NFL playoffs, 1980-81
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1980 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl XV
.
Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season
(notwithstanding the strike-shortened 1982 season
), the San Diego Chargers (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Oakland Raiders (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
lost a fumble on the first play of the game, setting up Oakland kicker Chris Bahr
's 47-yard field goal. The Oilers responded with a 55-yard drive to score on Campbell's 1-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Todd Christensen
. Oakland did not score again until the fourth quarter when Plunkett threw a 44-yard touchdown to Arthur Whittington, followed by Bahr's 37-yard field goal. With about 6 minutes left in the game, cornerback Lester Hayes
returned an interception 20 yards to the end zone to clinch the Raiders' victory.
rushed for 160 yards, caught 3 passes for 28 yards, and scored 2 touchdowns to lead his team to victory. After Dallas kicker Rafael Septien
opened up the scoring with a 28-yard field goal, the Rams marched 73-yards to score on running back Jewerl Thomas' 1-yard run. However, the ensuing extra point was blocked and Septien later made a 29-yard field goal to tie the game, 6-6. In the second period, Los Angeles quarterback Vince Ferragamo
completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to receiver Preston Dennard
, but the Cowboys tied the game before halftime with Dorsett's 12-yard rushing touchdown. After the game was tied at halftime, 13-13, Cowboys quarterback Danny White
threw 3 touchdown passes in the second half. In addition, Dallas coach Tom Landry went to a 5 man defensive front and they dropped various combinations into 7 and 8 man coverage to confuse the Rams potent passing game. The result was a combination of pressure on Ram QB Vince Ferragamo, and Dallas intercepted 3 passes. White then threw touchdown passes on Dallas' first three drives of the second half: A 10-yarder to Dorsett, a 35-yard one to Butch Johnson
, and an 11-yarder to Drew Pearson
. Dallas then turned to a potent rushing attack to chew up time and keep the Rams offense off the field. Dallas rushed 46 times for 338 yards, and the Rams were never able to score in the second half.
threw the 50-yard winning touchdown pass to receiver Ron Smith
to defeat the Bills, 20-14. Buffalo jumped to a 14-3 halftime lead with running back Roosevelt Leaks
' 1-yard touchdown run and quarterback Joe Ferguson
's 9-yard pass to Frank Lewis. However, San Diego took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 70 yards to score on quarterback Dan Fouts
' 9-yard touchdown completion to Charlie Joiner
. Then early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers added a field goal to cut the Bills' lead, 14-13. San Diego took over at their own 31-yard line with less than 4 minutes remaining, but Buffalo cornerback Charles Romes
almost intercepted Fouts on the play before the winning touchdown. After the game it was revealed that Ferguson had been playing with a fractured ankle, suffered three weeks earlier in a game against the New England Patriots
.
's 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy Kramer and running back Ted Brown
's 1-yard touchdown run. However, Philadelphia scored before halftime by finishing off an 85-yard drive with quarterback Ron Jaworski
's 9-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Harold Carmichael
. The Eagles then tied the game on the opening possession of the second half with Wilbert Montgomery
's 8-yard touchdown run. Minnesota scored a safety when Jaworski was sacked in the end zone, but Montgomery then scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Then the Vikings lost two fumbles, which led to 10 points for the Eagles, and Kramer threw interceptions on each of his team's final 4 drives.
, Browns quarterback Brian Sipe
's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Raiders safety Mike Davis
with 41 seconds left in the game to preserve Oakland's 14-12 victory. Instead of opting for a game winning field goal, Cleveland decided to attempt a passing play because Browns kicker Don Cockroft
had previously missed two of four field goal attempts, had another aborted following a bad snap, and had one extra point blocked. In addition, the field was frozen and slippery.
With the game-time temperature at 4 °F (-15.6 °C), the coldest NFL game since the Ice Bowl
of December 31, 1967, Cleveland scored first when Ron Bolton
returned an interception 42 yards to the end zone. However, Cockroft's ensuing extra point was blocked by Ted Hendricks
and the Raiders responded by driving 64 yards to score on a 1 yard touchdown run by Mark van Eeghen
. Cockroft made two field goals in the third quarter, but in the fourth period, Oakland marched 80 yards to score on van Eeghen's second touchdown.
The quarterbacks of both teams were completely dominated throughout the game. Sipe was held to just 13 of 40 completions for 183 yards and intercepted 3 times, while Oakland's Jim Plunkett
completed only 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards, with 2 interceptions.
