On Christmas Day, 1971, the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins played in a playoff classic. They needed nearly 23 extra minutes to settle the 1971 AFC Divisional Playoff game. It's the longest playoff game in NFL history.
This great game marked the beginning of the end of the great Kansas City Chiefs teams. It also marked the start of the Miami Dolphins' little dynasty.
Here's the Pro Football Hall of Fame's summary of the NFL's Longest Day:
The NFL's Longest Game
The 1971 AFC Divisional Playoff Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, played on Christmas day, was a seesaw battle of touchdowns and field goals that didn’t end until halfway through a second overtime period. The marathon game lasted eighty-two minutes and forty seconds and by all accounts was one of the most exciting games ever played.
The Kansas City Chiefs offense directed by Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, scored the first two times they had the ball and led 10-0, at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Dolphins - with their Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese - added 10 points of their own to end the first half deadlocked.
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ED PODOLAK racked up 350 yards.
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Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter. In the fourth, the Chiefs scored another to take the lead 24-17. However, with 1:25 remaining in regulation play the Dolphins scored to once again tie the game. On the next play Chiefs running back Ed Podolak returned the Dolphins kick 78 yards to the Miami 22 yard line. Three more plays advanced the ball to the 15. With just 35 seconds left and sensing a victory, Jan Stenerud missed a game-winning field goal. With the score tied 24-24, the game went into overtime.
Both teams missed scoring opportunities in the first overtime. Stenerud had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked and the Dolphins’ placekicker Garo Yepremian missed a 52-yarder. Finally halfway through the sixth quarter, Yepremian got another chance. This time his 37-yard attempt was good and the Dolphins won 27-24.
Although a total of 13 future Hall of Fame players were suited up that day, the real star was Chiefs’ running back Ed Podolak. In one of the greatest post-season performances ever, Podolak carried the ball 17 times for 85 yards, caught eight passes for 110 yards, returned three kickoffs for 153 yards, and ran back 2 punts for 2 yards. For the day, Podolak gained a combined total of 350 yards.
1971 AFC Divisional Playoff Game
December 25, 1971
| Miami |
0
|
10
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
-
|
27
|
| Kansas City |
10
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
24
|
Scoring Summary
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First Quarter
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| KC |
FG Stenerud 24
| |||||||
| KC | Podolak 7 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) | |||||||
Second Quarter
| ||||||||
| MIA | Csonka 1 run (Yepremian kick) | |||||||
| MIA | FG Yepremian 14 | |||||||
Third Quarter
| ||||||||
| KC | Otis 1 run (Stenerud kick) | |||||||
| MIA | Kiick 1 run (Yepremian kick) | |||||||
Fourth Quarter
| ||||||||
| KC | Podolak 3 run (Stenerud kick) | |||||||
| MIA | Fleming 5 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) | |||||||
Second Overtime
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| MIA | FG Yepremian 37 | |||||||
Statistics
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| PASSING | MIA - Griese, 20 of 35 for 263, 1 TD, 2 INT. KC - Dawson, 18 of 26 for 246, 1 TD, 2 INT | |||||||
| RUSHING | MIA - Csonka, 24 for 86, 1 TD; Kiick, 15 for 56, 1 TD; Griese, 2 for 9; Warfield, 2 for -7. KC - Hayes, 22 for 100; Podolak, 17 for 85, 1 TD; Wright, 2 for 15; Otis, 3 for 13, 1 TD. | |||||||
| RECEIVING | MIA - Warfield, 7 for 140; Twilley, 5 for 58; Fleming, 4 for 37, 1 TD; Kiick, 3 for 24; Mandich, 1 for 4. KC - Podolak, 8 for 110, 1 TD; Wright, 3 for 104; Taylor, 3 for 12; Hayes, 3 for 6; Frazier, 1 for 14. | |||||||
| Hall of Famers Involved in NFL's Longest Game | |||
 | Nick Buoniconti (LB), Larry Csonka (RB), Bob Griese, (QB), Jim Langer (C), Larry Little (RG), Don Shula (coach), Paul Warfield (WR) | ||
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Bobby Bell (LOLB), Buck Buchanan (RDT), Curley Culp (DT), Len Dawson (QB), Lamar Hunt (owner), Willie Lanier (MLB), Jan Stenerud (K), Hank Stram (coach), Emmitt Thomas (CB)
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| Longest Overtimes in NFL History | |
| 22:40 | Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 - Dec. 25, 1971 |
| 17:54 | Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 - Dec. 23, 1962 |
| 17:02 | Cleveland Browns 23, New York Jets 20 - Jan. 3, 1987 |
| 16:42 | Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35 – Jan. 12, 2013 |
| 15:43 | Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 - Dec. 24, 1977 |
| 15:10 | Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 – Jan. 10, 2004 |
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