisco 49ers 17, Minnesota Vikings 14

Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

49ers 'Ice' Victory Over Vikings

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (UPI)- A victory on a production of 17 points was no surprise to San Francisco 49er Coach Dick Nolan.

"I knew we'd put some points on the board," he said. "And 1 knew if we did, our defense could hold them. It worked out that way. They didn't score on our defense until there was only one second left."

When Gene Washington pulled in Gary Cuozzo's 24-yard pass for that score, time had run out for the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers had a 17-14 victory wrapped up.

But it wasn't easy.  The Vikings, in the National Football Conference playoffs for the third straight year, and the 49ers. who made the playoffs for the first lime since joining the NFL in 1950, met on a field icy at the sidelines, icy in the end zones, and spotty with ice at the hashmarks.

That vas part of calling plays," the victorious 49er quarterback, John Brodie, said. “You tried to run your patterns so you wouldn't get in the icy patches, and it look us a while to find out where these were."

Brodie, defensive back Bruce Taylor, who runs back punts, and Bruce Gossett, once they knew where to go, were enough to earn the decision. Taylor ran back one punt for 30 yards preceeding a Brodie to Dick Witcher 24-yard touchdown pass, and ran another one back 29 yards to the Vikings 14 to set up Brodie's one-yard scoring plunge which put the decisive points on the board.

"It was a matter of execution," Coach Nolan said. "Our defense executed. Our offense executed. I thought our defense could do it, and it didn't surprise me. We didn't allow them a touchdown until the last second and they shouldn't have got that. Bruce Taylor slipped on the ice or he would have knocked the ball down."

That was the 49ers' strongest complaint about the ice. "The cold didn't hurt our ball handling," Brodie said. "Winning is the thing, and we won."

Brodie's one yard touchdown plunge with 80 seconds left in the game iced the victory.

The 49crs, a one-touchdown underdog against the Vikings, who were in the playoffs for the third straight year, fared better on the icy turf in a freezing eight degree temperature than the home team Vikings. But both clubs obviously were hampered in their ball handling and fumbles were a big factor in the game.

When the fumbles weren't turning the game around, Brodie’s rookie defensive back

Bruce Taylor and place kicker Bruce Gossett were giving the edge to the visitors from the West Coast.

Taylor, a daredevil on punt returns, actually set up both San Francisco touchdowns. In the first period he scampered 30 yards on a punt return to the Vikings 27 and Brodie passed to Dick Witchcr on the second play for 24 yards and after Gossett's conversion, the game was tied at 7-7.

Brodie's touchdown from the one with 80 seconds to play came after Taylor had returned another punt 23 yards to the Minnesota 14 and Ken Willard carried to the Viking one in two plays. Then it required drives into the line before Brodie could get across.

Gossett kicked a 40-yard field goal at 2:27 of the second period to give the 49ers a 10-7 lead and the 49er defense protected that slim margin until Brodie put the match away.

The game was a paradox.

Though San Francisco was the National Conference's strongest offensive team, it was the 49er defense which seemed to win the playoff contest.

Minnesota, the strongest defensive team in the conference, couldn't contain the 49er offense when points were at stake. But the 49er defense was something else. Minnesota's star passer, Gary Cuozzo, couldn't complete a pass in the second half until after the 49ers had the game in hand with a 10-point lead at 17-7.

Then Cuozzo wound up completing five of his last six passes for 71 yards and a game total of 139 yards with his last toss of the day a 24-yard touchdown throw which Gene Washington pulled down in the end zone with one second to play to give the Vikings a total of 14 points.

 

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	3	0	7	17
Vikings	7	0	0	7	14

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

MIN- Krause 22 yard fumble return (Cox kick)

SF- Witcher 24 yard pass from Brodie (Gossett kick)

Second Quarter

SF - FG Gossett 40

Fourth Quarter

SF- Brodie 1 run (Gossett kick)

MIN - Washington 24 yarf pass from Cuozzo (Cox kick)