The Story of the 1976 NFL Season

The 1976 NFL season was a year of expansion, incredible defense, surprising new contenders, bitter playoff controversy, and finally a championship for John Madden and the Oakland Raiders. It was also still very much the old NFL: a 14-game season, brutal defenses, limited playoff spots, outdoor December football, and only one wild-card team per conference.

The NFL grows to 28 teams

The biggest change was the arrival of the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, increasing the league from 26 to 28 clubs. Both franchises had been awarded in 1974 and began play in 1976 after an expansion draft in which established clubs could protect their better players. That left the newcomers building largely from reserves, aging veterans and rookies.

The alignment looks strange today. Tampa Bay spent its first season in the AFC West, while Seattle played in the NFC West. The arrangement was temporary: Tampa essentially played the AFC teams, Seattle the NFC teams, and the two expansion clubs played each other. They switched conferences in 1977, with Tampa entering the NFC Central and Seattle the AFC West.

Seattle wasn't good, but there were signs of a future. Quarterback Jim Zorn became exciting to watch, and an August trade with Houston brought Seattle a little-known receiver named Steve Largent for an eighth-round draft choice. Seattle finished 2-12.

Tampa Bay's experience was much harsher. Coach John McKay had future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, but injuries and a badly undermanned roster doomed the Buccaneers to 0-14. It was the beginning of an NFL-record 26-game losing streak extending into 1977.

The first meeting of the expansion teams came October 17. Seattle won the unofficial “Expansion Bowl,” 13-10, in Tampa.

Oakland: Madden's Raiders finally break through

By 1976, the Raiders were already one of football's great teams. The problem was that they repeatedly reached the postseason without winning a Super Bowl.

John Madden's club had Ken Stabler, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, Dave Casper, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks, Jack Tatum, Willie Brown and Ray Guy. The roster was loaded with Hall of Fame-caliber talent.

Oakland opened the season by rallying from a 21-7 fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the two-time defending champion Steelers, 31-28. It was an early indication that this Raiders team was unusually difficult to finish off.

Their only regular-season defeat was astonishing: New England destroyed Oakland 48-17 in Week 4. The Raiders never lost again during the regular season and finished 13-1, the NFL's best record.

That defeat would become extremely important later.

Pittsburgh looked finished — then became terrifying

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Steelers began 1-4.

Even worse, quarterback Terry Bradshaw suffered a neck injury and was sidelined for several weeks. Pittsburgh appeared to be finished.

Instead, Chuck Noll leaned on Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier and unleashed one of the most dominant stretches of defensive football ever played.

Pittsburgh won its final nine regular-season games.

During those nine games, the Steelers allowed only 28 points total and recorded five shutouts. They finished the season allowing only 138 points, fewest in the NFL.

Think about that for a replay:

Nine games — 28 points allowed.

That's just 3.1 points per game.

Jack Lambert was named AP Defensive Player of the Year and actually finished second in the league's MVP voting.

Pittsburgh finished 10-4, tied with Cincinnati, but the Steelers won the AFC Central because they swept the Bengals head-to-head. Cincinnati therefore became one of the season's great casualties: a 10-4 team that didn't make the playoffs.

The New England Patriots suddenly become dangerous

One of the season's biggest surprises was New England.

The Patriots had been mostly irrelevant for years, but young quarterback Steve Grogan, tight end Russ Francis, guard John Hannah, tackle Leon Gray, and rookie cornerback Mike Haynes helped transform them.

They beat Miami 30-14, went into Pittsburgh and beat the defending champions 30-27, and then embarrassed Oakland 48-17.

New England finished 11-3 and earned the AFC wild card.

That set up one of the most famous postseason rematches in NFL history.

Bert Jones and the Baltimore Colts explode offensively

Baltimore had one of the league's most exciting offenses.

Quarterback Bert Jones threw for a league-leading 3,104 yards and 24 touchdowns against only nine interceptions. Receiver Roger Carr led the NFL with 1,112 receiving yards, while Lydell Mitchell rushed for 1,200 yards.

Jones was named both AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

The Colts finished 11-3 and scored 417 points, making them perhaps the most explosive offensive team in the AFC.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, their playoff opponent would be Pittsburgh.

O.J. Simpson's remarkable season on a terrible Buffalo team

One of 1976's strangest stories was Buffalo.

The Bills finished only 2-12.

Yet O.J. Simpson led the NFL with 1,503 rushing yards.

His masterpiece came on Thanksgiving in Detroit.

Simpson carried 29 times for 273 yards and two touchdowns, setting the NFL single-game rushing record at the time. Buffalo somehow still lost to Detroit, 27-14.

So one of the greatest rushing performances ever occurred in a game his team lost by 13 points.

Walter Payton begins becoming Walter Payton

Chicago was only 7-7, but second-year running back Walter Payton announced that he was becoming one of the NFL's great players.

Payton rushed 311 times for 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns, second in the league behind Simpson.

The following season he would explode even further, but 1976 was when the league really began understanding what the Bears had.

The NFC East was brutal

This is particularly interesting because three teams won at least ten games:

Team	Record
Dallas	11-3
Washington	10-4
St. Louis	10-4

Dallas won the division.

