1977–78 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1977 season began on December 24, 1977. The postseason tournament concluded with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII, 27–10, on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This was also the last season that the NFL used an eight-team playoff tournament.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
Due to Christmas falling on a Sunday, the Divisional Round games were held in a span of three days. The AFC playoff games were played on Saturday, December 24, while the NFC games were held on Monday, December 26. It also marked the only year since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 that one conference held both of its divisional playoff games on one day and the other conference held both of its games on the other day. This was done to ensure the teams in each conference championship game had the same amount of rest. In every other season since 1970, the conferences have split their playoff games over the two days.The previous year, with Christmas on Saturday, the schedule was advanced a week and the conference championships were the next day, Sunday, December 26. Christmas was also on Saturday in 1971, during the divisional round; two games were played, one in each conference. The late game on Christmas 1971 between Miami and Kansas City was the longest NFL game by playing time at 82 minutes, 40 seconds ; complaints about that length prompted the NFL to avoid playing on Christmas again until 1989.
In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XII.
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, December 24, 1977
AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
On a play that became known as Ghost to the Post, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler threw a 42-yard completion to tight end Dave Casper on a post route to set up the game-tying field goal with 29 seconds left in regulation. Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost" by his teammates, also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass 43 seconds into the second overtime period to win the game. The game featured nine lead changes before it was over.Oakland's Carl Garrett started the game with a 40-yard kick return to the Colts 41-yard line. But they could not take advantage and lost the ball when Mark Van Eeghen's fumble was recovered by Lyle Blackwood. The rest of the quarter was a defensive struggle, but with less than a minute left, Oakland scored first with running back Clarence Davis's 30-yard touchdown run. Oakland then forced a three and out deep in Baltimore territory and got the ball back with great field position at the Colts 48. They seemed to be in prime position to increase their lead, but Baltimore's Bruce Laird intercepted Stabler's pass and returned it 61-yards for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, Baltimore mounted their first sustained drive, moving the ball from their 20 to the Raiders 19-yard line. Following a dropped interception by Jack Tatum, Toni Linhart's 36-yard field goal gave them their first lead of the game. Oakland responded with a drive to the Colts 23-yard line, but with less than a minute left, John Dutton recovered a fumble from Davis to preserve the 10–7 score going into halftime.
The Raiders scored on their first drive of the second half with Stabler's 41-yard completion to Cliff Branch setting up his 8-yard touchdown pass to Casper. To make matters worse for the Colts, Blackwood was injured on the drive and had to miss the rest of the game. But Baltimore still took the lead right back as Marshall Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards to the end zone. On Oakland's next possession, they lost their fourth turnover of the day when Laird picked off another Stabler pass, this one on the Raiders 40. But the Raiders defense rose to the occasion, forcing a punt that was blocked by Ted Hendricks and recovered by linebacker Jeff Barnes, who returned it to the Colts 16-yard line. Two plays later, Casper caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21–17.
Baltimore scored on their first drive of the fourth quarter, driving 80 yards to a fourth down 1-yard touchdown run by Ron Lee. Oakland quickly struck back, starting with Garrett's 43-yard kickoff return to his own 47. After two incompletions, Stabler kept the drive going with a 25-yard pass to Van Eeghen. Then Nelson Munsey was hit with a 24-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover Branch in the end zone, and Pete Banaszak rushed for a touchdown on the next play. Baltimore stormed right back with a touchdown on their own on a 73-yard drive, starting off with Bert Jones' 30-yard completion to Raymond Chester and followed up with a 16-yard swing pass to Lee. Lee then moved the ball to the 14-yard line with a 13-yard run, and scored from there on the next play, giving the Colts a 31–28 lead. Baltimore's defense quickly forced a punt, giving the offense the ball in good field position with a chance to put the game away. But the Raiders stopped them on three consecutive runs, all on tackles from defensive end John Matuszak.
