The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was the first NFL season without a tie game. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:
- The surviving clubs with the best regular season records were made the home teams for each playoff round. Previously, game sites rotated by division.
- The league pioneered the use of equipping referees with wireless microphones to announce penalties and clarify complex and/or unusual rulings to both fans and the media.
Instead of a traditional Thanksgiving Day game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys, the league scheduled a Buffalo Bills at St. Louis Cardinals contest. This was the first season since 1966 that the Cowboys did not play on that holiday.
The season ended with Super Bowl X when the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated as champions by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21–17 at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
Major rule changes
- After a fourth down incomplete pass goes in or through the end zone, the other team will take possession at the previous line of scrimmage. Previously, it resulted in a touchback.
- The penalty for pass interference on the offensive team is reduced from 15 yards to 10.
- If there are fouls by both teams on the same play but one results in a player ejection, the penalties will still offset but the player will still be ejected.
Division races
Starting in 1970, through 2001, there were three divisions (Eastern, Central and Western) in each conference. The winners of each division, and a fourth “wild card” team based on the best non-division winner, qualified for the playoffs. The tiebreaker rules were changed to start with head-to-head competition, followed by division records, records against common records, and records in conference play.
| Week |
Eastern |
|
Central |
|
Western |
|
Wild Card |
|
| 1 |
4 teams |
1–0–0 |
Detroit, Minnesota |
1–0–0 |
4 teams |
0–1–0 |
4 teams |
1–0–0 |
| 2 |
Dallas, Washington |
2–0–0 |
Detroit, Minnesota |
2–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
1–1–0 |
2 teams |
2–0–0 |
| 3 |
Dallas |
3–0–0 |
Minnesota |
3–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
2–1–0 |
3 teams |
2–1–0 |
| 4 |
Dallas |
4–0–0 |
Minnesota |
4–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
3–1–0 |
Washington, Detroit |
2–1–0 |
| 5 |
Dallas |
4–1–0 |
Minnesota |
5–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
4–1–0 |
St. Louis, Detroit |
2–1–0 |
| 6 |
Dallas |
5–1–0 |
Minnesota |
6–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
5–1–0 |
Washington* |
4–2–0 |
| 7 |
Dallas* |
5–2–0 |
Minnesota |
7–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
6–1–0 |
Washington* |
5–2–0 |
| 8 |
Washington* |
6–2–0 |
Minnesota |
8–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
6–2–0 |
St. Louis |
6–2–0 |
| 9 |
St. Louis |
7–2–0 |
Minnesota |
9–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
7–2–0 |
Dallas, Detroit, Washington |
6–3–0 |
| 10 |
St. Louis |
8–2–0 |
Minnesota |
10–0–0 |
Los Angeles |
8–2–0 |
Dallas |
7–3–0 |
| 11 |
Dallas* |
8–3–0 |
Minnesota |
10–1–0 |
Los Angeles |
9–2–0 |
St. Louis |
8–3–0 |
| 12 |
St. Louis |
9–3–0 |
Minnesota |
11–1–0 |
Los Angeles |
10–2–0 |
Dallas |
8–4–0 |
| 13 |
St. Louis |
10–3–0 |
Minnesota |
11–2–0 |
Los Angeles |
11–2–0 |
Dallas |
9–4–0 |
| 14 |
St. Louis |
11–3–0 |
Minnesota |
12–2–0 |
Los Angeles |
12–2–0 |
Dallas |
10–4–0 |
| Week |
Eastern |
|
Central |
|
Western |
|
Wild Card |
|
| 1 |
Baltimore, Buffalo |
1–0–0 |
3 teams |
1–0–0 |
Denver, Oakland |
1–0–0 |
4 teams |
1–0–0 |
| 2 |
Buffalo |
2–0–0 |
Cincinnati, Houston |
2–0–0 |
Denver, Oakland |
2–0–0 |
2 teams |
2–0–0 |
| 3 |
Buffalo |
3–0–0 |
Cincinnati |
3–0–0 |
Oakland |
3–0–0 |
5 teams |
2–1–0 |
| 4 |
Buffalo |
4–0–0 |
Cincinnati |
4–0–0 |
Oakland |
3–1–0 |
Pittsburgh* |
3–1–0 |
| 5 |
Buffalo* |
4–1–0 |
Cincinnati |
5–0–0 |
Denver* |
3–2–0 |
Pittsburgh* |
4–1–0 |
| 6 |
Miami |
5–1–0 |
Cincinnati |
6–0–0 |
Oakland |
4–2–0 |
Houston |
5–1–0 |
| 7 |
Miami |
6–1–0 |
Pittsburgh* |
6–1–0 |
Oakland |
5–2–0 |
Cincinnati* |
6–1–0 |
| 8 |
Miami |
7–1–0 |
Pittsburgh* |
7–1–0 |
Oakland |
5–2–0 |
Cincinnati* |
7–1–0 |
| 9 |
Miami |
7–2–0 |
Pittsburgh* |
8–1–0 |
Oakland |
7–2–0 |
Cincinnati* |
8–1–0 |
| 10 |
Miami |
7–3–0 |
Pittsburgh |
9–1–0 |
Oakland |
8–2–0 |
Cincinnati |
8–2–0 |
| 11 |
Miami |
8–3–0 |
Pittsburgh |
10–1–0 |
Oakland |
9–2–0 |
Cincinnati |
9–2–0 |
| 12 |
Miami |
9–3–0 |
Pittsburgh |
11–1–0 |
Oakland |
10–2–0 |
Cincinnati |
10–2–0 |
| 13 |
Baltimore* |
9–4–0 |
Pittsburgh |
12–1–0 |
Oakland |
10–3–0 |
Cincinnati |
10–3–0 |
| 14 |
Baltimore |
10–4–0 |
Pittsburgh |
12–2–0 |
Oakland |
11–3–0 |
Cincinnati |
11–3–0 |
Final standings
Tiebreakers
- Baltimore finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- N.Y. Jets finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Minnesota was the top NFC playoff seed based on point rating system (Vikings were 1st in NFC in points scored and 2nd in NFC in points allowed for a combined rating of 3 while Rams were 5th in NFC in points scored and 1st in NFC in points allowed for a combined rating of 6).
- Chicago finished ahead of Green Bay in the NFC Central based on better division record (2–4 to Packers’ 1–5).
Playoffs
*Pittsburgh (the AFC 1 seed) did not play Cincinnati (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Fran Tarkenton, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings |
| Coach of the Year | Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore Colts |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Fran Tarkenton, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Mel Blount, Cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Mike Thomas, Running Back, Washington Redskins |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Robert Brazile, Linebacker, Houston Oilers |
| Man of the Year | Ken Anderson, Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Dave Hampton, Running Back, Atlanta Falcons |
| Super Bowl Most Valuable Player | Lynn Swann, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (
ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1971–1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (
ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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