1970: Reimagining the NFL-AFL Merger: Week 1
Here are the historic game results that were unaffected by the NFC alignment shift.
Saturday, September 19, 1970
Chicago (1-0-0) 7 3 7 7 -- 24
N.Y. Gaints (0-1-0) 10 3 0 3 -- 16
(NEW YORK) -- Trailing 13-10 at the half, Bears' QB Jack Concannon scored on a one-yard run and tossed a 19-yard socring pass to Dick Gordon in the second half as the Bears rallied to a 24-16 victory over the N.Y. Giants.
Sunday, September 20, 1970
Detroit (1-0-0) 10 3 10 17 -- 40
Green Bay (0-1-0) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
(GREEN BAY) -- Mel Farr scored two touchdowns and Errol Mann kicked four field goals as the Detroit Lions crushed the Green Pay Packers 40-0.
Houston (1-0-0) 7 7 2 3 -- 19
Pittsburgh (0-1-0) 0 0 0 7 -- 7
(PITTSBURGH) -- Pittsburgh first-rounder Terry Bradshaw got off to a shaky NFL start, completing only 4-of-16 passes and an interception. Meanwhile, Houston QB Charley Johnson tossed two TD passes to Jerry LeVias as the Oilers went on to win 19-7. The Steelers only score came on a 15-yard pass to Ron Shanklin from Notre Dame rookie QB Terry Hanratty.
Denver (1-0-0) 0 5 7 13 -- 25
Buffalo (0-1-0) 7 3 0 0 -- 10
(BUFFALO) Bobby Anderson scored on a 27-yard run and Bobby Howfield kicked two field goals as the Denver Broncos went on a 20-0 second half run to spoil the Buffalo Bills' home opener, 25-10. Rookie O.J. Simpson from USC gained 52 yards on the ground and scored a TD in his Bills debut.
Oakland (0-1-0) 7 0 14 0 -- 21
Cincinnati (1-0-0) 7 7 14 3 -- 31
(CINCINNATI) Jess Phillips dashed 76 yards for a TD late in the third quarter to break a 21-21 deadlock as the Bengals went on to beat the Oakland Raiders 31-21.
Miami (0-1-0) 7 7 0 0 -- 14
Boston (1-0-0) 3 17 0 7 -- 27
(BOSTON) The Boston Patriots scored 17 second-quarter points and blanked the Miami Dolphins in the second half to win 27-14.
Baltimore (1-0-0) 0 3 7 6 -- 16
San Diego (0-1-0) 0 0 7 7 -- 14
(SAN DIEGO) Jim O'Brien kicked a 28-yard field goal late in the final quarter that allowed the Baltimore Colts to edge the San Diego Chargers, 16-14
Washington (0-1-0) 7 3 0 7 -- 17
San Francisco (1-0-0) 7 9 7 3 -- 26
(SAN FRANCISCO) 49ers QB John Brodie completed 17-of-21 passes for 178 yards and a TD and Doug Cunningham and Ken Willard each scored rushing TDs as San Francisco whipped Washington, 26-17.
September 21, 1970
N.Y. Jets (0-1-0) 0 7 7 7 -- 21
Cleveland (1-0-0) 14 0 10 7 -- 31
(CLEVELAND) In the first-ever installment of Monday Night Football on ABC, Billy Andrews picked off a Joe Namath pass and returned in 25 yards for a score to secure a 31-21 win for the Cleveland Browns over the N.Y. Jet. The Jets outgained Cleveland in total yards 454-221.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
1970--Reimaging NFL-AFL Merger
1970: Reimaging NFL-AFL Merger
When the AFL and NFL agreed to a merger, the two leagues decided to officially merge into one league with two conferences prior to the 1970 season. As 1970 approached, three NFL teams (the Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns and he Pittsburgh Steelers) agreed to join the original AFL teams in the AFC (a $3 million payday for each team that made the jump proved persuasive). While the AFC quickly decided on its divisional alignment, the process proved much more contentious for the NFC. So much so, that the five most favored alignment proposals that were drawn up on slips of paper and placed in a fish bowl.
