Notable quarterbacks
- Roger Hall — Green Bay Packers
- Terry Bradshaw — Pittsburgh Steelers
- Roger Staubach — Dallas Cowboys
- Fran Tarkenton — Minnesota Vikings
- Ken Stabler — Oakland Raiders
- Bob Griese — Miami Dolphins
- Joe Namath — New York Jets / Los Angeles Rams
- Dan Fouts — San Diego Chargers
- Bert Jones — Baltimore Colts
- Jim Hart — St. Louis Cardinals
- Archie Manning — New Orleans Saints
- Ken Anderson — Cincinnati Bengals
- Billy Kilmer — Washington
People who defined the era
Roger Hall and the quarterback generation
Roger Hall was the league’s central player of the decade, keeping Green Bay at the center of the championship picture after Lombardi and becoming the defining Hall-family figure of the 1970s. Roger Staubach anchored Dallas’ rise into a perennial contender. Terry Bradshaw became the quarterback of Pittsburgh’s late-decade dynasty, while Fran Tarkenton’s production and mobility repeatedly made Minnesota a postseason threat.
The running backs
O.J. Simpson became the first NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 1973. Walter Payton arrived in 1975 and was already one of the league’s premier backs before the decade ended. Franco Harris became an essential part of Pittsburgh’s championship identity.
Defensive foundations
Mean Joe Greene and Jack Lambert embodied the Steel Curtain. Greene was its centerpiece; Lambert was one of its signature personalities. Alan Page led the Purple People Eaters and stood among the era’s most important defenders. Their prominence reflects a decade in which elite defense remained a championship foundation.
Receivers, specialists and coaches
Lynn Swann and Drew Pearson were defining receivers for Pittsburgh and Dallas. Ray Guy became the rare punter who was a genuine star and an All-Decade selection. Don Shula built Miami’s early-decade powerhouse and undefeated 1971 season. Chuck Noll built Pittsburgh’s dynasty. Both coaches earned official 1970s All-Decade recognition.
Championship landscape
| Season | Super Bowl | Champion | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | V | Packers | Colts | 24–3 |
| 1971 | VI | Dolphins | Vikings | 24–7 |
| 1972 | VII | Packers | Dolphins | 13–6 |
| 1973 | VIII | Packers | Dolphins | 24–14 |
| 1974 | IX | Steelers | Vikings | 16–6 |
| 1975 | X | Steelers | Cowboys | 26–17 |
| 1976 | XI | Packers | Raiders | 32–14 |
| 1977 | XII | Cowboys | Broncos | 27–10 |
| 1978 | XIII | Steelers | Cowboys | 35–31 |
| 1979 | XIV | Steelers | Rams | 31–19 |
Titles: Packers 4 · Steelers 4 · Dolphins 1 · Cowboys 1
Green Bay and Pittsburgh each won four Super Bowls. Roger Hall’s Packers claimed V, VII, VIII and XI; the Steelers won IX, X, XIII and XIV. Miami’s undefeated 1971 team won VI, and Dallas won XII. The decade moved from Green Bay and Miami’s early rivalry into Pittsburgh’s late championship dominance.
Miami reached three straight Super Bowls, winning the first and losing the next two to Green Bay. Dallas reached three, going 1–2 with both losses against Pittsburgh. Minnesota lost two, while Oakland, Baltimore, Denver and the Rams also reached the championship stage.
Back to chapter contentsDefining games and moments
1971 — Miami completes the perfect season
The Dolphins defeated Minnesota 24–7 in Super Bowl VI. Earl Morrall started at quarterback, completing 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. Safety Jake Scott earned Super Bowl MVP.
1972 — Roger Hall ends Miami’s repeat bid
Miami returned as a 12-point favorite in Super Bowl VII, but Green Bay won 13–6. Roger Hall went 19-for-26 for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception and led the game-winning drive. The Packers prevented an undefeated champion from turning its first title into consecutive championships.
1971 AFC Divisional — The longest game
Miami and Kansas City played 82 minutes and 40 seconds on Christmas Day. Garo Yepremian’s 37-yard field goal ended double overtime and gave Miami a 27–24 victory in the longest game in NFL history.
