1974 NFL season

      1974 National Football League season
      Regular season
      Duration September 15, 1974, - December 15, 1974
      Playoffs
      Start date December 21, 1974
      AFC Champions Pittsburgh Steelers
      NFC Champions Minnesota Vikings
      Super Bowl IX
      Date January 12, 1975
      Site Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
      Champions Pittsburgh Steelers
      Pro Bowl
      Date January 20, 1975
      Site Miami Orange Bowl
      National Football League seasons
       < 1973 1975 > 

      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.

      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 League 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 Steelers and the Denver Broncos, ended in a 35–35 draw. It was not until November 10, when the New York Jets defeated the New York Giants, 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 1932. 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.
      • 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 1994, 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 touchback.
      • Kickoffs: moved to the 35-yard line (from the 40-yard line) to reduce touchbacks, promoting more excitement with kickoff returns. In 1994, 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 season.
      • 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. The original rule change would have prohibited any player from crossing the line of scrimmage prior to the ball being kicked.
      • 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.
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      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 St. Louis, Washington, Dallas 1-0-0 Chicago, Minnesota 1-0-0 Los Angeles, San Fran. 1-0-0 4 teams 1-0-0
      2 St. Louis 2-0-0 Minnesota 2-0-0 Los Angeles, San Fran. 2-0-0 Los Angeles, San Fran. 2-0-0
      3 St. Louis 3-0-0 Minnesota 3-0-0 Los Angeles, San Fran. 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 Buffalo, New England 1-0-0 Pittsburgh, Houston, Cincinnati 1-0-0 Kansas City 1-0-0 Denver, Kansas City, San Diego 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
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      Final standings

      W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

        x  - clinched wild card berth,   y  - clinched division title

      AFC East
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-Miami Dolphins 11 3 0 .786 327 216
      x-Buffalo Bills 9 5 0 .643 264 244
      New England Patriots 7 7 0 .500 348 289
      New York Jets 7 7 0 .500 279 300
      Baltimore Colts 2 12 0 .143 190 329
      AFC Central
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-Pittsburgh Steelers 10 3 1 .750 305 189
      Houston Oilers 7 7 0 .500 236 282
      Cincinnati Bengals 7 7 0 .500 283 259
      Cleveland Browns 4 10 0 .286 251 344
      AFC West
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-Oakland Raiders 12 2 0 .857 355 228
      Denver Broncos 7 6 1 .536 302 294
      Kansas City Chiefs 5 9 0 .357 233 293
      San Diego Chargers 5 9 0 .357 212 285
      NFC East
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-St. Louis Cardinals 10 4 0 .714 285 218
      x-Washington Redskins 10 4 0 .714 320 196
      Dallas Cowboys 8 6 0 .571 297 235
      Philadelphia Eagles 7 7 0 .500 242 217
      New York Giants 2 12 0 .143 195 299
      NFC Central
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-Minnesota Vikings 10 4 0 .714 310 195
      Detroit Lions 7 7 0 .500 256 270
      Green Bay Packers 6 8 0 .429 210 206
      Chicago Bears 4 10 0 .286 152 279
      NFC West
      Team W L T PCT PF PA
      y-Los Angeles Rams 10 4 0 .714 263 181
      San Francisco 49ers 6 8 0 .429 226 236
      New Orleans Saints 5 9 0 .357 166 263
      Atlanta Falcons 3 11 0 .214 111 271


      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).
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      Playoffs

      Main article: 1974–75 NFL 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 IX
                         
      December 22 - Three Rivers Stadium        
       Buffalo Bills  14
      December 29 - Oakland Coliseum
       Pittsburgh Steelers  32  
       Pittsburgh Steelers  24
      December 21 - Oakland Coliseum
           Oakland Raiders  13  
       Miami Dolphins  26
      January 12 - Tulane Stadium
       Oakland Raiders  28  
       Pittsburgh Steelers  16
      December 22 - L.A. Coliseum    
         Minnesota Vikings  6
       Washington Redskins  10
      December 29 - Metropolitan Stadium
       Los Angeles Rams  19  
       Los Angeles Rams  10
      December 21 - Metropolitan Stadium
           Minnesota Vikings  14  
       St. Louis Cardinals  14
       Minnesota Vikings  30  
       
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      Awards

      Most Valuable Player Ken Stabler, Quarterback, Oakland
      Coach of the Year Don Coryell, St. Louis Cardinals
      Offensive Player of the Year Ken Stabler, Quarterback, Oakland
      Defensive Player of the Year Joe Greene, Defensive End, Pittsburgh
      Offensive Rookie of the Year Don Woods, Running Back, San Diego
      Defensive Rookie of the Year Jack Lambert, Linebacker, Pittsburgh
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      References

      1974 NFL season
      Early era
      (1920–1969)
      Modern era
      (1970–present)
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      Last modified on 8 May 2013, at 17:19