Cowboys vs Lions in December of 1970 Continues To Hold The Record for Least Points In a Playoff Game
Published on December 17th, 2024 11:42 am ESTWritten By: Dave Manuel
It was Saturday, December 26th, 1970, and the Dallas Cowboys were playing host to the Detroit Lions in a divisional playoff game. On that day, the Cowboys and Lions set the record for fewest points combined in a playoff game, as the Cowboys won by a score of 5-0.
The record still stands to this day.
Were the two teams sluggish from the Christmas celebrations the day before?
Sure, the Cowboys possessed one of the best defenses in the league, though they were no slouches on the offensive side of the ball.
After all, they had an offense that included the likes of Duane Thomas, Bob Hayes and Roger Staubach,
The 1970 Detroit Lions also had one of the top defenses in the league, though they had the NFL's second best offense as well.
Despite the perfect conditions, the defenses certainly won out on that day.
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The combined statistics were hilariously bad, especially when it came to the passing attacks.
The Lions had 80 net passing yards on the day, while the Cowboys had just 22.
Craig Morton, the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, went 4-18 for 38 yards on the day, with a sack and an interception.
Greg Landry, the starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions, didn't fare much better, as he went 5-12 for 48 yards and was sacked three times.
The difference on the day was the rushing attack of the Cowboys, as rushed for well over 200 yards, while the Lions were held to around 70 yards of rushing.
An early Cowboys field goal gave them a 3-0 lead, and they followed this up by tacking on a late safety to finish off the Lions.
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Will we ever see a lower scoring playoff game than the 1970 clash between the Lions and Cowboys?
It's been over 50 years and we are still waiting - is a 3-0 final score possible in this day and age?