1972 AFC Divisional — The Immaculate Reception
Pittsburgh trailed Oakland 7–6, facing fourth-and-10 with 22 seconds left. Bradshaw’s pass ricocheted toward Franco Harris, who caught it and ran for the winning touchdown. The 13–7 victory was Pittsburgh’s first postseason win and produced one of football’s most famous plays.
1974 AFC Divisional — Sea of Hands
Ken Stabler found Clarence Davis in the end zone amid Miami defenders. Oakland won 28–26 in a back-and-forth playoff game, ending the Dolphins’ run.
1975 NFC Divisional — The Hail Mary
Dallas trailed Minnesota 14–10 when Staubach launched a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson. His explanation that he had thrown the ball and said a prayer helped popularize the term “Hail Mary.” Dallas won 17–14 and continued toward Super Bowl X.
1977 AFC Divisional — Ghost to the Post
Stabler’s late 42-yard completion to Dave Casper helped Oakland tie Baltimore. The Raiders eventually won 37–31 in double overtime when Casper caught the deciding touchdown in the sixth period.
1978 — The Holy Roller
With Oakland trailing San Diego in the final seconds, Stabler deliberately fumbled while being tackled. Raiders pushed and kicked the ball forward before Casper recovered in the end zone. Oakland won 21–20. The finish contributed to the rule that, after the two-minute warning, only the player who fumbles can advance that fumble.
1979 AFC Championship — The Mike Renfro controversy
Houston trailed Pittsburgh 17–10 when Dan Pastorini threw to Renfro in the back corner of the end zone. The apparent touchdown was ruled incomplete. Pittsburgh won 27–13. The disputed call became a recurring example in later discussions about instant replay.
Major debuts and retirements
Major debuts
Terry Bradshaw — 1970. Pittsburgh’s first-overall selection struggled early before becoming the quarterback of its dynasty. His playing career continued through 1983.
Ken Stabler — 1970. He began his NFL playing career with Oakland and became its offensive leader through the middle and late decade.
Franco Harris — 1972. His 1,000-yard rookie season coincided with the start of Pittsburgh’s transformation into a championship power.
Dan Fouts — 1973. His arrival in San Diego introduced a quarterback whose greatest passing seasons would help shape the next era.
Walter Payton — 1975. Chicago’s new running back surpassed 1,000 yards by his second season and began the career that would make him the all-time rushing leader at retirement.
Earl Campbell — 1978. He led the NFL in rushing in each of his first three seasons and made the 1970s All-Decade Team despite playing only two seasons in the decade.
Joe Montana — 1979. He initially played a limited role in San Francisco. His arrival mattered much more to the 1980s; his career ultimately ran through 1994.
Major retirements
Bart Starr — after 1971, ending a career that began in 1956 and bridged the old NFL and Super Bowl eras.
Johnny Unitas — 1973, one of the clearest endings of the previous quarterback generation.
Sonny Jurgensen — after 1974, closing a career begun in 1957.
Len Dawson and George Blanda — 1975. Dawson closed the career of a defining AFL quarterback. Blanda’s quarterback-and-kicker career stretched back to 1949.
Joe Namath — 1977, finishing with the Rams after his long association with the Jets and the AFL’s rise.
Fran Tarkenton — 1978, retiring as the career leader in attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.
Roger Staubach — after 1979, still playing at a high level. His 83.4 career passer rating was the highest in NFL history at retirement.
Back to chapter contentsLeague and rule changes
1970 — The merger became official. Former AFL teams joined Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC; the other former NFL teams formed the NFC. The unified league replaced the two-league structure.
1972 — Hash marks moved inward to 23 yards, 1 foot, 9 inches from each sideline, giving offenses more short-side space. A tie became worth half a win and half a loss in the standings.
1973 — Standardized jersey numbering assigned quarterbacks and specialists 1–19, backs 20–49, centers and linebackers 50–59, most linemen 60–79 and receivers and tight ends 80–89. Existing players could keep older numbers.
1974 — A sudden-death overtime period was introduced for preseason and regular-season games. Previously a regulation tie remained a tie. Goal posts moved from the goal line to the back of the end zone; kickoffs moved from the 40 to the 35. Missed-field-goal placement, blocking and punting rules also changed.
