1973 NFL season
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| 1973 National Football League season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||
| Duration | September 16, 1973 - December 16, 1973 | ||
| Playoffs | |||
| Start date | December 22, 1973 | ||
| AFC Champions | Miami Dolphins | ||
| NFC Champions | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Super Bowl VIII | |||
| Date | January 13, 1974 | ||
| Site | Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas | ||
| Champions | Miami Dolphins | ||
| Pro Bowl | |||
| Date | January 20, 1974 | ||
National Football League seasons
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The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VIII when the Miami Dolphins defeated the Minnesota Vikings.
Contents |
[edit] Major rule changes
- A jersey numbering system is adopted (players who played in the 1972 NFL season are grandfathered in):
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
[edit] Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Qualified for playoffs |
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 343 | 150 |
| Buffalo Bills | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 259 | 230 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 258 | 300 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 240 | 306 |
| Baltimore Colts | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 226 | 341 |
| AFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 286 | 231 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 347 | 210 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 5 | 2 | .571 | 234 | 255 |
| Houston Oilers | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | 199 | 447 |
| AFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Oakland Raiders | 9 | 4 | 1 | .679 | 292 | 175 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 5 | 2 | .571 | 231 | 192 |
| Denver Broncos | 7 | 5 | 2 | .571 | 354 | 296 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2 | 11 | 1 | .179 | 188 | 386 |
| NFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 382 | 203 |
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 325 | 198 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | 8 | 1 | .393 | 310 | 393 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 286 | 365 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 11 | 1 | .179 | 226 | 362 |
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Minnesota Vikings | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 296 | 168 |
| Detroit Lions | 6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 271 | 247 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 7 | 2 | .429 | 202 | 259 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 195 | 334 |
| NFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Los Angeles Rams | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 388 | 178 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 318 | 224 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 262 | 319 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 163 | 312 |
[edit] 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).
[edit] Playoffs
- Note: Prior to the 1975 season, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.
| Divisional Playoffs | Conf. Championship Games | Super Bowl VIII | ||||||||
| December 22 - Metropolitan Stadium | ||||||||||
| Washington Redskins | 20 | |||||||||
| December 30 - Texas Stadium | ||||||||||
| Minnesota Vikings | 27 | |||||||||
| Minnesota Vikings | 27 | |||||||||
| December 23 - Texas Stadium | ||||||||||
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | |||||||||
| Los Angeles Rams | 16 | |||||||||
| January 13 – Rice Stadium | ||||||||||
| Dallas Cowboys | 27 | |||||||||
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | |||||||||
| December 22 - Oakland Coliseum | ||||||||||
| Miami Dolphins | 24 | |||||||||
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 14 | |||||||||
| December 30 - Miami Orange Bowl | ||||||||||
| Oakland Raiders | 33 | |||||||||
| Oakland Raiders | 10 | |||||||||
| December 23 - Miami Orange Bowl | ||||||||||
| Miami Dolphins | 27 | |||||||||
| Cincinnati Bengals | 16 | |||||||||
| Miami Dolphins | 34 | |||||||||
[edit] References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- 1973 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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