All NFL game summaries for 12/18/1976:
On an unseasonably clear, mild, 40-degree day, Brent McClanahan ran 41 yards to Washington's 25-yard line on the first scrimmage play of the game, and three plays later Fran Tarkenton threw an 18-yard pass to Stu Voigt, climaxing a 66-yard drive, and setting the tempo for Minnesota's victory. Tarkenton (12 of 21 for 170 yards in three periods of play) later tossed scoring passes of 27 and nine yards to rookie Sammy White. McClanahan had 101 yards rushing and Chuck Foreman 105, including two- and 30-yard touchdowns, as the Vikings took a 35-6 lead into the fourth period when the Redskins scored twice on a pair of Billy Kilmer passes. Kilmer completed 26 of 49 passes for 298 yards. He broke the NFC divisional playoff records for attempts and yardage and tied the mark for completions.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 150.8 (15) | 141.8 (16) | 292.6 (17) | 43 |
| DEFENSE | 157.5 (19) | 136.9 (9) | 294.4 (13) | 47 | |
 | OFFENSE | 143.1 (18) | 203.9 (4) | 347.0 (6) | 29 |
| DEFENSE | 149.7 (17) | 112.5 (1) | 262.2 (6) | 32 |
Line: n/a
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins (10-5-0) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
| Minnesota Vikings (12-2-1) | 14 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
( 0- 7) MIN Stu Voigt 18 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick)
( 3- 7) WAS Mark Moseley 47 yard field goal
( 3-14) MIN Sammy White 27 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick)
( 3-21) MIN Chuck Foreman 2 yard rush (Fred Cox kick)
( 3-28) MIN Chuck Foreman 30 yard rush (Fred Cox kick)
( 6-28) WAS Mark Moseley 35 yard field goal
( 6-35) MIN Sammy White 9 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick)
(13-35) WAS Frank Grant 12 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick)
(20-35) WAS Roy Jefferson 3 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick)
WAS MIN
First Downs: 19 21
Rushes-yards: 18-75 46-221
Yards/rush: 4.2 4.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 26-49-298-2 12-22-170-2
Sacked-yards: 1-8 1-7
Net pass yards: 290 163
Net yards/pass: 5.8 7.1
Total net yards: 365 384
Total plays: 68 (26% run) 69 (66% run)
Yards/play: 5.4 5.6
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 2-0
Turnovers: 2 2
Penalties-yards: 7-57 5-30
Attendance: 47,221
Passing:
WAS: Billy Kilmer, 26 of 49 for 298 yards and 2 TDs (2 int) MIN: Fran Tarkenton, 12 of 21 for 170 yards and 3 TDs (2 int); Bob Lee, 0 of 1 for 0 yards
Rushing:
WAS: Mike Thomas, 11 for 45 yards; John Riggins, 7 for 30 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 20 for 105 yards and 2 TDs; Brent McClanahan, 20 for 101 yards; Sammy Johnson, 2 for 11 yards; Robert Miller, 2 for 1 yard; Fran Tarkenton, 1 for 3 yards; Bob Lee, 1 for 0 yards
Receiving:
WAS: Frank Grant, 6 for 70 yards and 1 TD; Jean Fugett, 4 for 61 yards; Roy Jefferson, 4 for 59 yards and 1 TD; Calvin Hill, 4 for 31 yards; John Riggins, 4 for 29 yards; Mike Thomas, 2 for 18 yards; Jerry Smith, 1 for 30 yards; Larry Brown, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Sammy White, 4 for 64 yards and 2 TDs; Stu Voigt, 4 for 42 yards and 1 TD; Brent McClanahan, 3 for 29 yards; Ahmad Rashad, 1 for 35 yards
Kick returns:
WAS: Eddie Brown, 6 for 136 yards MIN: Leonard Willis, 2 for 25 yards; Robert Miller, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
