1970--Reimaging NFL-AFL Merger: Week 1--Historic Results

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.