Instead of a traditional Thanksgiving Day game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys, the league scheduled a Buffalo Bills at St. Louis Cardinals contest.
The caveat stipulating that a wild card team cannot face its own division champion in the divisional round was kept in force.
Gene Barth, the line judge on Jim Tunney's crew the previous four seasons, was promoted.
Brent Musburger was named as its new host, former player Irv Cross as an analyst, and former Miss America Phyllis George as one of its reporters.
NBC's pregame show GrandStand made its debut, hosted by Jack Buck (who had left CBS after the previous season) and Bryant Gumbel.