's 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Alfred Jenkins
. In the second quarter, Dallas recovered a fumble in Atlanta territory and tied the game quarterback Danny White
's 5-yard touchdown completion to tight end Billy Joe Dupree
. However, the Falcons responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lynn Cain
to take a 17-10 lead. Then after forcing a punt, Atlanta mounted another drive into Dallas territory, but defensive back Steve Wilson intercepted a pass from Bartkowski and the score remained 17-10 at halftime.
Dallas started out the second half with a drive to midfield, but lost the ball on a play that initially appeared to go in their favor. Running back Preston Pearson
caught a short pass from Danny White
and took off for a big gain, but linebacker Joel Williams
, who initially pressured White into making the pass, managed to chase Pearson down and force a fumble on the 15-yard line. After recovering the fumble, Atlanta stormed down the field and increased their lead to 24-10 with Bartkowski's 12-yard touchdown pass to running back William Andrews
.
Starting a drive with 3:38 left in the third quarter, Dallas mounted an 85-yard drive that ended with Robert Newhouse
's 1-yard touchdown run with 13:50 left in the game. Dallas subsequently forced a punt, but Atlanta safety Tom Pridemore
intercepted a pass from White and returned it 22 yards to the Cowboys 37-yard line, setting up an Atlanta field goal to increase the lead 27-17. Dallas then marched 62 yards to score on Drew Pearson
's 14-yard touchdown reception with 3:04 left in the game. Then two plays after ensuing the kickoff, Dallas lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones appeared to jump offsides, which would have given the Falcons a first down, but he somehow managed to maintain his footing and avoid crossing the line of scrimmage before the snap. As a result, his sudden movement threw off Atlanta's offense and he ended up making a key tackle to end the drive and force a punt. Following the punt, Dallas advanced 70 yards to score on Pearson's 23-yard touchdown catch with 47 seconds left.
Charlie Waters fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt, keeping the score at 30-27 and giving Atlanta a chance to drive for a tying field goal. But the Falcons turned the ball over on downs before they could move it out of their own territory
Jenkins finished the game with 4 receptions for 155 yards.
The game is featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games
as the Duel in Dixie.
that was tipped twice, once by the Raiders and once by the Chargers, a 21-yard touchdown to running back Kenny King
, and a 5-yard scoring run. The Chargers lone score in the opening period was quarterback Dan Fouts's 48-yard touchdown completion to Charlie Joiner
. Early in the second quarter, Oakland's Mark van Eeghen
rushed for a 3-yard touchdown, but Fouts responded with an 8-yard touchdown to Joiner. Then San Diego scored on its first two drives of the second half to cut the Raiders lead, 28-24. However, Oakland scored two field goals by Chris Bahr
. The Chargers then scored on a 27-yard field goal midway through the final period. The Raider defense was exhausted and they implored their offense by saying "don't let them have the damn ball back"! The Raiders then held onto the ball for the last 6:43 of the game, with Plunkett scrambling twice on 3rd down to pick up key first downs, to clinch the victory. Plunkett finished the game with 14 of 18 completions for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns.
completed only 9 of 29 passes for 91 yards and was intercepted twice, running back Wilbert Montgomery
led the Eagles to a victory by rushing for 194 yards and a touchdown. Montgomery scored on Philadelphia's first drive of the game with a 42-yard rushing touchdown, but the Cowboys tied the game in the second quarter with running back Tony Dorsett
's 3-yard touchdown. But from that point on, Dallas never posed a threat again. In the third quarter, a fumble recovery by Eagles defensive end Dennis Harrison
on the Dallas 11-yard set up kicker Tony Franklin's 26-yard field goal. Then on the Cowboys next drive, Philadelphia linebacker Jerry Robinson
picked up Dorsett's fumble and returned it 22 yards to the Dallas 38-yard line. Six plays later, running back Leroy Harris scored a 9-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 17-7 lead. Franklin later added another field goal to close out the scoring. The Eagles, as home team, elected to wear their road white jerseys instead of their home green jerseys so as to force Dallas to wear their rarely-used dark blue jerseys rather than their familiar white jerseys; through the years, the Cowboys' blue jerseys were said to be jinxed since they often lost wearing them - especially in Super Bowl V
.
This would be the Eagles' last playoff victory until the 1992 season. Super Bowl XV began a five-game postseason losing streak for the franchise.
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
following the 1980 NFL season
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
led up to Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
.
Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
(notwithstanding the strike-shortened 1982 season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
), the San Diego Chargers (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Oakland Raiders (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
AFC: Oakland Raiders 27, Houston Oilers 7
Even though the Oilers recorded more yards, more first downs, and more time of possession, the Raiders scored on big plays to win, 27-7. Houston running back Earl CampbellEarl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
lost a fumble on the first play of the game, setting up Oakland kicker Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League.-Soccer:...
