NFL playoffs, 1974-75
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1974 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl IX
. This was the last season in which the sites for the playoff games annually alternated by division.
AFC
In a play that became known as the Sea of Hands, the Raiders' Clarence Davis
somehow caught the winning touchdown pass with 24 seconds left in the game among "the sea of hands" of three Dolphins defenders.
The game began when Nat Moore
returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a Miami touchdown. After an exchange of punts, Oakland tied the game with Ken Stabler
's 31-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith. But with 1:01 left in the half, Miami's Garo Yepremian
kicked a 33-yard field goal to put the Dolphins back in the lead.
The Raiders scored on their opening drive of the third quarter with Stabler's 13-yard touchdown pass to Fred Biletnikoff
, giving them a 14-10 lead. Aided by a 29-yard pass interference penalty against the Raiders on third down, Miami struck back with Bob Griese
's 16-yard touchdown pass to Paul Warfield
. But Oakland lineman Bubba Smith
blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the Miami lead at just 2 points, 16-14.
Early in the fourth quarter, Yepremian increased Miami's lead to 19-14 with a 46-yard field goal. Later in the period, Oakland got the ball on their own 17-yard line. Stabler started the drive with an 11-yard completion to Biletnikoff. On the next play, he threw a pass to Cliff Branch
at the Dolphins 27-yard line. Branch made a spectacular diving catch and then got back up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown reception, giving the Raiders a 21-19 lead with 4:37 left in the game. With 2:08 left to play, the Dolphins took a 26-21 lead with a 68-yard, 4-play drive that ended with Benny Malone
's 23-yard touchdown run.
Following a 20-yard kickoff return by Ron Smith, the Raiders got the ball on their own 32-yard line with 2 minutes left to play and all three timeouts left. After a 6-yard completion to tight end Bob Moore and a short run, Stabler went deep to Biletnikoff, completing two consecutive passes to him for gains of 18 and 20 yards. Then after a 4-yard catch by Branch, Frank Pitts
made a bobbling first down catch at the Dolphins 14-yard line. On the next play, Clarence Davis
ran the ball 6 yards to the 8-yard line, where the Raiders called their final timeout. On the next play, Stabler dropped back to pass and looked for Biletnikoff in the end zone, but he was tightly covered. With Dolphins defensive end Vern Den Herder
dragging him down, Stabler threw a desperate pass to the left side of the end zone into a "sea of hands", where Davis fought his way through the Dolphins defenders to make the touchdown catch.
Trailing 28-26, the Dolphins got the ball back with 24 seconds left. But on their second play of the drive, Oakland linebacker Phil Villapiano
intercepted Griese's pass at the Raiders 45-yard line, allowing his team to run out the rest of the clock.
"This has to be the toughest loss I've ever suffered," said Miami coach Don Shula, "The Raiders are a great credit to professional football," he added. "They needed touchdowns to win and they got them."http://www.raiders.com/common/article.aspx?id=1164
NFC
Aided by the Cardinals' turnovers, the Vikings scored 16 points in less than 7 minutes in the third quarter. After a scoreless first quarter, St. Louis got onto the scoreboard first with quarterback Jim Hart
's 13-yard touchdown pass, but Minnesota counter when quarterback Fran Tarkenton
completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
. Then, Jeff Wright
's interception on the opening drive of the second half led to Fred Cox
's 37-yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead, 10-7. On the Cardinals' ensuing drive, Terry Metcalf
fumbled and Nate Wright
picked up the loose ball and returned it 20-yards to the end zone. Tarkenton later threw his second touchdown pass to Gilliam, and Chuck Foreman
recorded a 4-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota a 30-7 lead. By the time Metcalf and rushed for an 11-yard fourth quarter touchdown, the game was already out of reach for the Cardinals.
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers
Running back Franco Harris
led the Steelers to the victory by scoring 3 touchdowns in the second quarter. Pittsburgh scored on their first possession with Roy Gerela
's 21-yard field goal, but the Bills responded with tight end Paul Seymour's 27-yard touchdown reception. The Steelers then scored 26 unanswered points in the second quarter, starting with quarterback Terry Bradshaw
's 27-yard pass to running back Rocky Bleier. The Steelers lead 29-7 at halftime. Harris then scored his first touchdown of the game on a 67-yard Pittsburgh drive. A Buffalo fumble led to Harris' second touchdown, and his third score came with 16 seconds left in the first half. The Steelers recorded 438 yards of total offense, while limiting Bills running back O.J. Simpson to 49 rushing yards.
