by the Colts, their third title game in the past four seasons, and their sixth title game appearance overall. While the defending AFC and Super Bowl champions failed to repeat as AFC East champions, their 10–4 regular season record was good enough for the then-one AFC wild card berth. Baltimore defeated the AFC Central champion Cleveland Browns 20–3 at Cleveland Stadium in the Divisional Round to reach the AFC title game. In addition to being the first playoff meeting between these teams, the AFC title game was the Dolphins' first playoff game at home. Their only previous playoff game had been in the 1970–71 NFL playoffs when they were the AFC wild card. Just as significantly, it pitted Dolphins coach Don Shula against his former team, which he had left for Miami in acrimonious circumstances prior to the 1970 season. This was the first post-merger conference championship game contested between division rivals, and also the first in either conference to not feature a West Division team. Miami and Baltimore split their two regular season games in the 1971 season, with the Dolphins winning 17–14 at the Orange Bowl while the Colts won 14–3 at Memorial Stadium. Although Miami quarterback Bob Griese completed only 4 passes, the Dolphins defense shut out the Colts. Defensive back Dick Anderson intercepted Johnny Unitas three times, returning one of them 62 yards for a touchdown. Paul Warfield recorded a 75-yard touchdown reception midway through the first quarter on the Dolphins second drive. Meanwhile, the Colts managed to move the ball close enough for Jim O'Brien to twice attempt field goals, but he missed both times. In the second quarter, the Colts drove from their own 18 to the Dolphins 9-yard line, featuring a 28-yard reception by Don Nottingham, but on 4th down and 1, Nottingham was stuffed by a gang of Dolphins defenders just inches short of the first down marker. In the third quarter, Unitas threw a pass that was deflected by cornerback Curtis Johnson into the hands of Anderson, who took off for a 62-yard scoring return. Then in the fourth quarter, Griese's 50-yard pass to Warfield set up Larry Csonka's 5-yard touchdown run. This was the first postseason meeting between the Colts and Dolphins. The AFC champion Dolphins made their first Super Bowl appearance. Miami lost 24–3 to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football Conference in Super Bowl VI. This was