NFL playoffs , 1973 - 74 The NFL playoffs following the 1973 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VIII . 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 . Divisional playoffs . December 22 , 1973 . AFC : Oakland Raiders 33 , Pittsburgh Steelers 14 . The Raiders scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Steelers . Oakland scored first on Marv Hubbard ' s 1 - yard touchdown run in the opening period . But with the Raiders leading 10 - 0 in the second period , Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a 4 - yard touchdown pass to Barry Pearson to cut Oakland ' s lead 10 - 7 at halftime . However , Raiders kicker George Blanda added two more field goals , and cornerback Willie Brown blew the game wide open by intercepting a pass from Bradshaw and returning it 54 yards for a touchdown . After Blanda kicked his fourth field goal of the game to make the score 26 - 7 , Bradshaw threw a 26 - yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter . But the Raiders put the game away when Hubbard scored his second 1 - yard touchdown run . NFC : Minnesota Vikings 27 , Washington Redskins 20 . Quarterback Fran Tarkenton threw 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead the Vikings to a victory . After a scoreless first quarter , Minnesota scored first on kicker Fred Cox ' s 19 - yard field goal . But then a fumbled punt set up Larry Brown ' s 3 - yard touchdown run to give the Redskins a 7 - 3 lead . The Vikings then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 79 yards to score on Bill Brown ' s 2 - yard rushing touchdown . After the Redskins retook the lead , 13 - 10 , with 2 field goals , Tarkenton threw a 28 - yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam . Nate Wright ' s interception then set up Gilliam ' s 8 - yard touchdown reception . Although Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer threw a 28 - yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter , Cox kicked his second field goal to close out the scoring . December 23 , 1973 . AFC : Miami Dolphins 34 , Cincinnati Bengals 16 . The Dolphins outgained Cincinnati in total yards , 400 - 194 , and first downs , 27 - 11 , while also scoring on three of their first four possessions and shutting out the Bengals in the second half . The Dolphins racked up 241 yards on the ground , including 106 from Mercury Morris and 71 from Larry Csonka , while receiver Paul Warfield caught 5 passes for 95 yards and a score . Miami scored first on quarterback Bob Griese ' s 13 - yard touchdown pass to Warfield . Then after Bengals kicker Horst Muhlmann scored a field goal , Csonka and Morris each scored rushing touchdowns . However , Cincinnati scored 13 unanswered points before halftime : Neal Craig returned an interception 45 - yards for a touchdown , and Muhlmann added 2 more field goals to pull the score to within 21 - 16 . But Miami controlled the second half , scoring 13 unanswered points , including Griese ' s second touchdown pass of the game . NFC : Dallas Cowboys 27 , Los Angeles Rams 16 . The Cowboys avenged a 37 - 31 regular season loss to L . A . as two Rams turnovers in the first quarter gave the Cowboys a 14 - 0 lead . Lee Roy Jordan ' s interception of a John Hadl pass on the first play of the game led to Calvin Hill ' s 3 - yard touchdown run . Mel Renfro then recovered a Lawrence McCutcheon fumble on the L . A . 35 - yard line to set up the Cowboys again which later resulted in Drew Pearson ' s 4 - yard touchdown reception . Toni Fritsch then added a 39 - yard field goal to increase Dallas ' lead by 17 . But the Rams were able to cut the Cowboys lead 17 - 16 by the fourth quarter with David Ray ' s 3 field goals and Tony Baker ' s 5 - yard rushing touchdown and a relentless pass rush that sacked Staubach seven times ( 2½ by Jack Youngblood , 2 by Merlin Olsen ) . However , quarterback Roger Staubach threw a short pass over the middle to Drew Pearson , and as the Rams were about to stop Pearson for a short gain , defensive backs Dave Elmendorf and Steve Preece collided and fell , allowing Pearson to scamper untouched for an 83 - yard touchdown that effectively clinched the game . Fritsch added another field goal for the 27 - 16 final . Conference championships . December 30 , 1973 . AFC Championship : Miami Dolphins 27 , Oakland Raiders 10 . Running back Larry Csonka led the Dolphins to a victory with 117 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns . Miami scored on their first drive of the game when quarterback Bob Griese ' s 27 - yard run set up Csonka ' s 11 - yard rushing touchdown . Csonka scored again late in the second quarter on a 2 - yard touchdown run to make the score 14 - 0 at halftime . However , after the teams exchanged field goals , Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler threw a 25 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Siani to cut the lead , 17 - 10 . In the fourth quarter , after Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian made a 26 - yard field goal , the Raiders were faced with fourth down and inches and were forced to " go for it " . But the Miami defense stopped Oakland , and the Dolphins used their running game to take time off the clock and set up Csonka ' s third touchdown to clinch the game . NFC Championship : Minnesota Vikings 27 , Dallas Cowboys 10 . The Vikings forced 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles en route to a 27 - 10 victory over the Cowboys . With the loss of running back Calvin Hill and defensive tackle Bob Lilly to injuries , Dallas could not get anything going . Minnesota jumped to a 10 - 0 lead by halftime with a Fred Cox field goal and an 86 - yard drive that ended with a 5 - yard rushing touchdown by Chuck Foreman . The Cowboys finally scored on Golden Richards ' 63 - yard punt return for a touchdown . But Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton then threw a 54 - yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam . After Toni Fritsch ' s 17 - yard field goal cut the lead to 17 - 10 , Minnesota then converted two fourth quarter turnovers into 10 points : Bobby Bryant returned an interception 63 - yards to the endzone , and Jeff Wright ' s interception set up Cox ' s 34 - yard field goal .