Super Bowl XIII
Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys (AFC) (NFC) 35 31 1 2 3 4 Total PIT 7 14 0 14 35 DAL 7 7 3 14 31
Date	January 21, 1979
Stadium	Miami Orange Bowl
City	Miami, Florida
MVP	Terry Bradshaw, Quarterback
Favorite	Steelers by 3 1/2
National anthem	The Colgate Thirteen
Coin toss	George Halas
Referee	Pat Haggerty
Halftime show	Bob Jani Productions present "Carnival Salute to Caribbean" with various Caribbean bands
Attendance	79,484
TV in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Curt Gowdy, Merlin Olsen and John Brodie
Nielsen Ratings	47. The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National The American Football Conference ( AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL The National Football Conference ( NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting The Miami Orange Bowl was a Stadium in the City of Miami, west of Downtown in Little Havana. The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player or Super Bowl MVP, is an award given at the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the National Football League 's championship Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. Spread betting is any of various types of Wagering on the outcome of an event where the pay-off is based on the Accuracy of the wager rather than a simple " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the National anthem of the United States of America The Colgate Thirteen is an A cappella group of Colgate University Undergraduate male students Coin flipping or coin tossing is the practice of throwing a Coin in the air to resolve a Dispute between two parties or otherwise choose between two alternatives George Stanley Halas Sr ( February 2 1895 &ndash October 31 1983) nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr The Super Bowl officials are the officials chosen for the Super Bowl, the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL the largest Patrick "Pat" Haggerty (died 1994 was an American football official in the National Football League (NFL from 1965 to 1992 The following is a list of Super Bowl Halftime shows. Due to the large number of viewers that the Super Bowl generates a number of popular singers and musicians have The following is a list of Super Bowl broadcasters, that is all of the national American television and radio networks and sports announcers A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's A sportscaster, (also sports announcer, sport commentator or sport presenter) is a type of Journalist on Radio and/or Television Curtis Edward Gowdy ( July 31 1919 – February 20 2006) was an American Sportscaster, well-known as the longtime "voice" Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940) is a former American football player in the National Football League and an Actor. This article is about an American Football player For the English football (soccer player of the same name see here. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television 1
Market share	74
Cost of 30-second commercial	US$185,000

Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion following the 1978 regular season. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Miami Orange Bowl was a Stadium in the City of Miami, west of Downtown in Little Havana. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The 1978 NFL season was the 59th Regular season of the National Football League. This was the last of five Super Bowls to be played at the Orange Bowl. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL

The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers (17-2) defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys (14-5), 35–31. The American Football Conference ( AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL The National Football Conference ( NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National It was the first Super Bowl rematch ever. The Steelers had previously beaten the Cowboys, 21–17, in Super Bowl X. Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the

Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP. Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player or Super Bowl MVP, is an award given at the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the National Football League 's championship Despite throwing 1 interception and losing 2 fumbles, Bradshaw completed 17 out of 30 passes for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns. His 318 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns broke Super Bowl records. Also, his 75-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter tied Johnny Unitas in Super Bowl V for the longest in a Super Bowl. John Constantine "Johnny" Unitas ( May 7, 1933 &ndash September 11, 2002) nicknamed The Golden Arm and often called Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the National Bradshaw became the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger to win both the Super Bowl MVP and the AP Most Valuable Player Award during the same season. The AFL-NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities most notably the Associated Press, to the player who is considered most valuable

Meanwhile, the Cowboys could not overcome turnovers, drops, and a controversial penalty during the second half. The Cowboys were the first defending champion to lose in the Super Bowl. They were also the first to lose two Super Bowls to the same team (they lost 21-17 to the Steelers in Super Bowl X). Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the The 31 point total of the Cowboys makes it the only team to score above 30 and lose.

