NFL playoffs , 1976 - 77 The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI . Divisional playoffs . December 18 , 1976 . AFC : Oakland Raiders 24 , New England Patriots 21 . The Patriots scored first after an 86 - yard drive was capped by running back Andy Johnson ' s 1 - yard touchdown run . However , Oakland scored 10 straight points , including a 31 - yard touchdown reception to wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff with 39 seconds left in the first half . The Patriots then scored two touchdowns of their own in the third period to regain the lead , 21 - 10 . In the fourth quarter , the Raiders marched 70 yards to score on a 1 - yard touchdown run by Mark van Eeghen to pull it to 21 - 17 . Late in the final period , a controversial roughing the passer penalty on Patriots tackle Ray " Sugar Bear " Hamilton nullified a third down incompletion and gave the Raiders an automatic first down deep in New England territory ( instead of 4th and 10 ) . The call setup Stabler ' s game - winning touchdown . Biletnikoff finished the game with 9 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown . Oakland avenged its only loss of the year , which came at the hands of the Patriots . NFC : Minnesota Vikings 35 , Washington Redskins 20 . The Vikings jumped to a 35 - 6 lead by the end of the third quarter , led by running backs Chuck Foreman and Brent McClanahan who each rushed for more than 100 yards . McClanahan ' s 41 - yard run on Minnesota ' s first play of the game set up quarterback Fran Tarkenton ' s 18 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Stu Voigt . Then after Washington kicked a field goal , Tarkenton threw a 27 - yard touchdown pass to Sammy White , who managed to catch it after it was tipped in the air . Foreman added two rushing touchdowns and White caught a second touchdown pass . By the time Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer completed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter , the game was already out of reach . December 19 , 1976 . AFC : Pittsburgh Steelers 40 , Baltimore Colts 14 . The Steelers dominated the Colts with 526 yards of total offense , while limiting Baltimore to only 170 . Quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed 14 of 18 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns , including a 76 - yard one to Frank Lewis on the third play of the game , giving him the first perfect 158 . 3 passer rating in NFL playoff history . Steelers running back Franco Harris racked up 132 rushing yards on just 18 carries , and caught 3 passes for 24 yards . The Colts scored late in the first period with Bert Jones ' 17 - yard touchdown pass to Roger Carr , but the Steelers then scored 24 unanswered points . Bradshaw threw 29 and 11 - yard touchdowns to wide receiver Lynn Swann , while running back Reggie Harrison had two rushing scores . Less than ten minutes after the conclusion of the game , a small charter plane crashed into the upper deck at Memorial Stadium . There were no deaths or injuries in the accident . NFC : Los Angeles Rams 14 , Dallas Cowboys 12 . The Rams overcame two blocked punts by the Cowboys to come away with a 14 - 12 win in a defense dominated physical game . Dallas opened the scoring with a 44 - yard field goal , but Los Angeles responded with quarterback Pat Haden ' s 4 - yard touchdown run . Late in the first half , Charlie Waters blocked a punt to set up running back Scott Laidlaw ' s 1 - yard touchdown to give the Cowboys a 10 - 7 lead . Early in the final period , Rams kicker Tom Dempsey made what would have been a game - tying field goal , but Cliff Harris was called for a running into the kicker penalty on the play . The usually conservative Ram coach Chuck Knox uncharacteristically took the points off the board , giving Los Angeles a first down . A few plays later , Lawrence McCutcheon vindicated Knox ' s decision as he ran for a one yard touchdown to give the Rams the lead , 14 - 10 . With 1 : 59 remaining in the game , Waters blocked another punt and the Cowboys recovered the ball at the Los Angeles 17 - yard line . On first down , Butch Johnson ' s reception was ruled incomplete because he could only get one foot down in bounds in the end zone . On 4th and two , the Rams stopped Staubach for a one yard gain and took possession on their own 8 yard line . After three " kneel downs " and