The AFC Divisional playoff game on December 27, 1970 featured the Oakland Raiders, winners of the AFC West with an 8-4-2 record, hosting the Miami Dolphins, who had gone 10-4 to place second in the AFC East and qualified as a Wild Card entry. In this first year of the enlarged and reorganized NFL, Wild Card teams were being introduced to the postseason (at this point one per conference).
Oakland, coached for the second year by John Madden, had
been one of the American Football League’s strongest teams during the past
three years, and remained successful in its first NFL season. QB Daryle
Lamonica (pictured above) was an accomplished long passer, although he occasionally ran into
difficulties that had 43-year-old backup QB George Blanda relieving him with
surprising success. The receiving corps was capable with wide receivers Fred
Biletnikoff and Warren Wells plus rookie TE Raymond Chester, and the ground
game was effective with HB Charlie Smith and FB Hewritt Dixon. The defense was
beginning to show its age in spots, but was still formidable. Blanda provided
reliable placekicking.
The Dolphins were in their first year under Head Coach
Don Shula and in the postseason for the first time. There were several newcomers
on the roster, most notably WR Paul Warfield, obtained in a trade with
Cleveland. QB Bob Griese was developing into a star and the AFC-leading ground
game, led by FB Larry Csonka, was highly productive. The defense contained four
rookie starters plus FS Jake Scott, who had a year’s experience in the CFL, and
was anchored by veteran MLB Nick Buoniconti. Miami defeated the Raiders during
the regular season and the team’s immediate success under Coach Shula was a
major surprise.
There were 54,401 fans in attendance on a damp day at the
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and the field was muddy. The Dolphins had the
first possession and punted. Oakland moved well with Hewritt Dixon and Charlie
Smith running the ball and Daryle Lamonica completed a pass to Fred Biletnikoff
for 12 yards on a third-and-two play. But the drive stalled at the Miami 16 and
the Raiders came up empty when George Blanda’s 23-yard field goal attempt hit
the goal post and bounced away.
Miami put together a promising drive in response. Larry
Csonka had a pair of five-yard runs and halfbacks Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick
handled most of the running load while Bob Griese completed three passes, including
to WR Howard Twilley for 14 yards and Kiick for 15 to convert third downs. But
they too failed to get on the board when Garo Yepremian was wide on a 24-yard
try for a field goal.
The teams traded punts as the game headed into the second
quarter. Miami got a break when DE Bill Stanfill recovered a Smith fumble at
the Oakland 19. Two plays later, Griese passed to Paul Warfield for a 16-yard
touchdown, Yepremian added the extra point, and the Dolphins led by 7-0.
The teams exchanged punts until, taking over with 4:35
remaining in the first half, the Raiders drove 62 yards to a score. Lamonica
completed a third-and-six pass to Raymond Chester for 21 yards to the Miami 37
and converted another third down with a throw to Biletnikoff for 11 yards.
Another completion to Biletnikoff in the end zone was good for a 22-yard TD and
Blanda converted to tie the score.
The Raiders took the kickoff to start the third quarter
and advanced deep into Miami territory. FB Marv Hubbard ran six times for 22
yards and Lamonica completed third down passes to Smith for nine yards and
Chester for 26. But facing second-and-goal at the two, Smith fumbled again and Jake
Scott recovered for the Dolphins at their 10 yard line.
Griese immediately passed to Warfield for 24 yards and,
after two short running plays, he connected with Kiick for nine yards on a
third-and-six play. But Griese was then sacked for a 12-yard loss by DT Tom
Keating and DE Tony Cline and, two plays later, Griese’s third-and-19 pass was
intercepted by CB Willie Brown and returned 50 yards for a touchdown. Blanda
added the point after to give Oakland a 14-7 lead.
The Dolphins had the ball as the contest moved into the
fourth quarter. A 12-yard run by Morris got the ball to the Oakland 40 and
Griese passed to Warfield for 16 yards. The series stalled at the Oakland 17
and Yepremian missed to the left on a 24-yard field goal attempt.
Oakland struck quickly. Hubbard ran for four yards and HB
Pete Banaszak fumbled on the next play, which was recovered by OT Harry Schuh
but had the Raiders facing third-and-12. Lamonica, anticipating a blitz, threw
long for WR Rod Sherman who pulled the ball in at the Miami 45 and went the
distance for an 82-yard touchdown (pictured below). Blanda’s extra point put the home team up by
21-7.
The Dolphins came back with a long drive of 69 yards in
eight plays. A personal foul on the Raiders erased a sack and Griese completed
a throw to WR Willie Richardson for 23 yards. Kiick ran for 13 yards on the
next play and Griese again connected with Richardson, this time in the right
corner of the end zone for a seven-yard TD. Yepremian’s conversion again made
it a seven-point game.
However, time was running out on the Dolphins. They were
unable to recover an onside kick that went out of bounds and, following a short
Oakland possession, they got the ball back at their 13 with 2:28 left on the
clock. Morris ran for four yards, two passes fell incomplete, one of which was
intended for Warfield and knocked away by LB Gus Otto, and on fourth down a
toss to Kiick came up a yard short. The Raiders were able to run out the clock
and won by a final score of 21-14.
Oakland had the edge in total yards (307 to 242) although
the Dolphins had more first downs (16 to 12) and ran more plays (63 to 52). The
Raiders also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Miami, and
committed the only four penalties. Both placekickers had difficulty on the
muddy field as Miami’s Yepremian missed both of his field goal attempts and Blanda
missed one.
Daryle Lamonica completed 8 of 16 passes for 187 yards
and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Fred Biletnikoff had three catches
for 46 yards and a TD and Rod Sherman, with his one long scoring reception, led
the Raiders with 82 receiving yards. Marv Hubbard topped the rushers with 58
yards on 18 carries.
For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 13 of 27
throws for 155 yards and two TDs with one interception that was returned for a
score. Jim Kiick gained 64 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also caught four
passes for 34 yards. Paul Warfield (pictured at left) gained 62 yards on his four receptions that
included a touchdown. Larry Csonka was held to 23 yards on 10 carries and
Mercury Morris contributed 29 yards on 8 attempts.
Oakland advanced to the AFC Championship game and lost to
the Baltimore Colts. The Raiders missed the playoffs in 1971 but bounced back
to top the AFC West in each of the next five years. The Dolphins built upon
their 1970 success to win the next three AFC Championships, including
consecutive Super Bowl victories in 1972, a year in which they went undefeated,
and ’73.