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Pittsburgh Steelers 1.2 Dallas Cowboys 1.3 Playoffs 1.4 Super Bowl pregame news and notes 2 Television and entertainment 3 Game summary 3.1 Scoring summary 4 Quotes 5 Starting lineups 6 Officials 7 Weather conditions 8 See also 9 References

Background

After the NFL increased its exposure by extending its schedule from 14 regular season games to 16, and increasing the playoffs from an 8-team tournament to 10, the league could not have been happier to see its two then-most popular teams meet in the Super Bowl again.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Main article: 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The Steelers joined the Cowboys in attempting to be the first team to ever win a third Super Bowl (after wins in Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl X). Offseason The 1978 season began with some controversy when players were caught wearing shoulder pads at minicamp in violation of league rules Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans Louisiana to decide Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw had the best season of his career, completing 207 of 368 passes for 2,915 yards and 28 touchdowns, with 20 interceptions. Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League He ranked as the second highest rated passer in the league (84. Passer rating (known as passing efficiency or pass efficiency in NCAA football) is a measure of the performance of Quarterbacks or any other passers 8), his 28 touchdown passes led the league, and he won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities most notably the Associated Press, to the player who is considered most valuable Wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth provided the team with a great deep threat. Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster Johnny Lee Stallworth (Born July 15, 1952, in Tuscaloosa Alabama) is a retired Wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers Swann recorded 61 receptions for 880 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Stallworth had 41 receptions for 798 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight end Randy Grossman, who replaced injured starter Bennie Cunningham for most of the season, also was a big weapon by recording 37 receptions for 448 yards and one touchdown. Curt Randy Grossman (born September 20, 1954 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is a former professional American football player who played Bennie Lee Cunningham Jr (born December 23, 1954) is a retired American football Tight end.

In the Steelers' rushing game, running back Franco Harris was the team's leading rusher for the 7th consecutive season, recording 1,082 yards and 8 touchdowns, while also catching 22 passes for another 144 yards. Franco Harris (born March 7 1950 is a former American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fullback Rocky Bleier had 633 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns, while also catching 17 passes for 168 yards. Robert "Rocky" Bleier (born March 5 1946 in Appleton Wisconsin) is a former National Football League fullback who played The Steelers' success on offense was due in large measure to their stellar offensive line, anchored by future hall of fame center Mike Webster

Although Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense had some new starters this season, such as linemen John Banaszak and Steve Furness, and defensive back Tony Dungy^[1], they finished second in the league against the run (allowing 107. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL Michael Lewis "Iron Mike" Webster ( March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American football player who played John Banaszak was a professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1975-1981 Stephen Robert Furness (born December 5, 1950, Providence Rhode Island; died February 9, 2000, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football player and the current Head coach of the 8 yards per game) and ranked third in fewest total yards allowed (4,529). Once again, defensive tackles Joe Greene and L. C. Greenwood anchored the line, while Pro Bowl linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert combined for 7 interceptions. Charles Edward Greene, known as "Mean Joe" Greene, (born September 24, 1946) is a former all-pro American football Defensive tackle LC Henderson Greenwood (born September 8, 1946 in Canton Mississippi) is a former American football Defensive end for the 1970s In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL Jack Raphael Ham Jr (born December 23, 1948 in Johnstown Pennsylvania) is a former American Football Linebacker who played for John Harold "Jack" Lambert ( July 8, 1952, Mantua Ohio, United States) is a former NFL Linebacker in American Dungy lead the team with 6 interceptions, while the rest of the secondary, defensive backs Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, and Ron Johnson, combined for 11. Melvin Cornell Blount (born April 10, 1948 in Vidalia Georgia) was a five-time All Pro-Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is considered one Donnie Shell (born August 26, 1952 in Whitmire South Carolina) is a former American Football Strong safety for the Pittsburgh Ron Johnson (born June 8, 1956 in Detroit Michigan) is a former professional American football player who played Cornerback

The Steelers went on to finish with the league's best regular season record (14-2). The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers team is recognized as number 3 on the list of America's Game and the top Super Bowl Championship teams of all-time, behind the (#2) 1985 Chicago Bears and the (#1) undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Dallas Cowboys

