The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first after the consummation of the AFL–NFL merger. The merged league realigned into two conferences: all ten of the American Football League (AFL) teams joined the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers to form the American Football Conference (AFC); the other thirteen NFL clubs formed the National Football Conference (NFC).
The season concluded in 1971 with Super Bowl V on January 17, as the Baltimore Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Pro Bowl was the following Sunday; the NFC beat the AFC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Merger between NFL and AFL
The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. During the previous season, there were sixteen NFL teams and ten AFL teams:
+ 1969 AFL teamsEasternWesternBuffalo BillsDenver BroncosMiami DolphinsKansas City ChiefsBoston PatriotsOakland RaidersNew York JetsSan Diego ChargersHouston OilersCincinnati Bengals
+1969 NFL teamsEasternWesternCapitolCenturyCentralCoastalDallas CowboysCleveland BrownsChicago BearsLos Angeles RamsNew Orleans SaintsNew York GiantsDetroit LionsSan Francisco 49ersPhiladelphia EaglesPittsburgh SteelersGreen Bay PackersAtlanta FalconsWashington RedskinsSt. Louis CardinalsMinnesota VikingsBaltimore Colts
Because there were more NFL teams than AFL teams, three teams needed to be transferred to balance the two new conferences at thirteen teams each. In May 1969, the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to join the ten AFL teams to form the American Football Conference (AFC); the remaining NFL teams formed the National Football Conference (NFC).
Replacing the old Eastern and Western conferences (although divisions from those conferences still existed but were renamed to suit the realignment), the new conferences, AFC and NFC, function similar to Major League Baseball's American and National leagues, and each of those two were divided into three divisions: East, Central, and West. The two Eastern divisions had five teams; the other four divisions had four teams each. The realignment discussions for the NFC were so contentious that one final plan, out of five of them, was selected from an envelope in a vase by Commissioner Pete Rozelle's secretary, Thelma Elkjer on January 16, 1970.
The format agreed on was as follows:
+ 1970 NFL teamsAFCEastCentralWestBaltimore ColtsCincinnati BengalsDenver BroncosBoston PatriotsCleveland BrownsKansas City ChiefsBuffalo BillsHouston OilersOakland RaidersMiami DolphinsPittsburgh SteelersSan Diego ChargersNew York JetsNFCEastCentralWestDallas CowboysChicago BearsAtlanta FalconsNew York GiantsDetroit LionsLos Angeles RamsPhiladelphia EaglesGreen Bay PackersNew Orleans SaintsSt. Louis CardinalsMinnesota VikingsSan Francisco 49ersWashington Redskins
This arrangement would keep most of the pre-merger NFL teams in the NFC and the AFL teams in the AFC. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Baltimore were placed in the AFC in order to balance the conferences, while the NFC equalized the competitive strength of its East and West divisions rather than sorting out teams purely geographically.
Division alignment in 1970 largely kept traditional rivals in the same division. Plans were also made to add two expansion teams, but this would not take place until 1976, seven years after the merger, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks joined the league.
The 26-team league also began to use an eight-team playoff format, four from each conference, that included the three division winners and a wild card team, the second-place team with the best record.
Draft The 1970 NFL draft was held from January 27 to 28, 1970, at New York City's Belmont Plaza Hotel. With the first pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana Tech University.
Major rule changes
The NFL rules became the standardized rules for the merged league, with two exceptions that were both carried over from the AFL: The stadium's scoreboard clock became the official game clock. An official (the line judge beginning in 1965) kept the official time on the field in the NFL; however, the scoreboard clock was the official timepiece for the four Super Bowls contested prior to the merger. The practice of having the players' last names added to the backs of their jerseys became universal. The old NFL teams did not have names on the back prior to this season, whereas the AFL teams did.
After experimenting with compromise rules regarding the two-point conversion (then exclusive to the AFL) during the late 1960s preseasons, the NFL decided not to use that feature and use its previous rule only allowing one point for any conversion. The two-point conversion would later be added to the NFL rules in 1994.
