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.