NFC: Los Angeles Rams 19, Washington Redskins
Linebacker Isiah Robertson
returned an interception 59 yards in the fourth quarter to clinch the Rams victory. Los Angeles scored on the opening drive of the game with quarterback James Harris' 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bob Klein
. However, the Redskins scored 10 unanswered points before halftime. First Mike Bragg
kicked a 35-yard field goal, then Pat Fischer
's interception set up Moses Denson
's 1-yard rushing touchdown. Two Washington turnovers in the second half set up two field goals by Rams kicker David Ray
. With the Redskins driving for the possible tying field goal, defensive tackle Merlin Olsen
pressured quarterback Sonny Jurgensen
into throwing the game clinching interception to Robertson, who weaved his way back and forth across the field as he ran to the end zone. Olsen then recorded two more sacks, preventing any hopes of a Redskins comeback. Joe Theismann
was returning punts for the Redskins at this time.
. But Pittsburgh tied the game again six seconds into the fourth quarter with Franco Harris
' 6-yard touchdown reception from Terry Bradshaw. Then linebacker Jack Ham intercepted a pass, and Bradshaw threw a 6-yard touchdown to Lynn Swann
. Faced with third down at the Pittsburgh 12-yard line, Stabler was forced to throw an incomplete pass, and the Raiders had to settle for a field goal to cut the Steelers' lead, 17-13. But Harris then scored on a 21-yard rushing touchdown to put the game away.
threw a 29-yard touchdown to Jim Lash
. Rams kicker David Ray later added a 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 before halftime. In the third quarter, Los Angeles advanced the ball from their own 1-yard line to the Minnesota 1-yard line. The big play on the drive was a 73-yard pass play to Harold Jackson
, who was finally pushed out of bounds at the Vikings 2 by safety Jeff Wright
. A controversial illegal procedure penalty on Rams guard Tom Mack
(TV replays showed Mack did not move), on which Alan Page
appeared to have jumped offside, pushed the ball back to the 6-yard line, and two plays later Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg
intercepted the ball in the end zone for a touchback
. Minnesota then went on a 15-play drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock to score on Dave Osborn
's 4-yard touchdown run. With 7:15 left to play in the game, the Rams then cut the deficit to 14-10 with Harold Jackson
's 44-yard touchdown reception. Then after forcing the Vikings to punt, Los Angeles drove to the Minnesota 45-yard line. But a third down sack forced the Rams to punt again and the Vikings kept the ball to run out the clock.
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 1974 NFL season
1974 NFL season
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...
led up to 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...
. This was the last season in which the sites for the playoff games annually alternated by division.
Bracket
- 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.
AFCAmerican Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
: Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
28, Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe 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...
26
In a play that became known as the Sea of Hands, the Raiders' Clarence DavisClarence Davis
Clarence Eugene Davis is a former American football running back who played with the National Football League's Oakland Raiders from 1971 to 1978.-College career:...
somehow caught the winning touchdown pass with 24 seconds left in the game among "the sea of hands" of three Dolphins defenders.
The game began when Nat Moore
Nat Moore
Nathaniel "Nat" Moore is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for thirteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a Miami touchdown. After an exchange of punts, Oakland tied the game with 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...
's 31-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith. But with 1:01 left in the half, Miami's Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
kicked a 33-yard field goal to put the Dolphins back in the lead.
The Raiders scored on their opening drive of the third quarter with Stabler's 13-yard touchdown pass to Fred Biletnikoff
Fred Biletnikoff
Frederick S. "Fred" Biletnikoff is a former American football wide receiver and coach. He spent the majority of his professional playing and coaching days with the Oakland Raiders...
, giving them a 14-10 lead. Aided by a 29-yard pass interference penalty against the Raiders on third down, Miami struck back with Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
's 16-yard touchdown pass to Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
. But Oakland lineman Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the Miami lead at just 2 points, 16-14.
Early in the fourth quarter, Yepremian increased Miami's lead to 19-14 with a 46-yard field goal. Later in the period, Oakland got the ball on their own 17-yard line. Stabler started the drive with an 11-yard completion to Biletnikoff. On the next play, he threw a pass to Cliff Branch
Cliff Branch
Cliff Branch is a retired American football wide receiver who spent his entire 14-year NFL career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning three Super Bowl rings in Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII...
at the Dolphins 27-yard line. Branch made a spectacular diving catch and then got back up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown reception, giving the Raiders a 21-19 lead with 4:37 left in the game. With 2:08 left to play, the Dolphins took a 26-21 lead with a 68-yard, 4-play drive that ended with Benny Malone
Benny Malone
Benjamin Malone Jr. is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Arizona State and was drafted in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft...
