1976 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration	September 12, 1976 - December 12, 1976
Playoffs
Start date	December 18, 1976
AFC Champions	Oakland Raiders
NFC Champions	Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl XI
Date	January 9, 1977
Site	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Champions	Oakland Raiders
Pro Bowl
Date	January 17, 1977
National Football League seasons  < 1975 1977 >

The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The American Football Conference Championship Game, otherwise known as AFC Championship Game, is one of the two Semi-final matches of the National Football League The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The NFC Championship Game is one of the two Semi-final matches of the National Football League the largest professional American football league in the United The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. Super Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California to decide the Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The Rose Bowl is an outdoor football Stadium in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles. Pasadena ( is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The 1977 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 17, 1977 at Kingdome in Seattle Washington. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays This is a list of seasons of the National Football League. 1920s 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 The 1975 NFL season was the 56th Regular season of the National Football League. The 1977 NFL season was the 58th Regular season of the National Football League. In an organised Sports league, a season is the portion of one Year in which regulated Games of the sport are in session The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle Washington, USA The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. This fulfilled one of the conditions agreed to in 1966 for the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, which called for the league to expand to 28 teams by 1970 or soon thereafter. The 1966 NFL season was the 47th Regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was The AFL-NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues

For this season only, the Seahawks played in the NFC West while the Buccaneers played in the AFC West. The NFC West is a division of the National Football League 's National Football Conference. The AFC West is a division of the National Football League 's American Football Conference. (The Seahawks would return to the NFC West with the realignment prior to the 2002 NFL season. The NFC West is a division of the National Football League 's National Football Conference. The 2002 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 83rd one played by the major professional American football league in the United )

In addition, the Buccaneers would set a record of futility, finishing the season 0-14. As of 2008, this is the most recent winless season in the NFL (except for Baltimore's 0-8-1 record in the strike-shortened 1982 season). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis Indiana. The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd Regular season of the National Football League. It still stands as the only winless and tie-less season since the 1970 merger. (There were various winless seasons in the NFL before that, at that point the most recent being a 0-11-1 showing by the then-expansion Dallas Cowboys in 1960. The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National The 1960 NFL season was the 41st Regular season of the National Football League. ) The Buccaneers would go on to lose their first 26 games as a franchise before finally winning against the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Cardinals to finish the 1977 season. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. The 1977 NFL season was the 58th Regular season of the National Football League.

The season ended with Super Bowl XI when the Oakland Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings. Super Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California to decide the The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota.

Contents 1 Major rule changes 2 Final standings 2.1 Tiebreakers 3 Playoffs 4 References

Major rule changes

• Two 30-seconds clocks, one on each end of the field, will be used for all games. They will be visible to both players and fans to note the official time between the ready-for-play signal and the snap of the ball.
• If the defensive team commits a foul during a failed extra point attempt, the try is replayed and the offensive team has the option to either have the distance penalty assessed on the next try or the ensuing kickoff.
• If the defensive team commits a foul during a successful extra point attempt, the penalty will be assessed on the ensuing kickoff.
• Players cannot grasp the facemask of an opponent. The penalty for an incidental grasp of the facemask is 5 yards. The penalty for twisting, turning, or pulling the facemask is 15 yards. A player can be ejected from the game if the foul is judged to be vicious and/or flagrant.
• A defender is prohibited from running or diving into, or throwing his body against or on a ballcarrier who falls or slips to the ground untouched and makes no attempt to advance, before or after the ball is dead. This is sometimes called as the "Ben Davidson Rule" after the Raiders defender who almost seriously injured quarterback Len Dawson after the Chiefs passer fell to the ground and made no attempt to advance. Benjamin Earl Davidson (born June 14, 1940) is a former American football player between 1961 and 1971 most notably in the American Football Leonard Ray "Len" Dawson (born June 20, 1935 in Alliance Ohio) is a former American football Quarterback from Purdue

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Qualified for playoffs

Tiebreakers

• Baltimore finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on better division record (7-1 to Patriots' 6-2).
• Pittsburgh finished ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• Washington finished ahead of St. Louis in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• Atlanta finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC West based on better division record (2-4 to Saints' 1-5).

Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 1976-77

	Divisional Playoffs				Conf. The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI. Championship Games				Super Bowl XI
	December 19 - Memorial Stadium
	3) Pittsburgh Steelers	40
					December 26 - Oakland Coliseum
	2) Baltimore Colts	14
					3) Pittsburgh Steelers	7
	December 18 - Oakland Coliseum
					1) Oakland Raiders	24
	4) New England Patriots	21
									January 9 - Rose Bowl
	1) Oakland Raiders	24
									A1) Oakland Raiders	32
	December 19 - Texas Stadium
									N1) Minnesota Vikings	14
	3) Los Angeles Rams	14
					December 26 - Metropolitan Stadium
	2) Dallas Cowboys	12
					3) Los Angeles Rams	13
	December 18 - Metropolitan Stadium
					1) Minnesota Vikings	24
	4) Washington Redskins	20
	1) Minnesota Vikings	35

References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
• 1976 season in details
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)

1976 NFL season v • d • e
AFC	East	Central	West	NFC	East	Central	West
	Baltimore	Cincinnati	Denver		Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta
	Buffalo	Cleveland	Kansas City		NY Giants	Detroit	Los Angeles
	Miami	Houston	Oakland		Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans
	New England	Pittsburgh	San Diego		St. Super Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California to decide the Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Memorial Stadium was a Sports Stadium in Baltimore Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis Indiana. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. The Rose Bowl is an outdoor football Stadium in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Texas Stadium is a football Stadium in Irving Texas, a Suburb of Dallas. The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met" or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was a sports stadium that once stood in The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met" or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was a sports stadium that once stood in The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington D The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. The American Football Conference ( AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL The AFC East is a division of the National Football League 's American Football Conference. The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League 's American Football Conference. The AFC West is a division of the National Football League 's American Football Conference. The National Football Conference ( NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL The NFC East is a division of the National Football League 's National Football Conference. The NFC North is a division of the National Football League 's National Football Conference. The NFC West is a division of the National Football League 's National Football Conference. The 1976 Baltimore Colts season was the 24th season for the team in the National Football League. The 1976 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 9th year in professional football and its 7th with the National Football League. The 1976 Chicago Bears season was their 57th regular season completed in the National Football League. The 1976 Atlanta Falcons season was the Faclons inaugural season The 1976 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 27th season with the National Football League. The 1976 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a third consecutive 5-9 record and no playoff berth The 1976 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 39th year with the National Football League and the 31st season in Los Angeles. The 1976 Oakland Raiders season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-3 record from 1975 The 1976 Green Bay Packers season was their 56th season in the National Football League. The New England Patriots finished the National Football League 's 1976 season with a record of eleven wins and three losses and finished tied for first The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers started the season looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three-straight league championships (and first since the 1929-1931 WikipediaCentralized discussion/Sports results --> The 1976 San Diego Chargers season began with the team Louis	Minnesota	San Francisco
	NY Jets		Tampa Bay		Washington		Seattle
1976 NFL Draft • NFL Playoffs • Pro Bowl • Super Bowl XI

1976 was the 16th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The 1976 New York Jets season was the 17th season for the team and the seventh in the National Football League. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the team's first season The 1976 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-6 record from 1975 The 1976 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's first season with the National Football League. The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9 1976 The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI. The 1977 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 17, 1977 at Kingdome in Seattle Washington. Super Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California to decide the

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic