1974 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season
of the National Football League
. The season ended with Super Bowl IX
when the Pittsburgh Steelers
defeated the Minnesota Vikings
. Players held a strike from July until August prior to the regular season beginning.
to their games):
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 ended with Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
when the Pittsburgh Steelers
1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season
-NFL Draft:In the 1974 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in NFL history to select four Pro Football Hall of Fame players in the same draft .* Round 1: Lynn Swann, USC...
defeated the Minnesota Vikings
1974 Minnesota Vikings season
-References:...
. Players held a strike from July until August prior to the regular season beginning.
Major rule changes
The following changes were adopted to add tempo and action to the game (and to help counter the proposed changes announced by the World Football LeagueWorld Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
to their games):
- One sudden death overtime period (15 minutes) was added to all preseason and regular season games; if no team scored in this period, the game would result in a tie. This rule was enacted to decrease the number of tie games. The first ever regular season overtime, a September 22 game between the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, ended in a 35–35 draw. It was not until November 10, when the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 26–20, that an overtime game would produce a winner. - Goal posts: moved from the goal line to the end line, where they were in 19321932 NFL season-League leaders:-References:* NFL Record and Fact Book * * * Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League...
. This was to reduce the number of games being decided on field goals, and to increase their difficulty, as well as to reduce the risk of player injuries. Uprights were extended to 30 feet above the crossbar. - Missed field goals: The defensive team takes possession of the ball at the line of scrimmage or the 20-yard line, whichever is farther from the goal line. (In 19941994 NFL seasonThe 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
, that reference to the line of scimmage was changed to the kick spot, which is usually 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage.) Notice that the 20-yard line is where the defense takes possession after a touchbackTouchbackIn American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
. - Kickoffs: moved to the 35-yard line (from the 40-yard line) to reduce touchbacks, promoting more excitement with kickoff returns. In 19941994 NFL seasonThe 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
, the kickoff would be moved farther back, to the 30-yard line, where it would stay until it was moved back to the 35 for the 2011 season2011 NFL seasonThe 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
. - Punt returns: members of the kicking team cannot go beyond the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked, except the player at the farthest end of each side of the snapper.
- An eligible pass receiver can only be contacted once by defenders after the receiver has gone 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
- When the defensive team commits an illegal use of hands, arms, or body foul from behind the line of scrimmage, the penalty will be assessed from the previous spot instead of the spot of the foul.
- The penalties for offensive holding, illegal use of hands, and tripping were reduced from 15-yards to 10-yards.
- Wide receivers blocking back towards the ball within three yards from the line of scrimmage may not block below the waist.
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 | 3 teams | 1-0-0 | (Chi, Min) | 1-0-0 | (LA, SF) | 1-0-0 | 4 teams | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | ST. LOUIS | 2-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 2-0-0 | Tie (LA, SF) | 2-0-0 | Tie (LA, SF) | 2-0-0 |
| 3 | ST. LOUIS | 3-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 3-0-0 | Tie (LA, SF) | 2-1-0 | 4 teams | 2-1-0 |
| 4 | ST. LOUIS | 4-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 4-0-0 | LOS ANGELES | 3-1-0 | PHILADELPHIA | 3-1-0 |
| 5 | ST. LOUIS | 5-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 5-0-0 | LOS ANGELES | 3-2-0 | PHILADELPHIA | 4-1-0 |
| 6 | ST. LOUIS | 6-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 5-1-0 | LOS ANGELES | 4-2-0 | PHILADELPHIA | 4-2-0 |
| 7 | ST. LOUIS | 7-0-0 | MINNESOTA | 5-2-0 | LOS ANGELES | 5-2-0 | WASHINGTON | 4-3-0 |
| 8 | ST. LOUIS | 7-1-0 | MINNESOTA | 6-2-0 | LOS ANGELES | 6-2-0 | WASHINGTON | 5-3-0 |
| 9 | ST. LOUIS | 7-2-0 | MINNESOTA | 7-2-0 | LOS ANGELES | 7-2-0 | WASHINGTON | 6-3-0 |
| 10 | ST. LOUIS | 8-2-0 | MINNESOTA | 7-3-0 | LOS ANGELES | 7-3-0 | WASHINGTON | 7-3-0 |
| 11 | ST. LOUIS | 9-2-0 | MINNESOTA | 7-4-0 | LOS ANGELES | 8-3-0 | WASHINGTON | 8-3-0 |
| 12 | ST. LOUIS | 9-3-0 | MINNESOTA | 8-4-0 | LOS ANGELES | 9-3-0 | WASHINGTON | 8-4-0 |
| 13 | ST. LOUIS | 9-4-0 | MINNESOTA | 9-4-0 | LOS ANGELES | 9-4-0 | WASHINGTON | 9-4-0 |
| 14 | ST. LOUIS | 10-4-0 | MINNESOTA | 10-4-0 | LOS ANGELES | 10-4-0 | WASHINGTON | 10-4-0 |
American Football Conference
| Week | Eastern | Central | Western | Wild Card | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Buf, Mia) | 1-0-0 | 3 teams | 1-0-0 | KANSAS CITY | 1-0-0 | 3 teams | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | NEW ENGLAND | 2-0-0 | PITTSBURGH | 1-0-1 | OAKLAND* | 1-1-0 | 8 teams | 1-1-0 |
| 3 | NEW ENGLAND | 3-0-0 | CINCINNATI | 2-1-0 | OAKLAND* | 2-1-0 | 3 teams | 2-1-0 |
| 4 | NEW ENGLAND | 4-0-0 | CINCINNATI | 3-1-0 | OAKLAND | 3-1-0 | PITTSBURGH | 2-1-1 |
| 5 | NEW ENGLAND | 5-0-0 | CINCINNATI | 4-1-0 | OAKLAND | 4-1-0 | BUFFALO | 4-1-0 |
| 6 | BUFFALO | 5-1-0 | PITTSBURGH | 4-1-1 | OAKLAND | 5-1-0 | NEW ENGLAND | 5-1-0 |
| 7 | BUFFALO | 6-1-0 | PITTSBURGH | 5-1-1 | OAKLAND | 6-1-0 | NEW ENGLAND | 6-1-0 |
| 8 | BUFFALO | 7-1-0 | PITTSBURGH | 6-1-1 | OAKLAND | 7-1-0 | NEW ENGLAND | 6-2-0 |
| 9 | MIAMI | 7-2-0 | PITTSBURGH | 6-2-1 | OAKLAND | 8-1-0 | BUFFALO | 7-2-0 |
| 10 | MIAMI | 8-2-0 | PITTSBURGH | 7-2-1 | OAKLAND | 9-1-0 | BUFFALO | 7-3-0 |
| 11 | MIAMI | 8-3-0 | PITTSBURGH | 8-2-1 | OAKLAND | 9-2-0 | BUFFALO | 8-3-0 |
| 12 | MIAMI | 9-3-0 | PITTSBURGH | 8-3-1 | OAKLAND | 10-2-0 | BUFFALO | 9-3-0 |
| 13 | MIAMI | 10-3-0 | PITTSBURGH | 9-3-1 | OAKLAND | 11-2-0 | BUFFALO | 9-4-0 |
| 14 | MIAMI | 11-3-0 | PITTSBURGH | 10-3-1 | OAKLAND | 12-2-0 | BUFFALO | 9-5-0 |
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
- New England finished ahead of N.Y. Jets in the AFC East based on better record against common opponents (5–4 to Jets' 4–5).
- Houston finished ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Kansas City finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on better record against common opponents (4–6 to Chargers' 3–7).
- St. Louis finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
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... |
Ken Stabler Ken Stabler Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Oakland |
| 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... |
Don Coryell Don Coryell Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"... , St. Louis Cardinals |
| 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... |
Ken Stabler Ken Stabler Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Oakland |
| 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... |
Joe Greene Joe Greene (American football) Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League... , Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... , Pittsburgh |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Don Woods, 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... , San Diego |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Jack Lambert, Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... , Pittsburgh |