Editor’s Note: The games for the Legends of the American Football League simulation are played on computer with Action! PC Football. The contests are played with the “coaching” by a human as well as computer simulation. One season per franchise was selected for league play with the 10 teams that merged with the National Football League competing for the championship. Stories from the action will appear on Press Room Pass each Sunday until the completion of the 14-week regular season and playoffs.
A pair of touchdowns in the third quarter got the job done as the Buffalo Bills earned a ticket to the AFL playoffs with a 28-17 victory over the Boston Patriots.
With the score tied 14-14 at halftime, the Bills took the lead for good in the third stanza on a 18-yard run by Bobby Smith at the 5:35 mark.
However, the ultimate clincher for Buffalo was provided by Butch Byrd, who picked off a Babe Parilli pass with 3:09 on Boston’s next possession and raced 62 yards for a touchdown with 3:09 remaining in the period.
All that Boston could muster in the final quarter was a field goal by Gino Cappelletti as the Bills were on their way to the playoffs and the Patriots were finished for the season.
While both teams ended the regular season with 8-5 records, Buffalo got the final spot in the East Division bracket by beating the Patriots twice during the year. The Bills won 33-27 in Boston earlier this season.
Buffalo heads to New York (9-4) to begin the post-season. The Jets lost the tiebreaker with the Houston Oilers (9-4), so the winner of the Buffalo-New York affair will travel to Texas.
In the West Division portion of the playoffs, San Diego (10-3) will entertain the victor of the Oakland Raiders (8-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-5). The Chiefs claimed the tiebreaker to host the game on points scored as the teams split the regular season contests. Kansas City won 31-21, while Oakland won 28-20.
64 Buffalo 28, 64 Boston 17
Scoring Summary
1 3:59 64 Boston TD Parilli 10 pass to Romeo (Cappelletti) (8-62-4:46) 7-0
2 14:29 64 Buffalo TD Gilchrist 1 run (Gogolak) (9-56-4:24) 7-7
2 7:05 64 Boston TD Parilli 23 pass to Romeo (Cappelletti) (5-56-2:58) 14-7
2 2:36 64 Buffalo TD Kemp 27 pass to Dubenion (Gogolak) (4-49-2:02) 14-14
3 5:35 64 Buffalo TD Smith 18 run (Gogolak) (9-80-5:48) 14-21
3 3:09 64 Buffalo TD Byrd 62 interception return (Gogolak) 14-28
4 10:32 64 Boston FG Cappelletti 33 (10-35-5:09) 17-28
Passing
Bos: Parilli 41/20 311 Yds 2 TDs Int
Buf: Kemp 24/10 183 Yds TD 2 Int
Rushing
Bos: Garron 14/39, Burton 5/23, Parilli 3/4
Buf: Gilchrist 21/72 TD, Smith 1/18 TD, Auer 1/3, Kemp 1/1
Receiving
Bos: Graham 7/152, Romeo 4/76 2 TDs, Burton 3/21, Cappelletti 3/39, Garron 3/23
Buf: Dubenion 4/71 TD, Warlick 3/65, Bass 2/35, Gilchrist 1/12
Defense
Bos: Dee 2-Sks FF 3-Tk, Addison Int Sk FF 2-Tk, Antwine 2-Sks 4-Tk, Webb Int 4-Tk
Buf: Jacobs 2-Sks 9-Tk, Tracey Sk FF 7-Tk, Clarke FF 10-Tk, Byrd Int(TD) 4-Tk
Here’s a look at the rest of the week 14 box scores
69 Cincinnati 34, 62 Denver 28
Scoring Summary
1 12:44 62 Denver TD Dickinson 1 run (Fraser) (4-68-2:01) 0-7
1 5:54 62 Denver TD Tripucka 32 pass to Scarpitto (Fraser) (1-32-0:11) 0-14
1 1:27 69 Cincinnati TD Robinson 1 run (Muhlmann) (6-63-4:14) 7-14
2 10:21 62 Denver TD Tripucka 14 pass to Scarpitto (Fraser) (9-60-5:57) 7-21
2 4:44 69 Cincinnati TD Wyche 28 pass to Thomas (Muhlmann) (8-68-5:28) 14-21
2 0:04 69 Cincinnati FG Muhlmann 19 (14-82-2:48) 17-21
3 12:43 62 Denver TD Tripucka 13 pass to Prebola (Fraser) (4-32-2:09) 17-28
