1973 NFC Championship Game

This was the fourth consecutive NFC title game contested by the Cowboys and their sixth title game in the Super Bowl era. [lower-alpha 2] Dallas won the NFC East with a 10-4 regular season record and defeated the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams 27-16 at Texas Stadium in the Divisonal Round to advance to the NFC Championship game.

This was the first NFC title game contested by the Vikings and their second title game of the Super Bowl era. [lower-alpha 3] Minnesota won the NFC Central with a 12-2 regular season record and defeated the NFC East runner-up and defending NFC champion Washington Redskins 27-20 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Divisional Round to reach the NFC title game. The Vikings were the first NFC Central team to reach the NFC Championship Game, their division being the last of the then-six NFL divisions to send a team to a title game.

This was the second playoff meeting between these teams. The first meeting, in the 1971 Divisional Round at Metropolitan Stadium and a 20-12 victory for Dallas, was also the most recent game between the teams. The teams' most recent meeting in the regular season was on October 18, 1970 and was a 54-13 victory for the Vikings. The 1973 NFC title game was the Vikings' first game in Texas Stadium, which had opened during the 1971 season.

The Vikings forced 4 interceptions and recovered 2 fumbles in the second half while also holding Dallas to 152 total yards 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' offense 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 touchdown drive included Fran Tarkenton's completions to tight end Stu Voigt for gains of 16 and 7 yards, a 2-yard run by Foreman on 4th down and 1, and a 12-yard scramble by Tarkenton himself.

What followed would be an amazingly sloppy second half in which both teams combined for 10 turnovers. Three minutes into the third quarter, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach threw an interception to Bobby Bryant on the Vikings 2-yard line. But the Cowboys defense forced a punt and Golden Richards returned it 63 yards for a touchdown, cutting the score to 10-7. Tarkenton quickly struck back, throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam, who managed to outrun single coverage by Cowboys future Hall of Fame defensive back Mel Renfro. Dallas responded with Toni Fritsch's 17-yard field goal which cut the lead to 17–10.

Then a wave of turnovers began. On the ensuing possession, Dallas got a huge opportunity to score when Charlie Waters forced a fumble from Foreman that safety Cliff Harris recovered on the Minnesota 37. However, the Vikings took the ball right back when Staubach threw a pass that was deflected into the arms of linebacker Jeff Siemon. An even better scoring chance awaited the Cowboys at the end of the Vikings' next drive, as Tarkenton threw an interception to Waters on the Minnesota 24. But Dallas fared no better this time, losing the ball again when Jim Marshall knocked it out of Staubach's hand as he wound up for a pass, and defensive lineman Gary Larsen recovered it. The offensive futility continued with Minnesota, as their next drive ended with a fumbled handoff exchange between Tarkenton and Foreman that Dallas lineman Larry Cole recovered on the Vikings 47-yard line.

A few plays later, Dallas faced 3rd and 3 with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Staubach attempted a pass to Bob Hayes near the right sideline, but Bryant intercepted the pass and raced 63 yards for a touchdown that put the Vikings up 24-10. Then on Dallas' next drive, Staubach tried to connect with Drew Pearson, but a devastating hit by Nate Wright caused the ball to bounce off his hands and into the arms of defensive back Jeff Wright, who returned the ball 13 yards to set up Cox's 34-yard game clinching field goal.[2]

Both teams combined for a net total of just 163 passing yards. Tarkenton completed only 10/21 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown with one interception, while also rushing for 16 yards. Staubach had one of the worst postseason performances of his career, completing just 10/21 passes for 89 yards and throwing 4 interceptions, though he did rush for 30 yards. Foreman was the top offensive performer of the day with 76 rushing yards and 4 receptions for 28, while fullback Oscar Reed added 18 carries for 75 yards and an 8-yard catch.

• First quarter
  • MIN – field goal Cox 44 MIN 3–0
• Second quarter
  • MIN – Foreman 5 run (Cox kick) MIN 10–0
• Third quarter
  • DAL – Richards 63 punt return (Fritsch kick) MIN 10–7
  • MIN – Gilliam 54 pass from Tarkenton (Cox kick) MIN 17–7
  • DAL – field goal Fritsch 17 MIN 17–10
• Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Bryant 63 interception return (Cox kick) MIN 24–10
  • MIN – field goal Cox 34 MIN 27–10

The NFC champion Vikings made their second Super Bowl appearance. Minnesota lost 24-7 to the Miami Dolphins of the American Football Conference in Super Bowl VIII.

This was the first of six consecutive NFC Championship Games involving only the Vikings, Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings would once again win the NFC title game the following year, this time beating the Rams at Metropolitan Stadium.

This was the last of four consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances by the Cowboys. However, Dallas would return to the NFC title game after a one year hiatus, when they would also defeat the Rams.

This was the only NFC title game between division champions, and also the last such title game in either conference, that was hosted by a team with an inferior record. For the next NFC Championship Game, the teams had identical records although the Rams would have hosted the game under modern seeding rules. These rules were introduced prior to the 1975 NFL season to ensure the highest remaining seed, after tiebreakers if necessary, would always host the conference championship games.

• 1973 AFC Championship Game
• NFC Championship Game
• 1973-74 NFL playoffs
• 1973 NFL season
• National Football Conference
• National Football League