's 23-yard touchdown run.
Following a 20-yard kickoff return by Ron Smith, the Raiders got the ball on their own 32-yard line with 2 minutes left to play and all three timeouts left. After a 6-yard completion to tight end Bob Moore and a short run, Stabler went deep to Biletnikoff, completing two consecutive passes to him for gains of 18 and 20 yards. Then after a 4-yard catch by Branch, Frank Pitts
Frank Pitts
Frank H. Pitts is a former professional American football wide receiver in the American Football League and the National Football League...
made a bobbling first down catch at the Dolphins 14-yard line. On the next play, Clarence Davis
Clarence Davis
Clarence Eugene Davis is a former American football running back who played with the National Football League's Oakland Raiders from 1971 to 1978.-College career:...
ran the ball 6 yards to the 8-yard line, where the Raiders called their final timeout. On the next play, Stabler dropped back to pass and looked for Biletnikoff in the end zone, but he was tightly covered. With Dolphins defensive end Vern Den Herder
Vern Den Herder
Vern Wayne Den Herder was an American football player who played twelve seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He played in three Super Bowls for the Dolphins. In 1996 he was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.-High school:Den Herder attended high school in Sioux Center, Iowa...
dragging him down, Stabler threw a desperate pass to the left side of the end zone into a "sea of hands", where Davis fought his way through the Dolphins defenders to make the touchdown catch.
Trailing 28-26, the Dolphins got the ball back with 24 seconds left. But on their second play of the drive, Oakland linebacker Phil Villapiano
Phil Villapiano
Philip James Villapiano is a former American football linebacker in the NFL. He played in four Pro Bowls and was a part of the Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XI winning team....
intercepted Griese's pass at the Raiders 45-yard line, allowing his team to run out the rest of the clock.
"This has to be the toughest loss I've ever suffered," said Miami coach Don Shula, "The Raiders are a great credit to professional football," he added. "They needed touchdowns to win and they got them."http://www.raiders.com/common/article.aspx?id=1164
NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
: Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe 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...
30, St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
14
Aided by the Cardinals' turnovers, the Vikings scored 16 points in less than 7 minutes in the third quarter. After a scoreless first quarter, St. Louis got onto the scoreboard first with quarterback Jim HartJim Hart (football player)
James Warren Hart is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966 through 1983 and the Washington Redskins in 1984. From 1974-1976, he guided the Cardinals to three straight 10+ win seasons along with back to back division crowns in...
's 13-yard touchdown pass, but Minnesota counter when quarterback Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam
John Gilliam
John Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St...
. Then, Jeff Wright
Jeff Wright (defensive back)
Jeff Ralph Wright is an American football player.He played safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1971-1977....
's interception on the opening drive of the second half led to Fred Cox
Fred Cox
Frederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker who played for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career . Fred was raised in Monongahela, PA, where his family owned a grocery store...
's 37-yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead, 10-7. On the Cardinals' ensuing drive, Terry Metcalf
Terry Metcalf
Terrance Randolph Metcalf is a former professional American football running back who played six total seasons in the National Football League, five of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, and one with the Washington Redskins. He attended Long Beach State University...
fumbled and Nate Wright
Nate Wright
-Professional career:Wright earned All-Pro honors at defensive back in 1974 and 1976. His career consisted mostly of time as a defensive back with the great Minnesota Vikings teams of the 1970s...
picked up the loose ball and returned it 20-yards to the end zone. Tarkenton later threw his second touchdown pass to Gilliam, and 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:...
recorded a 4-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota a 30-7 lead. By the time Metcalf and rushed for an 11-yard fourth quarter touchdown, the game was already out of reach for the Cardinals.
AFC: 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...
32, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
14
Running back Franco HarrisFranco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
led the Steelers to the victory by scoring 3 touchdowns in the second quarter. Pittsburgh scored on their first possession with Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings....
's 21-yard field goal, but the Bills responded with tight end Paul Seymour's 27-yard touchdown reception. The Steelers then scored 26 unanswered points in the second quarter, starting with quarterback Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
's 27-yard pass to running back Rocky Bleier. The Steelers lead 29-7 at halftime. Harris then scored his first touchdown of the game on a 67-yard Pittsburgh drive. A Buffalo fumble led to Harris' second touchdown, and his third score came with 16 seconds left in the first half. The Steelers recorded 438 yards of total offense, while limiting Bills running back O.J. Simpson to 49 rushing yards.