WAS: Eddie Brown, 6 for 55 yards MIN: Leonard Willis, 2 for 12 yards
Interceptions:
WAS: Jake Scott, 1 for 17 yards; Ken Houston, 1 for 8 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 0 yards; Nate Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 197 yards MIN: Neil Clabo, 6 for 276 yards
Field Goals:
WAS: Mark Moseley, 2/3
WAS: Billy Kilmer, 26 of 49 for 298 yards and 2 TDs (2 int) MIN: Fran Tarkenton, 12 of 21 for 170 yards and 3 TDs (2 int); Bob Lee, 0 of 1 for 0 yards
Rushing:
WAS: Mike Thomas, 11 for 45 yards; John Riggins, 7 for 30 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 20 for 105 yards and 2 TDs; Brent McClanahan, 20 for 101 yards; Sammy Johnson, 2 for 11 yards; Robert Miller, 2 for 1 yard; Fran Tarkenton, 1 for 3 yards; Bob Lee, 1 for 0 yards
Receiving:
WAS: Frank Grant, 6 for 70 yards and 1 TD; Jean Fugett, 4 for 61 yards; Roy Jefferson, 4 for 59 yards and 1 TD; Calvin Hill, 4 for 31 yards; John Riggins, 4 for 29 yards; Mike Thomas, 2 for 18 yards; Jerry Smith, 1 for 30 yards; Larry Brown, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Sammy White, 4 for 64 yards and 2 TDs; Stu Voigt, 4 for 42 yards and 1 TD; Brent McClanahan, 3 for 29 yards; Ahmad Rashad, 1 for 35 yards
Kick returns:
WAS: Eddie Brown, 6 for 136 yards MIN: Leonard Willis, 2 for 25 yards; Robert Miller, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
WAS: Eddie Brown, 6 for 55 yards MIN: Leonard Willis, 2 for 12 yards
Interceptions:
WAS: Jake Scott, 1 for 17 yards; Ken Houston, 1 for 8 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 0 yards; Nate Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 197 yards MIN: Neil Clabo, 6 for 276 yards
Field Goals:
WAS: Mark Moseley, 2/3
Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler rolled into the end zone for a one-yard score with 10 seconds remaining to cap a 12-play, 68-yard drive for a comeback 24-21 win. Trailing 21-10 late in the third quarter, Stabler led a 70-yard, 11-play march topped by Mark van Eeghen's one-yard burst to help propel Oakland into its third straight AFC championship game. Wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff's 31-yard touchdown catch gave Oakland a 10-7 halftime lead, but New England scored on its first two possessions of the third period for the 21-10 margin. Biletnikoff had nine catches, tying an NFL divisional playoff record, for 137 yards while Stabler finished with 19 of 32 for 233 yards. Patriots' quarterback Steve Grogan completed 12 of 23 for 167 yards and one touchdown, a 26-yard pass to tight end Russ Francis.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 210.6 (2) | 124.7 (20) | 335.3 (8) | 36 |
| DEFENSE | 131.9 (8) | 155.4 (16) | 287.3 (11) | 50 | |
 | OFFENSE | 163.2 (10) | 207.5 (3) | 370.7 (2) | 29 |
| DEFENSE | 143.1 (13) | 176.9 (23) | 319.9 (18) | 25 |
Line: n/a
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots (11-4-0) | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Oakland Raiders (14-1-0) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
( 7- 0) NE Andy Johnson 1 yard rush (John Smith kick)
( 7- 3) OAK Errol Mann 40 yard field goal
( 7-10) OAK Fred Biletnikoff 31 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick)
(14-10) NE Russ Francis 26 yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick)
(21-10) NE Jess Phillips 3 yard rush (John Smith kick)
