NFC Divisional Playoffs
Dallas Cowboys (10-4) vs.
Detroit Lions (10-4)
The Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
The perennial playoff powerhouse Dallas Cowboys found themselves facing a different opponent in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs for the first time in three years as they took on the surprising Detroit Lions for the right to go to the NFC Championship. The Lions boasted a powerful defense and an offense led by running backs Mel Farr and Altie Taylor, as well as a passing game keyed by Charlie Sanders.
At the start of the game, neither team could move the ball, as both Dallas and Detroit found that playing against a very strong defense makes even thinking about getting a first down difficult and painful. It seemed as if the first big play of the game would come by a stroke of luck, and that's exactly what happened.
Dallas rookie running back Duane Thomas took a handoff from quarterback Craig Morton with a pair of Lions defenders bearing down right at him. As if by instinct, the young man ducked low enough that the two opposing players missed on their hits, leaving a wide open running lane for him to fill. Sixty-six yards later, Thomas was in the end zone, and Dallas had a 7-0 lead. Thomas would strike again in the second quarter, when he scored for the second time, this time with a four yard burst up the middle. Dallas' mighty defense stopped Detriot in their tracks, and at the half, the Cowboys were holding onto a 14-0 shutout.
The Lions had been playing poorly all day on offense, and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before they finally came to life. Midway through the third quarter, thanks to a good punt return, it happened. Quarterback Bill Munson, who had come in for starter Greg Landry, hit Charlie Sanders with a five yard touchdown pass that cut Dallas' lead in half. The rest of the third quarter was filled with punts, as both teams again settled into a defensive mindset.
Heading into the fourth, the Lions knew that they had to establish their running game if they wanted to win. On their first possession of the quarter, they were able to do just that, using both Taylor and Farr to break apart the Dallas front four. Farr scored the game tying touchdown on a two yard run, and suddenly Dallas wasn't nearly as confident as they had been. Of course, that feeling didn't last too long, as the Cowboys came galloping right down the field on the legs on Thomas and Walt Garrison. Together, along with second year quarter back Roger Staubach, the running backs were able to dismantle Detriot's defense, putting them in position for a go ahead score. Garrison gave them that score with a nine yard run with just under 1:30 to play.
With the lead in hand once again, Dallas was able to stop Detroit's last gasps on defense, finishing the game by knocking down a last second deep pass from Munson. The Dallas Cowboys were headed to their fifth consecutive NFC Championship.
Final Score: Dallas-21 Detroit-14
Real Life Score: Dallas-5 Detroit-0 (I swear, that must have been the most boring game ever!)
Minnesota Vikings (12-2) vs.
San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1)
Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN
Something was bound to give in the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, who had the league's highest scoring offense and least scored upon defense, respectively. The 49ers were relative newcomers to the land of success, and with NFL MVP John Brodie quarterbacking the team, they hoped to stay around for some time. The Vikings hoped to counter Brodie with the Purple People Eaters, one of the best defensive lines in all of football.
At the start of the game, it was Brodie who had the advantage over the Vikings. On just the second play from scrimmage, he found running back Doug Cunningham down the left side of the field, wide open. His pass was true, and 74 yards later, the 49ers had scored the first points of the game. The only misfortune came when the extra point attempt was missed by Bruce Gossett, but the 49ers still led 6-0.
After that first possession, the Vkings swore to each other not to give up another big play for the rest of the game, and then they went out to make good on their promise. Although they did allow San Francisco to kick a field goal early in the second quarter to stretch their lead to 9-0, they never allowed another big play the rest of the game. In fact, they made sure that the second quarter belonged to the Vikings.
After the San Francisco field goal, Minnesota quarterback Gary Cuozzo led his team down the field for the first time. He used short passes and handoffs to running back Dave Osborn to get the Vikings within field goal range, and Fred Cox put one through the uprights to cut the 49er lead to six points. On San Francisco's next play, Brodie's pass was intercepted and returned to the one yard line. Just one play later, Cuozzo found Gene Washington in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Minnesota's extra point was good, and they had the lead for the first time. San Francisco was forced to punt after just three plays, and Minnesota went right back down the field, ending this drive with a Clint Jones touchdown run. They finished the half with another Cox field goal, putting them in at the half with a 20-9 lead.
The second half belonged to the Minnesota Viking defense. They made good on their promise from the first half, absolutely dominating the 49ers when they decided to run or pass the ball. Brodie could do nothing the rest of the game, and finished 9 for 22 for 159 yards and the one touchdown. When the Vikings had the ball, they continually handed it off to their running backs, who were able to pick up first downs and eat time off the clock. The only scoring in the half came on Fred Cox's third field goal of the game with 1:19 to play. San Francisco left the field dominated, while the Vikings were headed to their first championship game.
Final Score: Minnesota-23 San Francisco-9
Real Life Score: San Francisco-17 Minnesota-14
NFC Championship Game
Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN
Minnesota Vikings (12-2) vs.
Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
The battle between two of the more defensive minded teams in the NFL started the way that almost everyone thought it would, as the teams traded interceptions in the first minute of the game. From there, it was Minnesota who was able to take the early advantage, getting a 3-0 on a Fred Cox field goal on their second possession. Dallas, who was obivously looking for revenge following their 54-13 defeat in Minnesota earlier in the season, held their ground after that and didn't allow the Vikings to score again in the half.
After a quarter and a half of being stuck in the mud, Dallas' offense finally started to move. Craig Morton did the smartest thing he could have done up to that point: hand the ball off to his running backs. Walt Garrison and Duane Thomas each pounded into the Purple People Eaters, knocking them backwards and taking yardage that used to belong to Minnesota. Although the Cowboys had to settle for a Mike Clark field goal on their first scoring drive, they had sent a message to the Vikings. On their very next possession, they did the same thing, getting down inside the Minnesota five yard line with under 30 seconds to play. They had to again settle for a Clark field goal, but they now had the lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the half, it was obvious that the defenses would have control of this game throughout, and that was the case. Neither team could get moving during the first part of the third quarter. Only when Morton completed a screen pass to Thomas for a 63 yard touchdown did either team gain considerable yardage in the third quarter, although the Cowboys now had a 13-3 lead. Dallas also had Morton hurt on the play, and when Roger Staubach came in, he was also able to lead Dallas down the field, resulting in another field goal to give the Cowboys a 13 point lead just at the start of the fourth quarter.
Dallas' powerful defense was all that was needed in the fourth, as they kept Gary Cuozzo (7/33, 83 yards) bottled up all day. Without a passing game to move the ball quickly, the Vikings had no way of chipping away at Dallas' lead, and soon time became a factor. Only when Minnesota put in backup quarterback Bob Lee did the Vikings start to move. Dave Osborn scored on a 15 yard run to get the Vikings to within 6 points, but Dallas would not give the ball back again. Using Thomas, Walt Garrison and Calvin Hill, the Cowboys finished off any chance the Vikings had to comeback by making sure they never got the ball again. When the gun sounded, the Cowboys were going to their third Super Bowl and would face the Raiders in the first rematch in Super Bowl history.
Final Score: Dallas-16 Minnesota-10
Real Life Score (In San Francisco): Dallas-17 San Francisco-10