Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

From 1966-2005, there was at least 1 Saturday in December where you got a couple of standalone games on 1 network (ie 1 game that every NBC affiliate got, 1 game for every ABC affiliate) and sometimes you would have a Saturday night ABC game thrown in the mix

These Saturday games were a catch 22- they were schedule dependent in a pre-flex era. They could mean so much for both teams or sound great in April but becomes must flee TV by December

What are examples of these Saturday games you most remember?

Here are a few of mine:
Chargers/49ers 1982 (the only time we ever got to see Montana/Walsh vs Fouts/Coryell)
Browns/Cowboys 1994 (the break San Francisco needed for homefield advantage)
Eagles/Giants 2002 (both teams had something to play for- Philly HFA, NY a playoff spot;

1981 Cowboys@Giants: Cowboys (12-3) in contention for home field (need win and SF loss on Sunday). Giants (8-7) fighting to stay in contention for their first playoff berth since 1963 title game loss.

Giants won 16-13 in OT, staying in the race for a wild card berth. The next day, the Jets beat GB at Shea, which put the Giants in.

7DnBrnc53 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2026 5:44 pm 1981 Cowboys@Giants: Cowboys (12-3) in the running for home field, Giants (8-7) fighting to stay in contention for their first playoff berth since their loss in the 1963 NFL Championship game (Giants got the win in OT, NY rival Jets put them in playoffs the next day by beating GB).

The crazy thing about that game: if the Giants lost to Dallas and nothing changed on Sunday…… WASHINGTON after starting 0-5 would have made the playoffs and the NFC WC Game is now WSH/PHI III

The crazy thing about that game: if the Giants lost to Dallas and nothing changed on Sunday…… WASHINGTON after starting 0-5 would have made the playoffs and the NFC WC Game is now WSH/PHI III

I think the Skins win that game before losing at San Francisco.

What really would have been crazy is this: The Giants losing and Atlanta winning over Cincy (giving 11-4-1 Miami the home field in the AFC). You would have had the Giants, Skins, Lions. Packers, and Falcons all at 8-8. Good luck sorting that mess out.

I fondly remember watching Saturday afternoon games in December back in the '60s---the old AFL. It was kind of cool to have snow falling outside the living room window of our cozy Detroit home while watching Hadl & Alworth play pitch and catch in the sunshine in San Diego.

Of course I remember the already-mentioned Dal@NYG Saturday game of '81. Maybe G-men win it anyway, they did beat them the year before and they sure had something to play for, but they were fortunate that Big D didn't have anything to play for - their playoff-positioning was already set at 2nd-seed.

What hasn't been mentioned yet - and what I forgot until looking it up right now - is that the next game that Saturday was a much more important one, the 'AFC East Championship Game' at the Orange Bowl...10-5 Bills at 10-4-1 Dolphins!

The Jets, at 9-5-1, were already boxed-out of winning their division. But they still had to win the next day vs Green Bay to assure a playoff-spot over whoever would finish 2nd in the AFC West. THREE Jets games to add to this thread! Each one in the '80s...(in chrono)...

1980 - the 'Announcer-less Game'

1983 - Terry Bradshaw's 'Last Stand' at Shea (as well as Jets' last game there, period)

and, 1985 - just a simple 13-1 Bears, getting back in the win-column the previous week, going to the Meadowlands to tack on another 'W' vs also-playoff-bound Jets.


EDIT - my mistake, both Dallas & San Fran were 12-3 going into the final week. Though it was likely-as-heck that SF would beat their Sunday Wk#16 opponent in New Orleans, which they ended up doing, Big D was playing for the possibility of home-field at that very moment at least.

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2026 8:14 pm 1980 - the 'Announcer-less Game'

I remember watching that game in Mexico. I don't remember the Mexican commentators (in Spanish) mentioning anything about it, but by the noise (or lack of it) and more graphics you sensed somnething unusual.

Another Jets-Dolphins I remember was a rare Friday Night in the last week of the 1983 season, when Dolphins safety Mike Kozlowski returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

'81 Dal@NYG...yes, the Giants got in, but I think that by the time the regular season ended, that Washington was better than all wildcard contestants; better than Tampa Bay as well, IMO. But Giants deserved it, they tacked on that 9th win, something that Green Bay - who, of course, swept them - were not able to do. Washington simply dug themselves in too deep a hole and that was that. Regular contention, starting with that World Championship the following year, would then begin.

As for the Redskins...a Saturday game involving them? Battle-of-7-7s, they at Three Rivers Stadium in 2000. Steelers win, 24-3, in what would be their final game at that very venue.

Washington was better than all wildcard contestants; better than Tampa Bay as well

The next year, they got picked for the playoffs by some magazines (SPORT being one). And, they beat TB in Week 2 right before the strike (in a monsoon).

1967 Week 13 Green Bay at Los Angeles. Back and forth game with the Rams winning after a blocked punt 27 to 24. Packers already had the Central Division won. Rams would at home play the Baltimore Colts the following week. Colts came in at 11-0-2 and the Rams were 10-1-2. Los Angeles won 34 to 10. Los Angeles bettered Baltimore in head to head play with a 24 to 24 tie earlier in the year.

At home Green Bay defeated Los Angeles 28 to 7 in the Divisional Playoff.