The Very First NFL Wildcard Weekend
11/16/20 • 10 min
Pigskin Past is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
On December 24, 1978, the extension of the NFL’s very first 16-game regular season and two more playoff teams resulted in the league’s very first Wildcard Playoff Weekend. Two more teams would increase the total number of teams per conference to make the playoffs to five each. You would have your three division winners in both the AFC and the NFC in the playoffs, and then you would also have the two teams with the best overall record, but who didn’t win a division, meet each other in a conference wild card game. Thus all three division winners in each conference got a much needed and much deserved bye week at the conclusion of the new 16-game regular season.
Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.
PIGSKIN PAST BACKGROUND
PIgskin Past is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.
The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade
The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence
America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier
Pigskin Past is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
On December 24, 1978, the extension of the NFL’s very first 16-game regular season and two more playoff teams resulted in the league’s very first Wildcard Playoff Weekend. Two more teams would increase the total number of teams per conference to make the playoffs to five each. You would have your three division winners in both the AFC and the NFC in the playoffs, and then you would also have the two teams with the best overall record, but who didn’t win a division, meet each other in a conference wild card game. Thus all three division winners in each conference got a much needed and much deserved bye week at the conclusion of the new 16-game regular season.
Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.
PIGSKIN PAST BACKGROUND
PIgskin Past is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.
The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade
The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence
America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier
Previous Episode
The Era of Great Tight Ends
Pigskin Past is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
This episode covers a little history of 14 of the greatest tight ends to play in the NFL in the 1970s. . A tight end must be able to run pass routes and catch the ball. But he also must be big and strong enough to stay in and block a charging defensive end or linebacker. Indeed, tight ends in the NFL earn their pay.
Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.
PIGSKIN PAST BACKGROUND
PIgskin Past is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.
The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade
The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence
America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier
Next Episode
A Big Snow Game in the 1970s
Pigskin Past is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
There are few occurrences more unique than watching a pro football game where the field gets hit with snow flurries, then driving snow, then a full-scale blizzard. Such a snowy game was held on November 27, 1977, when the Minnesota Vikings visited the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Vikings were involved in another season of robust contention for the NFC Central Division title. They owned a 6-4 record going into their meeting with the Packers, and they could ill-afford to lose this game. They were only one game ahead of the division-rival Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions at this point of the 1977 season. Both the Bears and the Lions were holding a 5-5 record at this stage of the year, and both of them were poised to take over the lead in the old Black and Blue Division, as the NFC Central was then known.
Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.
PIGSKIN PAST BACKGROUND
PIgskin Past is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.
The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade
The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence
America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier
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