1970 NFL season

• 1. Merger And Realignment

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  The 1970 NFL season marked the first year of a unified league after years of competition between two separate organizations. The American Football League and National Football League had operated as rivals until their merger was finalized in 1969. This consolidation required a complete restructuring of how teams were grouped and scheduled for play.

  Ten AFL franchises joined three existing NFL clubs to form the American Football Conference. These included the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers moving from the old NFL structure. The remaining thirteen NFL teams formed the National Football Conference. Commissioner Pete Rozelle oversaw this massive realignment effort that reshaped professional football's geography.

  League officials debated multiple plans before settling on one final arrangement. Thelma Elkjer, the secretary to Commissioner Rozelle, drew the winning plan from an envelope placed inside a vase on the 16th of January 1970. This method reflected the contentious nature of negotiations among team owners who held conflicting interests regarding divisional balance and regional rivalries.

  Each conference divided into three divisions: East, Central, and West. The Eastern divisions contained five teams while other four divisions held four teams each. This configuration aimed to keep traditional rivals together while balancing competitive strength across conferences rather than relying solely on geographic proximity.

• 2. Draft And Personnel Changes

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  The 1970 NFL draft took place over two days at New York City's Belmont Plaza Hotel from January 27 to 28. The Pittsburgh Steelers used their first overall pick to select quarterback Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana Tech University. This selection would eventually lead the franchise to multiple championships in subsequent decades.

  Coaching transitions occurred throughout the league as the merger forced new organizational structures. Don Shula left his position with the Baltimore Colts to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins. His replacement was Don McCafferty, who had previously served as an assistant under Shula.

  Vince Lombardi, legendary former Green Bay Packers coach, died on September 3 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in late June. Bill Austin, offensive line coach for Washington Redskins, assumed head coaching duties for the remainder of the season following Lombardi's death. Austin had been promoted to fill the vacancy created by the Hall of Famer's passing.

  Other coaching changes included Clive Rush resigning from Boston Patriots after seven games due to medical reasons. John Mazur served as interim coach before becoming full-time leader in 1971. Tom Fears was fired from New Orleans Saints after a poor start and replaced by J.D. Roberts.

• 3. Rule Standardization

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  The merged league adopted unified rules that combined elements from both predecessor organizations. One significant change involved jersey names appearing universally on player uniforms. Old NFL teams had not displayed last names on backs until this season when AFL practices became mandatory across all franchises.

  Game clock mechanics also underwent standardization. The scoreboard clock became the official timepiece for determining game duration instead of the field judge's stopwatch used previously in NFL contests. This shift aligned timing procedures with AFL standards established during their existence prior to merger completion.

  Officials experimented with compromise rules regarding two-point conversions during late 1960s preseason periods. The decision ultimately favored maintaining only one-point conversion options rather than adopting the AFL's two-point system. That feature would not appear in NFL rules until 1994, decades after the initial unification effort.

  Uniform modifications continued throughout the season as teams sought visual identity updates. Dallas Cowboys moved television numbers from shoulders to sleeves where they remained through 1973. Detroit Lions added trim details to helmet logos starting week five while Minnesota Vikings introduced alternate purple jerseys without sleeve striping for warm weather games.

• 4. Stadium Evolution

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  League requirements forced several franchises to seek new home venues due to outdated facilities failing to meet minimum standards. Chicago Bears needed a stadium capable of seating at least 50,000 spectators and equipped with lighting for night games. Wrigley Field proved inadequate despite its historic significance to the organization.

  The Bears played their first home game against Philadelphia Eagles at Northwestern University's Dyche Stadium as a trial run. This venue lacked permanent lighting installations and faced opposition from Big Ten Conference athletic directors plus Evanston residents who opposed potential relocation plans. Negotiations with Cubs ownership eventually collapsed leading to Soldier Field becoming the team's permanent home beginning in 1971.

  Boston Patriots occupied their fourth facility within eleven seasons before constructing Schaeffer Stadium in Foxborough which opened in 1971. They renamed themselves New England upon moving there and continue playing in what is now Gillette Stadium. Two multi-purpose stadiums debuted this year including Riverfront Stadium replacing Nippert Stadium for Cincinnati Bengals and Three Rivers Stadium serving Pittsburgh Steelers instead of Pitt Stadium.

  Seven teams utilized artificial turf surfaces during the season compared to just two teams in both leagues during 1969. Super Bowl V held at Orange Bowl became the first championship game played on Poly-Turf material rather than natural grass.

• 5. Television Expansion

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  Broadcasting arrangements shifted significantly following league unification with CBS handling all NFC televisions while NBC covered AFC matchups exclusively. Interconference games followed specific routing rules based on visiting conference affiliation. Fans watching Sunday afternoon games saw their local team appear consistently on one network throughout the season.

  Monday Night Football launched on ABC starting the 21st of September 1970 making professional football the first sport to feature regular prime-time national broadcasts. The program featured veteran announcer Keith Jackson alongside Howard Cosell and former Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith as commentators. This innovation created unprecedented exposure for the sport across American households every weeknight.

  All three major networks signed four-year contracts covering through the 1973 season establishing long-term broadcasting relationships. Ray Scott remained lead play-by-play voice for CBS while Pat Summerall replaced Paul Christman after Christman died from a heart attack the 2nd of March 1970. Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote continued as NBC's primary broadcast team maintaining continuity despite personnel changes.

  Both playoff-bound teams suffered humiliating home defeats during Monday Night Football broadcasts that season. Baltimore Colts lost 44-24 to Kansas City Chiefs while Dallas Cowboys fell 38-0 to Arizona Cardinals in nationally televised primetime contests.

• 6. Playoff Drama

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  The league implemented an eight-team playoff format featuring division winners plus one wild card team per conference. Tiebreaker rules prioritized head-to-head competition followed by intra-conference records before resorting to coin flips if necessary. These procedures proved problematic during final weeks when multiple teams held similar win-loss records.

  Potential tie scenarios emerged involving Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants all playing at home with favorable outcomes likely. A single victory by any of these franchises could have triggered complex tiebreaker situations requiring random selection methods. The situation resolved only when Giants lost unexpectedly to Los Angeles Rams preventing further complications.

  New Orleans Saints placekicker Tom Dempsey kicked a record-breaking 63-yard field goal against Detroit Lions on November 8 to secure a 19-17 victory. This achievement surpassed the previous seven-yard record set seventeen years earlier by Bert Rechichar and stood for four decades until broken again in later seasons.

  Super Bowl V concluded the season on the 17th of January 1971 at Orange Bowl in Miami where Baltimore Colts defeated Dallas Cowboys 16-13. The Pro Bowl followed Sunday with NFC defeating AFC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum completing the league's first unified championship cycle.