After both teams punted once more, Oakland got the ball back with 2:55 left in regulation on their own 30. After a 14-yard reception by Davis and an incompletion, Stabler's 42-yard "Ghost to the Post" completion to Casper advanced the Raiders to the Baltimore 14-yard line. A few plays later, they faced fourth down and 1 from the 5. Rather than risk the game on a fourth-down conversion attempt, Oakland decided to kick the field goal, and Errol Mann sent it through the uprights from 22 yards, tying the game and sending it into overtime.
After forcing Baltimore to punt on the opening drive of overtime, Oakland drove 41 yards in nine plays to set up a field goal attempt for Mann, but the kick was blocked by Mike Barnes. After another punt, Oakland drove to the Colts 35-yard line. On second down, Stabler was sacked for a 10-yard loss by Fred Cook, pushing his team out of field goal range. But then he kept the drive alive with a 19-yard completion to Branch, setting up Casper's 10-yard touchdown catch less than a minute into the second overtime period to win the game.
Stabler threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions. Casper finished with 4 receptions for 70 yards and three touchdowns. Oakland linebacker Monte Johnson had 20 tackles and finished the game with a broken vertebra in his neck. Garrett returned 5 kickoffs for 169 yards. Marshall Johnson finished with 3 kickoff returns for 134 yards and a touchdown, along with a punt return for 16. Baltimore's top offensive performer was Lydell Mitchell, who rushed for 67 yards and caught 3 passes for 39.
This was the final NFL playoff game in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Colts did not return to the playoffs until 1987, their fourth season in Indianapolis, and the Ravens failed to qualify for the playoffs during either of their two seasons at Memorial Stadium, 1996 and 1997. Playoff football would not return to Baltimore until New Year's Eve 2000, at PSINet Stadium.
This was second postseason meeting between the Raiders and Colts. Baltimore won the only prior meeting.
| Baltimore leads 1–0 in all-time playoff games |
AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
In Denver's first postseason football contest, linebacker Tom Jackson's 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery set up 17 points, 10 of them in the 4th quarter, as the Broncos defeated the Steelers for the first playoff win in their 18-year history.Denver scored first after Broncos receiver John Schultz blocked a punt from Rick Engles and recovered the ball on the Steelers 17-yard line to set up running back Rob Lytle's 7-yard rushing touchdown. Pittsburgh responded with a 56-yard drive, including a 19-yard reception by tight end Bennie Cunningham on 4th down and 1, to tie the score on quarterback Terry Bradshaw's 1-yard rushing touchdown.
In the second quarter, Broncos defensive tackle Lyle Alzado forced a fumble from Franco Harris, which linebacker Randy Gradishar recovered and returned 5 yards before fumbling himself. The second fumble was recovered by Tom Jackson, who returned it 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 10-yard line. On the next play, running back Otis Armstrong ran the ball into the end zone to give the Broncos a 14–7 lead. However, Pittsburgh quickly struck back starting with Jim Smith's 28-yard kickoff return to the Steelers 34-yard line. Bradshaw then hit John Stallworth for a 21-yard completion and Harris ripped off a 20-yard burst before he finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 1:41 left in the half.
In the third quarter, the Broncos drove 52 yards to the Pittsburgh 1-yard line, only to lose the ball when Jim Jensen was stuffed for no gain by Jack Lambert and Jim Allen on 4th down. But after a punt, they drove 43 yards to go up 21–14 on Craig Morton's 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Riley Odoms.
Early in the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh managed to tie the game with a 48-yard catch by Stallworth setting up Bradshaw's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Brown. But this would be their last score as Denver soon took over the game. First, Jim Turner put the Broncos up 24–21 by kicking 44-yard field goal with 7:17 left on the clock. Then Jackson intercepted a pass from Bradshaw and returned it 32 yards to the Steelers 9-yard line, setting up Turner's 24-yard field goal to make the score 27–21. On Pittsburgh's ensuring drive, Jackson struck again, intercepting another pass and returning this one 17 yards to the Steelers 33. Rather than sitting on their one-score lead and trying to run out the clock with running plays, Denver took to the air, scoring the game clinching touchdown on Morton's 34-yard pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:44 left in the game.
Harris finished the game with 92 rushing yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Morton only completed 11 of 23 passes, but he threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Steelers and Broncos.