The National Football League playoffs for the 1977 season began on December 24, 1977. The postseason tournament concluded with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII, 27–10, on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was also the last season that the NFL used an eight-team playoff tournament. Participants Bracket Schedule Due to Christmas falling on a Sunday, the Divisional Round games were held in a span of three days. The AFC playoff games were played on Saturday December 24, while the NFC games were held on Monday, December 26. It also marked the only year since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 that one conference held both of its divisional playoff games on one day and the other conference held both of its games on the other day. This was done to ensure the teams in each conference championship game had the same amount of rest (eight days for the AFC and six days for the NFC). In every other season since 1970, the conferences have split their playoff games over the two days. In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XII. Divisional playoffs Saturday, December 24, 1977 AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT) On a play that became known as Ghost to the Post, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler threw a 42-yard completion to tight end Dave Casper on a post route to set up the game-tying field goal with 29 seconds left in regulation. Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost" by his teammates, also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass 43 seconds into the second overtime period to win the game. The game featured nine lead changes before it was over. Oakland's Carl Garrett started the game with a 40-yard kick return to the Colts 41-yard line. But they could not take advantage and lost the ball when Mark Van Eeghen's fumble was recovered by Lyle Blackwood. The rest of the quarter was a defensive struggle, but with less than a minute left, Oakland scored first with running back Clarence Davis's 30-yard touchdown run. Oakland then forced a three and out deep in Baltimore territory and got the ball back with great field position at the Colts 48. They seemed to be in prime position to increase their lead, but Baltimore's Bruce Laird intercepted Stabler's pass and returned it