's 47-yard field goal. The Oilers responded with a 55-yard drive to score on Campbell's 1-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Todd Christensen
Todd Christensen
Todd Jay Christensen is a former professional American football player and a current sports broadcaster for the MountainWest Sports Network.-Early life:...
. Oakland did not score again until the fourth quarter when Plunkett threw a 44-yard touchdown to Arthur Whittington, followed by Bahr's 37-yard field goal. With about 6 minutes left in the game, cornerback Lester Hayes
Lester Hayes
Lester Hayes is a former professional American football player for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League....
returned an interception 20 yards to the end zone to clinch the Raiders' victory.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 34, Los Angeles Rams 13
The Cowboys avenged a 38-14 loss to the Rams two weeks earlier (in a game they trailed 38-0) as Dallas running back Tony DorsettTony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
rushed for 160 yards, caught 3 passes for 28 yards, and scored 2 touchdowns to lead his team to victory. After Dallas kicker Rafael Septien
Rafael Septien
Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
opened up the scoring with a 28-yard field goal, the Rams marched 73-yards to score on running back Jewerl Thomas' 1-yard run. However, the ensuing extra point was blocked and Septien later made a 29-yard field goal to tie the game, 6-6. In the second period, Los Angeles quarterback Vince Ferragamo
Vince Ferragamo
Vince Anthony Ferragamo is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.-College career:...
completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to receiver Preston Dennard
Preston Dennard
Preston Jackson Dennard is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at the University of New Mexico....
, but the Cowboys tied the game before halftime with Dorsett's 12-yard rushing touchdown. After the game was tied at halftime, 13-13, Cowboys quarterback Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
threw 3 touchdown passes in the second half. In addition, Dallas coach Tom Landry went to a 5 man defensive front and they dropped various combinations into 7 and 8 man coverage to confuse the Rams potent passing game. The result was a combination of pressure on Ram QB Vince Ferragamo, and Dallas intercepted 3 passes. White then threw touchdown passes on Dallas' first three drives of the second half: A 10-yarder to Dorsett, a 35-yard one to Butch Johnson
Butch Johnson (American football)
Michael "Butch" McColly Johnson is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos...
, and an 11-yarder to Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
. Dallas then turned to a potent rushing attack to chew up time and keep the Rams offense off the field. Dallas rushed 46 times for 338 yards, and the Rams were never able to score in the second half.
AFC: San Diego Chargers 20, Buffalo Bills 14
With 2:08 left in the game, Chargers quarterback Dan FoutsDan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
threw the 50-yard winning touchdown pass to receiver Ron Smith
Ron Smith (wide receiver)
Ronnie Bernard Smith is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for six seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
to defeat the Bills, 20-14. Buffalo jumped to a 14-3 halftime lead with running back Roosevelt Leaks
Roosevelt Leaks
Roosevelt Leaks, Jr. was an American football running back in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Texas....
' 1-yard touchdown run and quarterback Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
's 9-yard pass to Frank Lewis. However, San Diego took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 70 yards to score on quarterback Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
' 9-yard touchdown completion to Charlie Joiner
Charlie Joiner
Charles B. Joiner Jr. is a former American football player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver. He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was...
. Then early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers added a field goal to cut the Bills' lead, 14-13. San Diego took over at their own 31-yard line with less than 4 minutes remaining, but Buffalo cornerback Charles Romes
Charles Romes
Charles Michael Romes was an American football cornerback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers. He played college football at North Carolina Central University....
almost intercepted Fouts on the play before the winning touchdown. After the game it was revealed that Ferguson had been playing with a fractured ankle, suffered three weeks earlier in a game against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Minnesota Vikings 16
The Eagles forced 8 turnovers in the second half en route to a 31-16 victory. The Vikings scored 14 unanswered points in the first half with wide receiver Sammy WhiteSammy White (American football)
Sammy White is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL.After attending Grambling State University, White played all ten seasons of his professional career as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, winning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of...
's 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy Kramer and running back Ted Brown
Ted Brown
Ted Brown is an American and former collegiate and professional football player. He attended High Point high school, before attending North Carolina State University.-Football career:...
's 1-yard touchdown run. However, Philadelphia scored before halftime by finishing off an 85-yard drive with quarterback Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
's 9-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Harold Carmichael
Harold Carmichael
Lee Harold Carmichael is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles , and one season for the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Southern University...