Deaths March 2 - Paul Christman, age 51. Played quarterback for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. Led the Cardinals to the 1947 NFL Championship. March 17 - Clark Shaughnessy, age 78. Head coach for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947-1948, and Defensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 1951-1962. June 16, 1970 - Brian Piccolo, Chicago Bears running back. July 21 - Bob Kalsu, age 25. Offensive guard for the Buffalo Bills. Killed while on active duty during the Vietnam War. July 31 - Jimmy Conzelman, age 72. Played Wing Back for the Detroit Lions, Milwaukee Badgers, and Providence Steam Roller. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1964. September 3 - Vince Lombardi, age 57. Led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships and two Super Bowl Championships, later was the head coach for the Washington Redskins.
Division races Starting in 1970, 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 intra-conference records and finally a coin flip. This became problematic during the final week of the regular season when potential victories by the Cowboys, Lions and Giants (all of whom were playing at home and favored to win) would have resulted in all three teams having similar records, New York winning the NFC East championship and a coin toss between Dallas and Detroit to decide the wild card. That possibility was averted when the Giants lost to the Rams.Durso, Joseph. "Jaws of Defeat Close With Giants’ Chins Up," The New York Times, Monday, December 21, 1970. Retrieved December 1, 2021 Because of this close call regarding possible use of coin toss, future tie-breakers would be expanded to have more competitive aspects.
National Football Conference Week Eastern Central Western Wild Card 1 Dallas 1–0–0 3 teams 1–0–0 3 teams 1–0–0 4 teams 1–0–0 2 Dallas 2–0–0 3 teams 2–0–0 2 teams 2–0–0 3 teams 2–0–0 3 St. Louis* 2–1–0 Detroit 3–0–0 Los Angeles 3–0–0 6 teams 2–1–0 4 St. Louis* 3–1–0 Detroit* 3–1–0 San Francisco* 3–1–0 4 teams 3–1–0 5 St. Louis 4–1–0 Detroit* 4–1–0 Los Angeles 4–1–0 Minnesota 4–1–0 6 St. Louis* 4–2–0 Detroit* 5–1–0 San Francisco 4–1–1 Minnesota 5–1–0 7 St. Louis* 5–2–0 Minnesota 6–1–0 San Francisco 5–1–1 3 teams 5–2–0 8 St. Louis 6–2–0 Minnesota 7–1–0 San Francisco 6–1–1 Los Angeles 5–2–1 9 St. Louis 7–2–0 Minnesota 8–1–0 San Francisco 7–1–1 N.Y. Giants 6–3–0 10 St. Louis 7–2–1 Minnesota 9–1–0 San Francisco 7–2–1 Los Angeles 6–3–1 11 St. Louis 8–2–1 Minnesota 9–2–0 Los Angeles* 7–3–1 San Francisco 7–3–1 12 St. Louis 8–3–1 Minnesota 10–2–0 Los Angeles* 8–3–1 San Francisco 8–3–1 13 N.Y. Giants* 9–4–0 Minnesota 11–2–0 San Francisco 9–3–1 Dallas* 9–4–0 14Dallas 10–4–0Minnesota 12–2–0San Francisco 10–3–1Detroit 10–4–0
American Football Conference Week Eastern Central Western Wild Card 1 2 teams 1–0–0 3 teams 1–0–0 Denver 1–0–0 3 teams 1–0–0 2 4 teams 1–1–0 3 teams 1–1–0 Denver 2–0–0 6 teams 1–1–0 3 Baltimore* 2–1–0 2 teams 2–1–0 Denver 3–0–0 2 teams 2–1–0 4 Baltimore* 3–1–0 Cleveland 3–1–0 Denver 3–1–0 Miami 3–1–0 5 Baltimore* 4–1–0 Cleveland 3–2–0 Denver 4–1–0 Miami 4–1–0 6 Baltimore 5–1–0 Cleveland 4–2–0 Denver 4–2–0 Miami 4–2–0 7 Baltimore 6–1–0 Cleveland 4–3–0 Oakland 3–2–2 Denver 4–3–0 8 Baltimore 7–1–0 Cleveland* 4–4–0 Oakland 4–2–2 Kansas City 4–3–1 9 Baltimore 7–1–1 Cleveland* 4–5–0 Oakland 5–2–2 Kansas City 5–3–1 10 Baltimore 7–2–1 Cleveland 5–5–0 Oakland 6–2–2 Kansas City 5–3–2 11 Baltimore 8–2–1 Cleveland* 5–6–0 Oakland* 6–3–2 Kansas City 6–3–2 12 Baltimore 9–2–1 Cleveland* 6–6–0 Oakland* 7–3–2 Kansas City 7–3–2 13 Baltimore 10–2–1 Cincinnati 7–6–0 Oakland 8–3–2 Miami 9–4–0 14Baltimore 11–2–1Cincinnati 8–6–0Oakland 8–4–2Miami 10–4–0
Final standings
Tiebreakers Green Bay finished ahead of Chicago in the NFC Central based on better division record (2–4 to Bears' 1–5).