1976 — Tampa Bay and Seattle began play, expanding the league to 28 teams. Their franchises had been awarded in 1974. Seattle later competed in the NFC throughout Cody Harrison’s career.
1978 — Contact with receivers beyond five yards became heavily restricted, and offensive linemen could extend their arms and use open hands in pass protection. Together these changes opened the passing game. The side judge was added as the seventh official.
Back to chapter contentsTeams that defined the era
Green Bay Packers
Roger Hall’s Packers won four titles: 24–3 over Baltimore in V, 13–6 and 24–14 over Miami in VII and VIII, and 32–14 over Oakland in XI. Green Bay moved from the Starr/Lombardi generation into Roger’s era without surrendering its championship standing. The consecutive wins over Miami denied the Dolphins titles in the final two appearances of their three-year run.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Noll, Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, John Stallworth, Greene, Lambert and the Steel Curtain formed one of the league’s deepest teams. Pittsburgh beat Minnesota 16–6 in IX, Dallas 26–17 in X and 35–31 in XIII, and the Rams 31–19 in XIV. Its four titles matched Green Bay, with Pittsburgh controlling the latter portion of the decade.
Miami Dolphins
The defining early-decade AFC team reached VI, VII and VIII. The undefeated 1971 championship was followed by two losses to Green Bay. One title in three trips understates how consistently Miami controlled the AFC: champion in 1971, finalist in 1972 and 1973.
Dallas Cowboys
Tom Landry, Staubach and the Doomsday defense made Dallas a sustained contender. The Cowboys lost X to Pittsburgh, beat Denver 27–10 in XII, and lost XIII to Pittsburgh. Both defeats in their 1–2 Super Bowl run came against the Steelers.
Minnesota Vikings
Bud Grant’s Vikings, Tarkenton and the Purple People Eaters remained major NFC contenders. Minnesota was the final opponent of Miami’s undefeated season in VI and returned for IX against Pittsburgh. Two appearances without a title still kept it firmly among the major franchises.
Oakland Raiders
Stabler, Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and Willie Brown anchored a dangerous, aggressive team. Oakland appeared throughout the decade’s defining playoff moments but lost its championship opportunity, XI, to Green Bay. Its importance comes from consistent AFC contention and memorable games rather than a Super Bowl title in this decade.
Denver, the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore belong in the secondary championship tier through their appearances in XII, XIV and V respectively.
Back to chapter contentsMajor rivalries and matchups
Packers–Dolphins
The defining early-decade championship rivalry has a three-year arc: Miami reaches the top, Green Bay knocks it off, and Green Bay beats it again. Roger Hall prevented an undefeated season from becoming a multi-title Miami dynasty.
Steelers–Raiders
The Immaculate Reception ignited a hostile playoff rivalry. Oakland eliminated Pittsburgh in 1973, while Pittsburgh beat Oakland in the AFC Championships following 1974 and 1975. Physicality and controversy made it one of the defining rivalries of the era.
Steelers–Cowboys
Two Super Bowl meetings produced two Pittsburgh wins, 26–17 and 35–31. The Steel Curtain faced Landry, Staubach and the Doomsday defense. Pittsburgh was the obstacle between Dallas and multiple titles.
Steelers–Oilers and Cowboys–Vikings
Bum Phillips and Earl Campbell made Houston a late-decade threat, but Pittsburgh remained the barrier to a Super Bowl. Dallas and Minnesota repeatedly competed near the top of the NFC, with the 1975 Hail Mary their most famous meeting. Both matchups added to the decade’s intense postseason rivalries.
Style of football
The merged league began the decade still resembling the physical, rushing-oriented football of the 1960s. Feature backs, field position and defensive fronts remained central, as the Steel Curtain and Purple People Eaters demonstrated.
The decade also laid the groundwork for modern offense. Inward hash marks created space; the 1978 receiver-contact and pass-blocking changes gave quarterbacks and receivers more freedom. The 1970s did not abandon power football, but by the end they had opened the door to the passing revolution of the 1980s.
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