. The Eagles then tied the game on the opening possession of the second half with Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions...
's 8-yard touchdown run. Minnesota scored a safety when Jaworski was sacked in the end zone, but Montgomery then scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Then the Vikings lost two fumbles, which led to 10 points for the Eagles, and Kramer threw interceptions on each of his team's final 4 drives.
AFC: Oakland Raiders 14, Cleveland Browns 12
In a play that has become to be known as Red Right 88Red Right 88
Red Right 88 was the designation of a Cleveland Browns passing play that was called during the January 4, 1981 American Football Conference divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders; in the years since, the term has been used to refer to the game itself and its ending.Trailing 14-12 with...
, Browns quarterback Brian Sipe
Brian Sipe
Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985....
's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Raiders safety Mike Davis
Mike Davis (American football)
Michael Leonard Davis is a retired American football safety.-College career:Davis played college football at the University of Colorado.-Professional career:...
with 41 seconds left in the game to preserve Oakland's 14-12 victory. Instead of opting for a game winning field goal, Cleveland decided to attempt a passing play because Browns kicker Don Cockroft
Don Cockroft
Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns...
had previously missed two of four field goal attempts, had another aborted following a bad snap, and had one extra point blocked. In addition, the field was frozen and slippery.
With the game-time temperature at 4 °F (-15.6 °C), the coldest NFL game since the Ice Bowl
NFL Championship Game, 1967
The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game was...
of December 31, 1967, Cleveland scored first when Ron Bolton
Ron Bolton
Ronald Clifton Bolton was an American football player for the Cleveland Browns. Bolton led the Browns in interceptions in 1980.-External links:*...
returned an interception 42 yards to the end zone. However, Cockroft's ensuing extra point was blocked by Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
and the Raiders responded by driving 64 yards to score on a 1 yard touchdown run by Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen ,is an American football player, who played ten years in the National Football League, including making two Super Bowl appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders and for two seasons, the New England Patriots...
. Cockroft made two field goals in the third quarter, but in the fourth period, Oakland marched 80 yards to score on van Eeghen's second touchdown.
The quarterbacks of both teams were completely dominated throughout the game. Sipe was held to just 13 of 40 completions for 183 yards and intercepted 3 times, while Oakland's Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
completed only 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards, with 2 interceptions.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, Atlanta Falcons 27
The Cowboys scored 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to come from behind and defeat the Falcons, 30-27. Atlanta jumped to a 10-3 lead, aided by quarterback Steve BartkowskiSteve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
's 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Alfred Jenkins
Alfred Jenkins
Alfred Donnell Jenkins , is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the Birmingham Americans in 1974 and nine seasons for the Atlanta Falcons from 1975 through 1983...
. In the second quarter, Dallas recovered a fumble in Atlanta territory and tied the game quarterback Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
's 5-yard touchdown completion to tight end Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
. However, the Falcons responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lynn Cain
Lynn Cain
Lynn Dwight Cain is a retired American football running back in the National Football League.-College career:Cain played college football at the University of Southern California after transferring from East Los Angeles College....
to take a 17-10 lead. Then after forcing a punt, Atlanta mounted another drive into Dallas territory, but defensive back Steve Wilson intercepted a pass from Bartkowski and the score remained 17-10 at halftime.
Dallas started out the second half with a drive to midfield, but lost the ball on a play that initially appeared to go in their favor. Running back Preston Pearson
Preston Pearson
Preston James Pearson is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Baltimore Colts , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Dallas Cowboys . Before his NFL career, he played for the University of Illinois, where he excelled at basketball...
caught a short pass from Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
and took off for a big gain, but linebacker Joel Williams
Joel Williams
Joel Williams is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1979 to 1989. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse....
, who initially pressured White into making the pass, managed to chase Pearson down and force a fumble on the 15-yard line. After recovering the fumble, Atlanta stormed down the field and increased their lead to 24-10 with Bartkowski's 12-yard touchdown pass to running back William Andrews
William Andrews (American football player)
William Andrews is a former NFL football running back. He played collegiately at Auburn University along with future NFL backs James Brooks and Joe Cribbs....
.
Starting a drive with 3:38 left in the third quarter, Dallas mounted an 85-yard drive that ended with Robert Newhouse
Robert Newhouse
Robert Fulton Newhouse is a former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys .-College career:...
