AFC Divisional Playoffs
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) vs.
Oakland Raiders (10-3-1)
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
For the first time since 1947, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the NFL playoffs, although in 1972 they did it as a member of the AFC rather than the NFL as they were back in 1947. Their defense was one of the best in football, with Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham and L.C. Greenwood as anchors, while their young offense was headed by quarterback Terry Bradshaw and rookie running back Franco Harris. Oakland was still a perennial AFC powerhouse, with quarterback Daryle Lamonica and coach John Madden ensuring that any defense that tried to stand up to the Raiders was in trouble.
Pittsburgh's defense struck the first blow early, when Lamonica was intercepted by John Rowser on the first drive of the game. However, the Steelers could do nothing on offense, and had to punt the ball back to the Raiders. This time, Lamonica got Oakland down the field without any problems, and George Blanda kicked a 49 yard field goal to give the Raiders an early 3-0 lead. The lead would not last long, as Franco Harris turned the left corner for 57 yards on the first play of Pittsburgh's next drive. Two plays later, Bradshaw found Ron Shanklin for a nine yard touchdown pass that put the Steelers up.
The second quarter became a battle of wills, as both teams attempted to use their defense and running game to wear the other out. Oakland went with Marv Hubbard and Charlie Smith at running back, while Pittsburgh used Harris and John Fuqua. The lone points of the quarter came after Bradshaw found Harris with a pass out the backfield that resulted in a 57 yard gain that eventually turned into a Roy Gerela 26 yard field goal with 45 seconds left in the half.
Pittsburgh's defense would set the tone for the rest of the game early in the second half. Following another Roy Gerela field goal that made the score 13-3, Pittsburgh refused to let Oakland get any closer, stripping Cliff Branch on the next series and shutting down Daryle Lamonica with bull rushes and blitzes that left the Raiders' quarterback scrambling for his life. The Steelers got two more Gerela field goals in the fourth quarter, while Oakland either punted, failed to convert on fourth down, or had George Blanda miss a field goal on each of their fourth quarter possessions. When the Steelers ran out the clock at the end of the game, they were able to celebrate their first postseason win ever.
Final Score: Pittsburgh-19 Oakland-3
Real Life Score: Pittsburgh-13 Oakland-7 (Immaculate Reception, anyone?)
Miami Dolphins (14-0) vs.
Cleveland Browns (10-4)
The Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
There were very few people who thought that the Cleveland Browns even stood a chance against the Miami Dolphins coming into their playoff matchup. After all, the Dolphins were the first NFL team to finish the regular season undefeated, and while they did have issues at quarterback, with both Earl Morrall and Bob Griese capable of starting, their offense was still the highest scoring in football. Meanwhile, aside from Leroy Kelly, Cleveland's offense was basically nonexistant, and quarterback Mike Phipps threw more interceptions than touchdowns for the season.
Right from the start, the Dolphins let the Browns know who the better team was. After stopping Cleveland on their opening drive, Miami came down the field, led by running backs Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka. Though the drive eventually stalled, Garo Yepremian was able to kick a field goal that put the Dolphins on top. On their next drive, they finished what they had started earlier, with Morrall finding Marlin Briscoe in the end zone for a 27 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Miami lead heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter just seemed to be a continuation of the first. After Vern Den Herder's second interception of the game, Miami used its running game to move down the field. Csonka and Morris both pounded Cleveland up front until Csonka rumbled ahead 15 yards for a touchdown that put Miami up 17-0. On the next Cleveland possession, Phipps would be intercepted again, this time by Dick Anderson, and Earl Morrall would use his arm to get Miami down the field. Howard Twilley caught a three yard touchdown pass with a little under two minutes to go to put a close to the scoring in the first half with the Dolphins ahead 24-0.
The second half featured far less offensive fireworks from Miami, as they used their running game heavily to just run out the clock. Csonka scored his second touchdown of the game on a six yard run midway through the third quarter to end the scoring for Miami. Cleveland's first good chance to score came in the fourth quarter and was ended when Phipps threw his fourth interception of the game, this one to Doug Swift in the end zone. After Miami punted, Leroy Kelly would score a 17 yard touchdown, but it was far too little, far too late. Miami ran out the clock, continued their perfect season, and advanced to the AFC Championship.
Final Score: Miami-31 Cleveland-7
Real Life Score: Miami-20 Cleveland-14
AFC Championship Game
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) vs.
Miami Dolphins (14-0)
If there was one team that was not afraid of the Miami Dolphins, it would have to have been the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, the Steelers were a young team and had a defense that could punish Miami if given the chance. Plus, they were playing at home, where the Steelers had not lost all season. Many people thought that if the cards fell into place, Pittsburgh could upset the mighty Dolphins. What ended up happening was a dramatic fourth quarter that would shape the season for both teams, as each one had to reach down deep to find out what they were made of.
From the start, it became obvious that Miami would not have such an easy go at things this time around. On the opening drive of the game, the Dolphins made their way down the field, only to have Pittsburgh defense step up and Garo Yepremian missed a 37 yard field goal. Their next drive gave the Dolphins a little bit of an easier run at things, as Earl Morrall was able to lead them down the field with a little help from Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris. Csonka finished off the drive, knocking out the Steelers with a 24 yard touchdown gallop near the end of the first quarter that put the Dolphins on top 7-0.
The second quarter featured both defenses digging in and forcing the opposing offense to come up with a new game plan than what they entered the game with. Miami had another setback when Yepremian missed his second field goal attempt of the game which would have put the Dolphins up 10-0. Instead, they wasted their only scoring chance of the quarter. However, their defense was just as strong as Pittsburgh's, and they rattled young Terry Bradshaw to the point where he was looking to run out of the pocket as soon as he received the snap. Eventually, Bradshaw settled down and Franco Harris was able to break off a run or two before the Steelers had to settle for a Roy Gerela field goal with under a minute to play in the first half to cut the Miami lead to four points going into halftime.
In the third quarter, Miami came out running, using both Morris and Csonka to attempt to eat up the clock and tire out Pittsburgh's defense. The only problem was that Pittsburgh wasn't getting tired, and Miami was punting deeper and deeper in their territory on every possession. Finally, the Steelers were able to take advantage, and a second Gerela field goal cut the Dolphins' lead to 7-6. On the next Miami possession, Bob Griese's pass attempt was picked off by Henry Davis, giving the Steelers the ball back once again. Franco Harris broke off a 51 yard run on the very next play, setting up first and goal to go from Miami's one yard line. Bradshaw hit John McMakin with a one yard strike on the next play, giving Pittsburgh the lead with just two minutes to go in the third quarter. When Miami was forced to punt after just three plays on their next possession, it looked like everything was going the way of the Steelers.
However, as the fourth quarter started, it appeared as if Miami's seemingly useless plan of running the ball until Pittsburgh got tired began to work. Csonka, Morris and even Jim Kiick were able to run left and right on the Steelers in the fourth quarter, with both Csonka (127) and Morris (112) gaining over 100 yards in the game. Bob Griese found his stride as well, and on the first Dolphin drive of the fourth quarter, he found Marlin Briscoe in the end zone for a five yard touchdown. The extra point was good, and Miami led 14-13. With the pressure now on Terry Bradshaw and Pittsburgh's offense, the Steelers sputtered and died. Three times they had the ball with a chance to drive down the field in the fourth quarter, and three times they failed to even get a first down. Each time, the ball went back to Miami, and the Dolphins ran more and more time off the clock until there was no time left. Miami was one win away from a perfect season, while the Steelers were left to wait for next year.
Final Score: Miami-14 Pittsburgh-13
Real Life Score: Miami-21 Pittsburgh-17