Playoffs
Records On November 8, New Orleans Saints placekicker Tom Dempsey kicked a record 63-yard field goal as time expired to win 19–17 over the visiting Detroit Lions. It bettered the previous record by seven yards (set seventeen years earlier by Bert Rechichar), and stood for 43 years (tied in , , and ) until it was broken in by Denver Broncos' Matt Prater. His record 64-yard field goal was at elevation in Denver on December 8, at the end of the first half. That record would stand until September 26, 2021, when Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker kicked a 66 yard field goal as time expired to win 19-17 over the Detroit Lions
The Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams all started 3–0 but lost in Week Four. Only the Lions advanced to the postseason after the 3–0 start.
Coaching changes Offseason Baltimore Colts: Don McCafferty replaced Don Shula, who left the team to coach the Miami Dolphins. Miami Dolphins: Don Shula left the Baltimore Colts to replace the fired George Wilson as Miami's head coach. San Diego Chargers: Charlie Waller began his first full season as head coach. He replaced Sid Gillman to serve for five games in 1969 due to Gillman's poor health. Washington Redskins: Vince Lombardi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late June and died on September 3. Offensive line coach Bill Austin served as Washington's head coach for the 1970 season.
+ Head coaches at the start of the merged 1970 NFL regular season AFC NFC East Central West East Central West Baltimore: Don McCafferty Cincinnati: Paul Brown Denver: Lou Saban Dallas: Tom Landry Chicago: Jim Dooley Atlanta: Norm Van Brocklin Boston: Clive Rush Cleveland: Blanton Collier Kansas City: Hank Stram NY Giants: Alex Webster Detroit: Joe Schmidt Los Angeles: George Allen Buffalo: John Rauch Houston: Wally Lemm Oakland: John Madden Philadelphia: Jerry Williams Green Bay: Phil Bengtson New Orleans: Tom Fears Miami: Don Shula Pittsburgh: Chuck Noll San Diego: Charlie Waller St. Louis: Charley Winner Minnesota: Bud Grant San Francisco: Dick Nolan NY Jets: Weeb Ewbank Washington: Bill Austin
In-season Boston Patriots: Clive Rush resigned after seven games into the season for medical reasons. John Mazur served as interim for the rest of the season and was hired as the full-time coach for 1971. New Orleans Saints : Tom Fears was fired after a 1–5–1 start. J. D. Roberts was named as his replacement and was hired as the full-time coach for 1971.
Stadium changes Before the season, the league had demanded that the Chicago Bears find a new home field: Wrigley Field was too small, as it did not meet the new stadium requirement to seat at least 50,000, and it did not have lights (installed in 1988), meaning it was unavailable for late afternoon and night games. The Chicago Cubs baseball team, which owned the stadium it shared with the Bears, did not want to convert it to a football configuration while the Cubs were still in playoff contention.