's 1-yard touchdown run with 13:50 left in the game. Dallas subsequently forced a punt, but Atlanta safety Tom Pridemore
Tom Pridemore
Larry Thomas Pridemore is a former safety from West Virginia who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and a legislator.-College:...
intercepted a pass from White and returned it 22 yards to the Cowboys 37-yard line, setting up an Atlanta field goal to increase the lead 27-17. Dallas then marched 62 yards to score on Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
's 14-yard touchdown reception with 3:04 left in the game. Then two plays after ensuing the kickoff, Dallas lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones appeared to jump offsides, which would have given the Falcons a first down, but he somehow managed to maintain his footing and avoid crossing the line of scrimmage before the snap. As a result, his sudden movement threw off Atlanta's offense and he ended up making a key tackle to end the drive and force a punt. Following the punt, Dallas advanced 70 yards to score on Pearson's 23-yard touchdown catch with 47 seconds left.
Charlie Waters fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt, keeping the score at 30-27 and giving Atlanta a chance to drive for a tying field goal. But the Falcons turned the ball over on downs before they could move it out of their own territory
Jenkins finished the game with 4 receptions for 155 yards.
The game is featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games is a series of 90-minute television programs that air on NFL Network, ESPN and related networks. They are condensed versions of some of the most famous games in the history of the National Football League, using footage and sound captured by NFL Films, as well as original...
as the Duel in Dixie.
AFC Championship: Oakland Raiders 34, San Diego Chargers 27
In the first quarter alone, Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett threw 2 touchdown passes and scored a rushing touchdown. By the time the first period ended, Oakland was up 21-7, with Plunkett recording a 65-yard touchdown on a pass to Raymond ChesterRaymond Chester
Raymond Tucker Chester was an American football tight end.Chester was drafted in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played twelve years in the NFL for the Raiders and Colts, and made four Pro Bowl squads...
that was tipped twice, once by the Raiders and once by the Chargers, a 21-yard touchdown to running back Kenny King
Kenny King (running back)
Kenneth Leon King is a former American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. He was a starter for the Raiders in Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII....
, and a 5-yard scoring run. The Chargers lone score in the opening period was quarterback Dan Fouts's 48-yard touchdown completion to Charlie Joiner
Charlie Joiner
Charles B. Joiner Jr. is a former American football player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver. He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was...
. Early in the second quarter, Oakland's Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen ,is an American football player, who played ten years in the National Football League, including making two Super Bowl appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders and for two seasons, the New England Patriots...
rushed for a 3-yard touchdown, but Fouts responded with an 8-yard touchdown to Joiner. Then San Diego scored on its first two drives of the second half to cut the Raiders lead, 28-24. However, Oakland scored two field goals by Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League.-Soccer:...
. The Chargers then scored on a 27-yard field goal midway through the final period. The Raider defense was exhausted and they implored their offense by saying "don't let them have the damn ball back"! The Raiders then held onto the ball for the last 6:43 of the game, with Plunkett scrambling twice on 3rd down to pick up key first downs, to clinch the victory. Plunkett finished the game with 14 of 18 completions for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns.
NFC Championship: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Dallas Cowboys 7
Although Philadelphia quarterback Ron JaworskiRon Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
completed only 9 of 29 passes for 91 yards and was intercepted twice, running back Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions...
led the Eagles to a victory by rushing for 194 yards and a touchdown. Montgomery scored on Philadelphia's first drive of the game with a 42-yard rushing touchdown, but the Cowboys tied the game in the second quarter with running back Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
's 3-yard touchdown. But from that point on, Dallas never posed a threat again. In the third quarter, a fumble recovery by Eagles defensive end Dennis Harrison
Dennis Harrison
Dennis Harrison, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He played in Super Bowl XV for the Philadelphia Eagles and was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1981 season...
on the Dallas 11-yard set up kicker Tony Franklin's 26-yard field goal. Then on the Cowboys next drive, Philadelphia linebacker Jerry Robinson
Jerry Robinson (American football)
Jerry Dewayne Robinson is a former professional American football linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League. He played in Super Bowl XV with the Philadelphia Eagles and went to the Pro Bowl after the 1981 season.Robinson starred at UCLA, where he was a three-time...
picked up Dorsett's fumble and returned it 22 yards to the Dallas 38-yard line. Six plays later, running back Leroy Harris scored a 9-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 17-7 lead. Franklin later added another field goal to close out the scoring. The Eagles, as home team, elected to wear their road white jerseys instead of their home green jerseys so as to force Dallas to wear their rarely-used dark blue jerseys rather than their familiar white jerseys; through the years, the Cowboys' blue jerseys were said to be jinxed since they often lost wearing them - especially in Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
.
This would be the Eagles' last playoff victory until the 1992 season. Super Bowl XV began a five-game postseason losing streak for the franchise.