3 1:17 69 Cincinnati FG Muhlmann 38 (7-40-3:23) 20-28
4 14:50 69 Cincinnati TD Wyche 17 pass to Crabtree (Muhlmann) (3-24-1:17) 27-28
4 4:55 69 Cincinnati TD Wyche 12 pass to Robinson (Muhlmann) (11-81-7:12) 34-28
Passing
Cin: Wyche 22/18 293 Yds 3 TDs Int
Den: Tripucka 8/7 101 Yds 3 TDs
Rushing
Cin: Phillips 23/90, Robinson 19/84 TD, Wyche 3/21
Den: Dickinson 11/53 TD, Stone 8/12
Receiving
Cin: Crabtree 8/147 TD, Thomas 4/65 TD, Trumpy 3/40, Phillips 2/29, Robinson 1/12 TD
Den: Scarpitto 3/62 2 TDs, Taylor 2/14, Dickinson 1/12, Prebola 1/13 TD
Defense
Cin: NA
Den: Zeman Int 9-Tk, McDaniel Sk 8-Tk, McMillin 10-Tk, Roehnelt 9-Tk, McFadin FF
67 Oakland 24, 63 San Diego 21
Scoring Summary
1 11:38 67 Oakland TD Lamonica 45 pass to Biletnikoff (Blanda) (6-65-3:09) 7-0
1 9:39 67 Oakland FG Blanda 20 (4-8-1:30) 10-0
1 6:03 63 San Diego TD Lowe 7 run (Blair) (5-74-3:22) 10-7
1 0:00 67 Oakland TD Lamonica 11 pass to Dixon (Blanda) (10-72-5:49) 17-7
2 12:34 67 Oakland TD Lamonica 59 pass to Cannon (Blanda) (3-72-1:07) 24-7
2 5:08 63 San Diego TD Rote 9 pass to Lincoln (Blair) (10-73-7:07) 24-14
4 8:48 63 San Diego TD Rote 74 pass to MacKinnon (Blair) (1-74-0:16) 24-21
Passing
Oak: Lamonica 28/17 279 Yds 3 TDs
SD: Rote 25/15 307 Yds 2 TDs 2 Int
Rushing
Oak: Todd 6/35, Dixon 16/32, Banaszak 3/8
SD: Lincoln 10/60, Lowe 14/45 TD, Rote 1/4
Receiving
Oak: Dixon 8/76 TD, Cannon 4/100 TD, Biletnikoff 2/70 TD, Miller 2/25, Banaszak 1/8
SD: Alworth 5/90, Lincoln 4/60 TD, Kocourek 2/41, Robinson 2/28, Lowe 1/14
Defense
Oak: Conners Int 9-Tk, McCloughan Int 7-Tk, Otto Sk 3-Tk, Brown FF 5-Tk, Grayson FF
SD: Allen FF 10-Tk, Ladd Sk 6-Tk, Mitinger 9-Tk
68 New York 45, 68 Miami 17
Scoring Summary
1 9:02 68 New York FG Turner 42 (11-52-5:43) 0-3
1 4:50 68 New York TD Snell 7 run (Turner,J) (4-59-2:29) 0-10
2 10:57 68 New York TD Snell 1 run (Turner,J) (10-72-6:47) 0-17
2 6:07 68 Miami TD Griese 18 pass to Noonan (Keyes) (12-67-4:37) 7-17
2 0:50 68 New York TD Namath 27 pass to Sauer (Turner,J) (6-68-1:17) 7-24
3 14:37 68 New York TD Snell 3 run (Turner,J) (1-3-0:06) 7-31
3 9:07 68 Miami FG Keyes 19 (12-68-5:14) 10-31
3 5:26 68 Miami TD Griese 19 pass to Noonan (Keyes) (4-51-1:43) 17-31
3 1:56 68 New York TD Snell 18 run (Turner,J) (5-56-3:18) 17-38
4 10:20 68 New York TD Namath 16 pass to Boozer (Turner,J) (6-44-3:41) 17-45
Passing
Mia: Griese 43/21 244 Yds 2 TDs 2 Int
NYA: Namath 22/15 265 Yds 2 TDs
Rushing
Mia: Griese 4/34, Csonka 4/17, Kiick 5/11
NYA: Snell 19/88 4 TDs, Boozer 10/44, Smolinski 1/2
Receiving
Mia: Noonan 9/125 2 TDs, Kiick 5/37, Cox 4/57, Csonka 1/8, Darnall 1/3, Twilley 1/14
NYA: Maynard 5/90, Sauer 4/90 TD, Boozer 3/40 TD, Lammons 3/45
Defense
Mia: Emanuel 9-Tk, Warren FF 5-Tk
NYA: Philbin 2-Sks 3-Tk, Sample Int 7-Tk, Elliott Sk 3-Tk, Beverly Int 3-Tk
Legends of the AFL Standings
East Division
1960 Houston Oilers (9-4)
1968 New York Jets (9-4)
1964 Buffalo Bills (8-5)
1964 Boston Patriots (8-5)
1968 Miami Dolphins (1-12)
West Division
1963 San Diego Chargers (10-3)
1969 Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
1967 Oakland Raiders (8-5)
1962 Denver Broncos (3-10)
1969 Cincinnati Bengals (1-12)
Playoff Schedule
64 Buffalo at 68 New York
64 Buffalo-68 New York winner @ 60 Houston
67 Oakland @ 69 Kansas City
67 Oakland-69 Kansas City winner @ 63 San Diego
Week 14 Results
64 Buffalo 28, 64 Boston 17
68 New York 45, 68 Miami 17
69 Cincinnati 34, 62 Denver 28
67 Oakland 24, 63 San Diego 21
60 Houston, 69 Kansas City, bye week