1971 NFL season
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The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins. Before the season, the Boston Patriots changed their name to New England Patriots after they moved to their new home field, Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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[edit] Major rule changes
- Teams will not be charged a time out for an injured player unless the injury occurs inside the last two minutes of a half.
[edit] Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Qualified for playoffs |
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 315 | 174 |
| Baltimore Colts | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 313 | 140 |
| New England Patriots | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 238 | 325 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 212 | 299 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | 184 | 394 |
| AFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 285 | 273 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 246 | 292 |
| Houston Oilers | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 251 | 330 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 284 | 265 |
| AFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 302 | 208 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 4 | 2 | .667 | 344 | 278 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 311 | 341 |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 203 | 275 |
| NFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 406 | 222 |
| Washington Redskins | 9 | 4 | 1 | .692 | 276 | 190 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 7 | 1 | .462 | 221 | 302 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 231 | 279 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 228 | 362 |
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 245 | 139 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 6 | 1 | .538 | 341 | 286 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 185 | 276 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 2 | .333 | 274 | 298 |
| NFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| San Francisco 49ers | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 300 | 216 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 313 | 260 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 6 | 1 | .538 | 274 | 277 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 8 | 2 | .333 | 266 | 347 |
[edit] Tiebreakers
- New England finished ahead of N.Y. Jets in the AFC East based on better strength of schedule (.537 to Jets' .510).
[edit] Playoffs
- Main article: NFL playoffs, 1971-72
- Home team in capitals
[edit] AFC
- Divisional playoffs: Miami 27, KANSAS CITY 24 (OT); Baltimore 20, CLEVELAND 3
- AFC Championship: MIAMI 21, Baltimore 0
[edit] NFC
- Divisional playoffs: Dallas 20, MINNESOTA 12; SAN FRANCISCO 24, Washington 20
- NFC Championship: DALLAS 14, San Francisco 3
[edit] Super Bowl VI
Dallas (NFC) 24, Miami (AFC) 3, at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
[edit] References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
- NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