Washington earned the NFC's only wild card because George Allen's Redskins had beaten St. Louis twice. The Cardinals therefore went 10-4 and stayed home.

The Redskins' season also included a significant addition: John Riggins, who had left the Jets and joined Washington.

Washington entered the final week needing a victory at Dallas after St. Louis had won earlier in the day. The Redskins went into Texas Stadium and defeated the Cowboys 27-14, finishing 10-4 and securing the wild card.

For a replay, that Dallas-Washington finale is one of the great games to circle.

Minnesota's veteran machine makes one more run

Bud Grant's Vikings were getting older, but they weren't finished.

Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Ahmad Rashad, rookie Sammy White and the Purple People Eaters helped Minnesota finish an NFC-best 11-2-1.

Foreman rushed for 1,155 yards while catching 55 passes, and Sammy White won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

It was Minnesota's fourth NFC Central championship in a row and its eighth division title in nine years.

But there was a sense that this might be the veteran Vikings' final legitimate Super Bowl opportunity.

It was.

The playoffs

The postseason was much smaller than today. Only eight teams made it — three division champions and one wild card from each conference.

The divisional round produced:

Minnesota 35, Washington 20
Los Angeles Rams 14, Dallas 12
Pittsburgh 40, Baltimore 14
Oakland 24, New England 21

And two of those games dramatically changed the story of the season.

Pittsburgh destroys Baltimore — but pays a terrible price

The Steelers demolished MVP Bert Jones and the Colts 40-14 in Baltimore.

But Pittsburgh lost both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier to injuries.

Neither could play the following week against Oakland.

The best defense in football suddenly had to face the Raiders without the rushing attack that had carried Pittsburgh through its nine-game winning streak.

Raiders-Patriots: the controversy that never died

New England returned to Oakland knowing it had already beaten the Raiders 48-17.

The Patriots led 21-10 entering the fourth quarter.

Oakland rallied to 21-17.

Late in the game, New England appeared close to finishing the Raiders again. But on a critical third-and-18, Patriots defensive lineman Ray “Sugar Bear” Hamilton was called for roughing Ken Stabler after an incomplete pass.

The call by referee Ben Dreith remains one of the most controversial penalties in NFL playoff history.

Instead of fourth down, Oakland received a first down. Stabler eventually scored on a one-yard run with 10 seconds remaining.

Raiders 24, Patriots 21.

New England fans would remember that game for decades.

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh's run ends

Oakland finally got another shot at the team that had repeatedly blocked its road to a championship.

Without Harris and Bleier, Pittsburgh simply couldn't generate enough offense.

The Raiders won 24-7.

Pittsburgh's bid for a third consecutive Super Bowl championship was over.

Oakland was finally going back to the Super Bowl.

NFC Championship: one last ride for the Purple People Eaters

Minnesota faced the Los Angeles Rams in bitter cold at Metropolitan Stadium.

One of the game's defining plays came when Minnesota blocked a short Tom Dempsey field-goal attempt and Bobby Bryant returned it 90 yards for a touchdown.

The Vikings won 24-13, sending Fran Tarkenton and Bud Grant to their fourth Super Bowl.

Minnesota had been to Super Bowls IV, VIII and IX.

They had lost all three.

Super Bowl XI would be their fourth chance.

Super Bowl XI — Oakland finally reaches the top

January 9, 1977 — Rose Bowl, Pasadena

Oakland Raiders 32
Minnesota Vikings 14

The game wasn't as close as the score suggests.

Oakland controlled the line of scrimmage and accumulated 429 yards, including 266 rushing yards. Clarence Davis ran for 137 yards, and Ken Stabler calmly directed the offense.

Fred Biletnikoff caught four passes for 79 yards and repeatedly put Oakland in scoring position. He was named Super Bowl MVP.

Willie Brown supplied the iconic image of the game with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Oakland won 32-14.

After years of playoff disappointment, John Madden and the Raiders were finally world champions.

Minnesota fell to 0-4 in Super Bowls, and the great Tarkenton/Grant era would never get another opportunity.

What makes 1976 such a great replay season

What I like about 1976 for a replay is that the real season leaves you with several enormous “what ifs.”

Can Pittsburgh avoid that 1-4 start? If they do, that incredible defense could produce a historically dominant record.

Can New England finish Oakland this time? They already proved they could destroy the Raiders.

Can Cincinnati turn 10-4 into a playoff berth? One different result against Pittsburgh changes the AFC Central.

Can St. Louis beat Washington once? If so, the entire NFC wild-card race changes.

Can your Redskins turn 10-4 into something bigger? Washington had Riggins, Mike Thomas, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, Billy Kilmer and George Allen, and they had already demonstrated they could go into Dallas with the season on the line and win.

And then there is Oakland: 13-1, loaded with Hall of Famers, finally trying to finish the job.

That is the real story of 1976 — the year Pittsburgh nearly pulled off an impossible comeback, Minnesota made one last run, New England arrived ahead of schedule, two new franchises were born, and the Raiders finally became champions.