1971 – 72 NFL playoffs The NFL playoffs following the 1971 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VI . Like the previous NFL seasons , the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation , excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road . It was the first time that the NFL scheduled games on Christmas Day , a decision that drew considerable criticism . Divisional playoffs . December 25 , 1971 . AFC : Miami Dolphins 27 , Kansas City Chiefs 24 ( 2OT ) . In the longest NFL game played to date at 82 minutes , 40 seconds ( and the Chiefs ' last - ever game at Municipal Stadium ) , Miami kicker Garo Yepremian kicked the winning 37 - yard field goal after 7 : 40 of double - overtime . The Chiefs jumped to a 10 - 0 lead in the first quarter with Jan Stenerud ' s 24 - yard field goal and quarterback Len Dawson ' s 7 - yard touchdown pass to Ed Podolak . But the Dolphins tied the game in the second quarter with Yepremian ' s 14 - yard field goal and running back Larry Csonka ' s 1 - yard touchdown run . The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter before Podolak scored on a 3 - yard run in the fourth period . But Miami quarterback Bob Griese threw a 5 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Marv Fleming to tie the game . Podolak returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Dolphins 22 - yard line before being shoved out of bounds by Miami ' s Curtis Johnson , giving Stenerud a chance to win the game for the Chiefs in the final minute of regulation . But he missed the field goal attempt from 31 yards and the game went into overtime . Kansas City took the opening kickoff of the first overtime period , but Stenerud 42 - yard field goal attempt was blocked . Yepremian also attempted a 52 - yard field goal later in the period , but missed . Csonka ' s 29 - yard run in the second quarter set up Yepremian ' s game - winning score . Podolak ' s 350 all - purpose yards ( 8 receptions for 110 yards , 17 carries for 85 yards , 3 kickoff returns for 154 yards , two punt returns for two yards ) in this game remain an NFL playoff record , and is still the fourth highest total in NFL history . " I don ' t think any one player in a big game , a monumental game like that , had a day like Eddie Podolak had , " said Chiefs coach Hank Stram after the game . Dolphins receiver Paul Warfield finished with 7 receptions for a career postseason high 140 yards , while Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti racked up 20 tackles . NFC : Dallas Cowboys 20 , Minnesota Vikings 12 . Although the Vikings outgained the Cowboys 311 - 183 , Dallas converted turnovers into 13 points en route to a 20 - 12 win . The Cowboys jumped to a 6 - 3 halftime lead after converting a fumble recovery and an interception into field goals . Then , Cliff Harris ' 30 - yard interception return on the second play of the third quarter set up Duane Thomas ' 13 - yard touchdown run to give Dallas a 13 - 3 lead . Quarterback Roger Staubach then extended the lead with his 9 - yard touchdown pass to Bob Hayes . The Vikings scored 9 unanswered points in the fourth quarter but it was not enough to make up for the deficit . December 26 , 1971 . AFC : Baltimore Colts 20 , Cleveland Browns 3 . Don Nottingham scored two touchdowns as the Colts limited the Browns to only 3 points . Nottingham ' s first score , a 1 - yard touchdown run , was set up after Bubba Smith blocked Cleveland kicker Don Cockroft ' s 4 - yard field goal attempt . Then in the second quarter , Safety Rick Volk ' s 37 - yard interception return set up Nottingham ' s 7 - yard touchdown run . Colts kicker Jim O ' Brien also contributed with 2 field goals . NFC : San Francisco 49ers 24 , Washington Redskins 20 . The 49ers defense made key plays to lead San Francisco to a 24 - 20 victory over the Redskins . Washington scored first after Jon Jaqua blocked a punt to set up quarterback Billy Kilmer ' s 5 - yard pass . Then after the teams exchanged field goals , the Redskins took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove to the San Francisco 11 - yard line . But on fourth down and inches to go , Frank Nunley tackled Larry Brown for a 2 - yard loss . Three plays later , 49ers quarterback John Brodie threw a 78 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gene Washington to tie the game . Then , Roosevelt Taylor ' s interception set up Bob Windsor ' s 2 - yard touchdown reception to give San Francisco a 17 - 10 lead . The 49ers later put the game away in the fourth quarter after defensive tackle Bob Hoskins recovered a bad snap on a Washington punt attempt in the end zone . Conference championships . January 2 , 1972 . AFC Championship : Miami Dolphins 21 , Baltimore Colts 0 . Although Miami quarterback Bob Griese completed only 4 passes , the Dolphins defense shut out the Colts . Defensive back Dick Anderson intercepted 3 passes , returning one of them 62 yards for a touchdown . Paul Warfield recorded a 75 - yard touchdown reception midway through the first quarter . Then in the fourth quarter , Griese ' s 50 - yard pass to Warfield set up Larry Csonka ' s 5 - yard touchdown run . NFC Championship : Dallas Cowboys 14 , San Francisco 49ers 3 . In the first playoff game at Texas Stadium , the Cowboys defense dominated the 49ers offense by only allowing 61 rushing yards , 9 first downs , and forcing 3 interceptions . In the second quarter , Dallas defensive end George Andrie intercepted a screen pass at the San Francisco 8 - yard line to set up Calvin Hill ' s 1 - yard touchdown run . Then in the fourth quarter , the Cowboys marched 80 yards in 14 plays to score on Duane Thomas ' 2 - yard touchdown run .