Commissioner Pete Rozelle then had his secretary draw the plan that was ultimately used from the bowl. The proposal she selected was Plan 3:
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
NY Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Redskins
NFC Central
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
NFC West
Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
Since I'm big into 'what-ifs' I decided it would be fun to replay the 1970 and see how things might have gone if one of the other four divisional alignment proposals had been selected instead of the one that was ultimately used by the league. I'll use the 1970 schedule and only play games directly affected by the divisional shifts. All other games (most of the AFC games) unaffected by the divisional realignment in the other plans will use historical results.
Hopping into my time traveling Delorean, I arrive at NFL HQ just in time to jostle Pete Rozelle's secretary's arm as she reaches into the bowl to select an alignment plan. Instead of PLAN 3, she selects PLAN 1 which has the following divisional alignment for the NFC:
NFC East
Atlanta Falcons
Minnesota Vikings
NY Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
NFC Central
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
NFC West
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas' Tex Schramm grouses to the media about the Cowboys losing their rivalries with the Giants and Redskins, but top to bottom, the NFC West looks like one of the strongest divisions in the league. The Vikings move to the NFC East...they had wanted to be in the NFC Central, but the other clubs in the Central Division are happy to have a warmer weather destination (New Orleans) for those late December games. The Saints would have liked the East, since that is where their southern rival Atlanta Falcons landed...oh well, blame Rozelle's secretary!
I'll use the 1970 schedule with the following modifications: Atlanta Falcons will use the Dallas Cowboys' schedule; Minnesota Vikings will use St. Louis Cardinals' schedule; New Orleans Saints will use Minnesota Vikings' schedule; Dallas Cowboys will use the Atlanta Falcons' schedule; St. Louis Cardinals will use the New Orleans Saints' schedules. All games not affected by changes in divisional alignment will use historical results. In games I do play, I'll attempt to use actual lineups used by teams in corresponding games. For example in Dallas' first game of the 1970 season, QB Roger Staubach filled in for injured starter Craig Morton. WR "Bullet" Bob Hays also missed the first game of the 1970 season.
When the AFL and NFL agreed to a merger, the two leagues decided to officially merge into one league with two conferences prior to the 1970 season. As 1970 approached, three NFL teams (the Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns and he Pittsburgh Steelers) agreed to join the original AFL teams in the AFC (a $3 million payday for each team that made the jump proved persuasive). While the AFC quickly decided on its divisional alignment, the process proved much more contentious for the NFC. So much so, that the five most favored alignment proposals that were drawn up on slips of paper and placed in a fish bowl.
Commissioner Pete Rozelle then had his secretary draw the plan that was ultimately used from the bowl. The proposal she selected was Plan 3:
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
NY Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Redskins
NFC Central
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
NFC West
Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
Since I'm big into 'what-ifs' I decided it would be fun to replay the 1970 and see how things might have gone if one of the other four divisional alignment proposals had been selected instead of the one that was ultimately used by the league. I'll use the 1970 schedule and only play games directly affected by the divisional shifts. All other games (most of the AFC games) unaffected by the divisional realignment in the other plans will use historical results.
Hopping into my time traveling Delorean, I arrive at NFL HQ just in time to jostle Pete Rozelle's secretary's arm as she reaches into the bowl to select an alignment plan. Instead of PLAN 3, she selects PLAN 1 which has the following divisional alignment for the NFC:
NFC East
Atlanta Falcons
Minnesota Vikings
NY Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
NFC Central
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
NFC West
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas' Tex Schramm grouses to the media about the Cowboys losing their rivalries with the Giants and Redskins, but top to bottom, the NFC West looks like one of the strongest divisions in the league. The Vikings move to the NFC East...they had wanted to be in the NFC Central, but the other clubs in the Central Division are happy to have a warmer weather destination (New Orleans) for those late December games. The Saints would have liked the East, since that is where their southern rival Atlanta Falcons landed...oh well, blame Rozelle's secretary!
I'll use the 1970 schedule with the following modifications: Atlanta Falcons will use the Dallas Cowboys' schedule; Minnesota Vikings will use St. Louis Cardinals' schedule; New Orleans Saints will use Minnesota Vikings' schedule; Dallas Cowboys will use the Atlanta Falcons' schedule; St. Louis Cardinals will use the New Orleans Saints' schedules. All games not affected by changes in divisional alignment will use historical results. In games I do play, I'll attempt to use actual lineups used by teams in corresponding games. For example in Dallas' first game of the 1970 season, QB Roger Staubach filled in for injured starter Craig Morton. WR "Bullet" Bob Hays also missed the first game of the 1970 season.
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