Cowboy time outs , the Rams faced a 4th and 14 with seconds left in the game . Wary of another blocked punt , Coach Knox ordered Ram punter Rusty Jackson to step out of the back of the end zone for an intentional safety , and the Rams won 14 - 12 . The Ram defense held Dallas to only 85 rushing yards ; Dallas ' defense was equally stingy , allowing 120 rushing yards but the Rams needed 49 attempts to achieve this . Constant Ram pressure caused Staubach to have one of his worst playoff games ever as he was 15 of 37 for 150 yards ; he was sacked 4 times and threw 3 interceptions . In addition , Staubach , who had hurt the Rams the year before with his scrambling runs , gained only 8 yards rushing . Ram QB Pat Haden couldn ' t do much better vs . Dallas ' tough defense ; he was 10 for 21 for 152 yards and also threw 3 interceptions . Conference championships . December 26 , 1976 . AFC Championship : Oakland Raiders 24 , Pittsburgh Steelers 7 . With Steelers running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier out of the game with injuries , the Raiders easily shut down Pittsburgh ' s offense . Oakland jumped to a 10 - 0 lead with Errol Mann ' s 39 - yard field goal and running back Clarence Davis ' 1 - yard touchdown run . The Steelers responded with running back Reggie Harrison ' s 3 - yard rushing touchdown . With 19 seconds left in the first half , the Raiders faced first down at the Pittsburgh 4 - yard line . Oakland lined up three tight ends as if they were to run the ball , but quarterback Ken Stabler threw a play action pass to Warren Bankston for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 17 - 7 lead at halftime . Oakland controlled the entire second half , including a 12 - play , 63 - yard scoring drive that ended with Stabler ' s second touchdown pass . NFC Championship : Minnesota Vikings 24 , Los Angeles Rams 13 . The Vikings forced a blocked field goal , a blocked punt , and two interceptions en route to the victory over the Rams . On offense , running back Chuck Foreman rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries while also catching 5 passes for 81 yards . In the first quarter , the Rams got off to a good start as they marched down the field to the Viking ' s 2 yard line . The drive stalled there , and coach Chuck Knox , recalling the NFC championship game in Minnesota two years ago ( when the Rams were intercepted in the end zone after driving to the Viking ' s 2 yard line ) ordered a field goal attempt . Nate Allen blocked the field goal attempt , and the ball bounced off the ground right into the waiting arms of Bobby Bryant , who returned it 90 yards for a Minnesota touchdown . Then in the second quarter , linebacker Matt Blair recovered a blocked punt to set up Fred Cox ' s 25 - yard field goal to give the Vikings a 10 - 0 lead before halftime . Then in the third period , Foreman rushed 62 yards to the Los Angeles 2 - yard line , and scored on a 1 - yard touchdown run two plays later to increase the lead 17 - 0 . The Rams rallied back with two quick touchdowns in the third . After a Dave Elmendorf interception gave the Rams the ball at midfield , Pat Haden hit Harold Jackson for 40 yards , followed by a 10 - yard touchdown run by Lawrence McCutcheon . The PAT was blocked , however . On the Vikings next drive , Fred Dryer hit Fran Tarkenton on a sack , forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jack Youngblood at the Viking 11 . Two plays later , Haden hit Jackson for a 5 - yard touchdown pass . With 2 : 40 left in the game , Los Angeles advanced to the Minnesota 39 - yard line . On fourth down and needing more than a field goal , Haden thought he had Jackson open deep near the goal line , but Bryant intercepted the pass ( his second of the game ) rather than batting it down . A few plays later , Tarkenton dumped a short pass off to Foreman , which he turned into a 57 - yard gain . Backup running back Sammy Johnson scored the clinching touchdown from 12 yards out . This turned out to be the last playoff game at Metropolitan Stadium . The Vikings played four playoff games between 1977 and 1981 , all on the road . Minnesota ' s next home playoff game came after the strike - shortened 1982 season , the Vikings ' first in the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome . To date , this is the most recent NFC Championship that the Vikings have won .