1973 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season
of the National Football League
. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season. The season ended with Super Bowl VIII
when the Miami Dolphins
defeated the Minnesota Vikings
.
National Football Conference
American Football Conference
– clinched wild card
berth, – clinched division title
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season. The season ended with Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
when the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Jersey numbering system
- A jersey numbering system is adopted (players who played in the 1972 NFL season1972 NFL seasonThe 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
are grandfathered inGrandfather clauseGrandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
):- 1–19: Quarterbacks and specialists
- 20–49: Running backs and defensive backs
- 50–59: Centers and linebackers
- 60–79: Defensive linemen and offensive linemen other than centers
- 80–89: Wide receivers and tight ends
- Numbers 0, 00, and 90–99 are no longer allowed to be issued, even though these numbers were rarely issued anyway. Numbers 90–99 would be allowed again in 19841984 NFL seasonThe 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
for defensive linemen and linebackers in addition to the above mentioned numbers.
- Defensive players cannot jump or stand on a teammate while trying to block a kick.
- The clock is to start at the snap following a change of possession. Previously, the clock would start on a change of possession when the ball was spotted ready for play by the referee.
- If there is a foul by the offensive team, and it is followed by a change of possession, the period can be extended by one play by the other team.
- If the receiving team commits a foul after the ball is kicked, possession will be presumed to have changed; the receiving team keeps the ball.
Division races
Starting in 1970, and until 2002, there were three divisions (Eastern, Central and Western) in each conference. The winners of each division, and a fourth "wild card" team based on the best non-division winner, qualified for the playoffs. The tiebreaker rules were changed to start with head-to-head competition, followed by division records, common opponents records, and conference play.National Football Conference
| Week | Eastern | Central | Western | Wild Card | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 teams | 1–0–0 | 2 teams | 1–0–0 | 2 teams | 1–0–0 | 5 teams | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Tie (Dal, StL) | 2–0–0 | MINNESOTA | 2–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 2–0–0 | Tie (Dal, StL) | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | DALLAS | 3–0–0 | MINNESOTA | 3–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 3–0–0 | ST. LOUIS | 2–1–0 |
| 4 | WASHINGTON* | 3–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 5–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 4–0–0 | DALLAS | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | WASHINGTON | 4–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 5–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 5–0–0 | DALLAS | 3–2–0 |
| 6 | WASHINGTON | 5–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 6–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 6–0–0 | DALLAS | 4–2–0 |
| 7 | WASHINGTON | 5–2–0 | MINNESOTA | 7–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 6–1–0 | DALLAS* | 4–3–0 |
| 8 | WASHINGTON* | 5–3–0 | MINNESOTA | 8–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 6–2–0 | ATLANTA* | 5–3–0 |
| 9 | WASHINGTON* | 6–3–0 | MINNESOTA | 9–0–0 | LOS ANGELES | 7–2–0 | ATLANTA* | 6–3–0 |
| 10 | WASHINGTON* | 7–3–0 | MINNESOTA | 9–1–0 | LOS ANGELES | 8–2–0 | ATLANTA* | 7–3–0 |
| 11 | WASHINGTON | 8–3–0 | MINNESOTA | 10–1–0 | LOS ANGELES | 9–2–0 | ATLANTA | 8–3–0 |
| 12 | WASHINGTON* | 9–3–0 | MINNESOTA | 10–2–0 | LOS ANGELES | 10–2–0 | ATLANTA* | 8–4–0 |
| 13 | DALLAS* | 9–4–0 | MINNESOTA | 11–2–0 | LOS ANGELES | 11–2–0 | WASHINGTON | 9–4–0 |
| 14 | DALLAS | 10–4–0 | MINNESOTA | 12–2–0 | LOS ANGELES | 12–2–0 | WASHINGTON | 10–4–0 |
American Football Conference
| Week | Eastern | Central | Western | Wild Card | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Buf, Mia) | 1–0–0 | (Cle, Pit) | 1–0–0 | DENVER | 1–0–0 | 2 teams | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | N.Y. JETS | 1–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 2–0–0 | 4 teams | 1–1–0 | 7 teams | 1–1–0 |
| 3 | BUFFALO | 2–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 3–0–0 | KANSAS CITY | 2–1–0 | 3 teams | 2–1–0 |
| 4 | Tie (Buf, Mia) | 3–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 4–0–0 | KANSAS CITY | 3–1–0 | Tie (Buf, Mia) | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | Tie (Buf, Mia) | 4–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 4–1–0 | KANSAS CITY | 3–1–1 | Tie (Buf, Mia) | 4–1–0 |
| 6 | MIAMI | 5–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 5–1–0 | KANSAS CITY | 3–2–1 | CINCINNATI* | 4–2–0 |
| 7 | MIAMI | 6–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 6–1–0 | OAKLAND | 4–2–1 | BUFFALO | 5–2–0 |
| 8 | MIAMI | 7–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 7–1–0 | OAKLAND | 5–2–1 | BUFFALO | 5–3–0 |
| 9 | MIAMI | 8–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 8–1–0 | OAKLAND* | 5–3–1 | KANSAS CITY* | 5–3–1 |
| 10 | MIAMI | 9–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 8–2–0 | KANSAS CITY | 6–3–1 | CLEVELAND | 6–3–1 |
| 11 | MIAMI | 10–1–0 | PITTSBURGH | 8–3–0 | DENVER | 6–3–2 | CLEVELAND | 7–3–1 |
| 12 | MIAMI | 11–1–0 | CINCINNATI* | 8–4–0 | OAKLAND | 7–4–1 | PITTSBURGH | 8–4–0 |
| 13 | MIAMI | 11–2–0 | CINCINNATI* | 9–4–0 | OAKLAND | 8–3–1 | PITTSBURGH | 9–4–0 |
| 14 | MIAMI | 12–2–0 | CINCINNATI* | 10–4–0 | OAKLAND | 9–4–1 | PITTSBURGH | 10–4–0 |
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against– clinched wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
berth, – clinched division title
Tiebreakers
- N.Y. Jets finished ahead of Baltimore in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Cincinnati finished ahead of Pittsburgh in the AFC Central based on better conference record (8–3 to Steelers' 7–4).
- Kansas City finished ahead of Denver in the AFC West based on better division record (4–2 to Broncos' 3–2–1).
- Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on better point differential in head-to-head games (13 points).
- San Francisco finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC West based on better division record (2–4 to Saints' 1–5).
Playoffs
- Note: Prior to the 1975 season1975 NFL seasonThe 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.
Awards
| Most Valuable Player NFL Most Valuable Player Award The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP... |
O.J. Simpson, Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... , Buffalo |
| Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the... |
Chuck Knox Chuck Knox Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with... , L.A. Rams |
| Offensive Player of the Year NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player of the National Football League believed to have had the most outstanding season... |
O.J. Simpson, Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... , Buffalo |
| Defensive Player of the Year NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie... |
Dick Anderson Dick Anderson Richard Paul Anderson is a former American football safety for the AFL's and NFL's Miami Dolphins, where he played for his entire ten year career from 1968 to 1977 missing one of those seasons with a knee injury.... , Safety, Miami |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:... , Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... , Minnesota |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Wally Chambers Wally Chambers Wallace Hashim Chambers is a former American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears and defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s... , Defensive Tackle, Chicago |