NFC: Los Angeles Rams 19, Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
10
Linebacker Isiah RobertsonIsiah Robertson
Isiah "Butch" Robertson is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills . He was selected to six Pro Bowls during his years with the Rams. He picked off 25 passes in his career, returning three for touchdowns...
returned an interception 59 yards in the fourth quarter to clinch the Rams victory. Los Angeles scored on the opening drive of the game with quarterback James Harris' 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bob Klein
Bob Klein
Bob Klein is a retired American football tight end.Klein played college football at the University of Southern California. He then played for the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers between 1969 and 1979.-References:...
. However, the Redskins scored 10 unanswered points before halftime. First Mike Bragg
Mike Bragg
Michael Edward Bragg is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Richmond and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1968 NFL Draft....
kicked a 35-yard field goal, then Pat Fischer
Pat Fischer
Patrick Fischer is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961 to 1967, and the Washington Redskins from 1968 to 1977....
's interception set up Moses Denson
Moses Denson
Moses Denson is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore....
's 1-yard rushing touchdown. Two Washington turnovers in the second half set up two field goals by Rams kicker David Ray
David Ray (American football)
David Eugene Ray, Jr. is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Alabama as a kicker and wide receiver. He was an All-American kicker in 1964...
. With the Redskins driving for the possible tying field goal, defensive tackle Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen
Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
pressured quarterback Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
into throwing the game clinching interception to Robertson, who weaved his way back and forth across the field as he ran to the end zone. Olsen then recorded two more sacks, preventing any hopes of a Redskins comeback. Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
was returning punts for the Redskins at this time.
AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Oakland Raiders 13
After trailing 10-3 at the end of the third quarter, the Steelers scored three touchdowns in the final period. The first half was controlled by both defenses, leading to a 3-3 score at halftime. However, the Raiders took the lead in the third quarter with Ken Stabler's 38-yard touchdown pass Cliff BranchCliff Branch
Cliff Branch is a retired American football wide receiver who spent his entire 14-year NFL career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning three Super Bowl rings in Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII...
. But Pittsburgh tied the game again six seconds into the fourth quarter with Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
' 6-yard touchdown reception from Terry Bradshaw. Then linebacker Jack Ham intercepted a pass, and Bradshaw threw a 6-yard touchdown to Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
. Faced with third down at the Pittsburgh 12-yard line, Stabler was forced to throw an incomplete pass, and the Raiders had to settle for a field goal to cut the Steelers' lead, 17-13. But Harris then scored on a 21-yard rushing touchdown to put the game away.
NFC Championship: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 10
The Vikings were able to hold onto the ball for the final 5:37 of the game to preserve a 14-10 victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota quarterback Fran TarkentonFran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
threw a 29-yard touchdown to Jim Lash
Jim Lash
James Verle "Jim" Lash is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League in the 1970s and played on three Super Bowl teams. He attended Garfield High School in Akron, Ohio, the same high school that fellow NFL wide receiver Steve Craig attended...
. Rams kicker David Ray later added a 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 before halftime. In the third quarter, Los Angeles advanced the ball from their own 1-yard line to the Minnesota 1-yard line. The big play on the drive was a 73-yard pass play to Harold Jackson
Harold Jackson (American football)
Harold Leon Jackson is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League from 1968 through 1983. Jackson was drafted in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams...
, who was finally pushed out of bounds at the Vikings 2 by safety Jeff Wright
Jeff Wright (defensive back)
Jeff Ralph Wright is an American football player.He played safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1971-1977....
. A controversial illegal procedure penalty on Rams guard Tom Mack
Tom Mack
Thomas Lee Mack is a former left guard for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, spending all 13-years with them from 1966 to 1978...
(TV replays showed Mack did not move), on which Alan Page
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
appeared to have jumped offside, pushed the ball back to the 6-yard line, and two plays later Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg
Wally Hilgenberg
Walter Hilgenberg was a professional American football player.Hilgenberg was born in Marshalltown, Iowa in 1942. His family moved to Wilton where he grew up and graduated from Wilton High School....
intercepted the ball in the end zone for a touchback
Touchback
In 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...
. Minnesota then went on a 15-play drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock to score on Dave Osborn
Dave Osborn
Dave Osborn is a former professional American football player who played running back for twelve seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers....
's 4-yard touchdown run. With 7:15 left to play in the game, the Rams then cut the deficit to 14-10 with Harold Jackson
Harold Jackson (American football)
Harold Leon Jackson is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League from 1968 through 1983. Jackson was drafted in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams...
's 44-yard touchdown reception. Then after forcing the Vikings to punt, Los Angeles drove to the Minnesota 45-yard line. But a third down sack forced the Rams to punt again and the Vikings kept the ball to run out the clock.