(21-17) OAK Mark van Eeghen 1 yard rush (Errol Mann kick)
(21-24) OAK Ken Stabler 1 yard rush (Errol Mann kick)
NE OAK
First Downs: 23 20
Rushes-yards: 49-164 24-101
Yards/rush: 3.3 4.2
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 12-24-167-2 19-32-233-0
Sacked-yards: 0-0 4-32
Net pass yards: 167 201
Net yards/pass: 7.0 5.6
Total net yards: 331 302
Total plays: 73 (67% run) 60 (40% run)
Yards/play: 4.5 5.0
Fumbles-lost: 1-1 1-1
Turnovers: 3 1
Penalties-yards: 10-83 11-93
Attendance: 53,045
Passing:
NE: Steve Grogan, 12 of 23 for 167 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Russ Francis, 0 of 1 for 0 yards (1 int) OAK: Ken Stabler, 19 of 32 for 233 yards and 1 TD
Rushing:
NE: Sam Cunningham, 20 for 68 yards; Andy Johnson, 14 for 32 yards and 1 TD; Steve Grogan, 7 for 35 yards; Don Calhoun, 5 for 17 yards; Jess Phillips, 3 for 12 yards and 1 TD OAK: Mark van Eeghen, 11 for 39 yards and 1 TD; Clarence Davis, 7 for 29 yards; Pete Banaszak, 4 for 8 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 4 yards; Ken Stabler, 1 for 1 yard and 1 TD
Receiving:
NE: Russ Francis, 4 for 96 yards and 1 TD; Darryl Stingley, 2 for 36 yards; Sam Cunningham, 2 for 14 yards; Andy Johnson, 2 for 13 yards; Marlin Briscoe, 1 for 7 yards; Al Chandler, 1 for 1 yard OAK: Fred Biletnikoff, 9 for 137 yards and 1 TD; Dave Casper, 4 for 47 yards; Cliff Branch, 3 for 32 yards; Mark van Eeghen, 1 for 8 yards; Clarence Davis, 1 for 5 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 4 yards
Kick returns:
NE: Jess Phillips, 4 for 67 yards; George Webster, 1 for 0 yards OAK: Carl Garrett, 4 for 119 yards
Punt returns:
NE: Mike Haynes, 1 for 13 yards OAK: Neal Colzie, 3 for 53 yards
Interceptions:
OAK: Skip Thomas, 1 for 18 yards; Monte Johnson, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
NE: Mike Patrick, 3 for 132 yards OAK: Ray Guy, 5 for 189 yards
Field Goals:
NE: John Smith, 0/1 OAK: Errol Mann, 1/1
NE: Steve Grogan, 12 of 23 for 167 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Russ Francis, 0 of 1 for 0 yards (1 int) OAK: Ken Stabler, 19 of 32 for 233 yards and 1 TD
Rushing:
NE: Sam Cunningham, 20 for 68 yards; Andy Johnson, 14 for 32 yards and 1 TD; Steve Grogan, 7 for 35 yards; Don Calhoun, 5 for 17 yards; Jess Phillips, 3 for 12 yards and 1 TD OAK: Mark van Eeghen, 11 for 39 yards and 1 TD; Clarence Davis, 7 for 29 yards; Pete Banaszak, 4 for 8 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 4 yards; Ken Stabler, 1 for 1 yard and 1 TD
Receiving:
NE: Russ Francis, 4 for 96 yards and 1 TD; Darryl Stingley, 2 for 36 yards; Sam Cunningham, 2 for 14 yards; Andy Johnson, 2 for 13 yards; Marlin Briscoe, 1 for 7 yards; Al Chandler, 1 for 1 yard OAK: Fred Biletnikoff, 9 for 137 yards and 1 TD; Dave Casper, 4 for 47 yards; Cliff Branch, 3 for 32 yards; Mark van Eeghen, 1 for 8 yards; Clarence Davis, 1 for 5 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 4 yards
Kick returns:
NE: Jess Phillips, 4 for 67 yards; George Webster, 1 for 0 yards OAK: Carl Garrett, 4 for 119 yards
Punt returns:
NE: Mike Haynes, 1 for 13 yards OAK: Neal Colzie, 3 for 53 yards
Interceptions:
OAK: Skip Thomas, 1 for 18 yards; Monte Johnson, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
NE: Mike Patrick, 3 for 132 yards OAK: Ray Guy, 5 for 189 yards
Field Goals:
NE: John Smith, 0/1 OAK: Errol Mann, 1/1