Main article: 1978 Dallas Cowboys season

The Cowboys became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls (after playing in Super Bowls V, VI, X and XII). The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the NFL For the third consecutive season the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the National Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans Louisiana to decide Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans Louisiana The defending Super Bowl champions were again led by quarterback Roger Staubach. Roger Thomas Staubach, also known as Roger the Dodger, Captain Comeback, and Captain America, (born February 5, 1942 in Cincinnati Staubach finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFL (84. 9) by throwing 231 out of 413 completions for 3,190 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 182 yards and another touchdown. Wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill provided the deep passing threats, combining for 90 receptions, 537 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Drew Pearson (born January 12, 1951 in South River New Jersey) is a Sportscaster and former American football Wide receiver Leroy Anthony Hill Jr (born June 23, 1956 in San Diego California) is a former professional American football Wide receiver who Tight end Billy Joe Dupree contributed 34 receptions for 509 yards and 9 touchdowns. Billy Joe Dupree (born March 7, 1950 in Monroe Louisiana) is former professional American football Tight end who played his entire Running back Tony Dorsett had another fine season, recording a total of 1703 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scoring a total of 9 touchdowns. Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in Rochester Pennsylvania) is a former American football Running back Fullback Robert Newhouse and halfback Preston Pearson also contributed from the offensive backfield, combining for 1,326 rushing and receiving yards, while Newhouse also scored 10 touchdowns. Robert Fulton Newhouse (born January 9, 1950 in Longview Texas) was a professional American football player in the NFL for the Preston James Pearson (born January 17, 1945 in Freeport Illinois) is a former professional American football Running back in The Cowboys also had a superb offensive line, led by Herbert Scott and 12-time Pro Bowler Rayfield Wright

The Cowboys' "Doomsday Defense" finished the season as the top ranked defense in the league against the run by only allowing 107. Herbert Carnell Scott (born January 18, 1953 in Virginia Beach VA) is a former American football Offensive lineman in the In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL Larry Rayfield Wright (born August 23, 1945 in Griffin Georgia) is a former American football Offensive tackle for the Dallas 6 yards per game. Pro Bowl linemen Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvey Martin and Randy White anchored the line, while linebackers Bob Breunig, D. D. Lewis and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson provided solid support. Ed Lee "Too Tall" Jones (born February 23 1951 in Jackson Tennessee) was an American football player in the National Football Harvey Banks Martin ( November 16, 1950 - December 24, 2001) was an American football Defensive end in the NFL Randy Lee White (born January 15, 1953 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) was an American football player Robert Paul Breunig (born July 4, 1953 in Inglewood California) is a former American football Linebacker who played for ten seasons Dwight Douglas "D D" Lewis (born October 16, 1945 in Knoxville Tennessee) is a former American football Linebacker in Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (born March 3, 1953 in Austin Texas) was an American football Linebacker in the NFL Their secondary, led by safeties Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters, along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle, combined for 16 interceptions. Clifford Allen Harris (born November 12, 1948 in Fayetteville, Arkansas) is a former professional American football Charlie Tutan Waters (born September 10, 1948 in Miami Florida) was an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys Benny Jewell Barnes (born March 3, 1951 in Lufkin Texas) is a former American Football Cornerback who played eleven seasons Aaron Douglas Kyle (born April 6, 1954 in Detroit Michigan) is a former American Football Cornerback in the NFL who

The Cowboys started the regular season slowly, winning only six of their first ten games. Both the offense and the defense played ineffectively, including giving up interceptions and fumbles. But Dallas finished strong, winning their last six regular season games to post a 12-4 record.

Playoffs

For more details on this topic, see NFL playoffs, 1978-79. The NFL playoffs following the 1978 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XIII.

Dallas marched through the playoffs, defeating the Atlanta Falcons, 27-20, and the Los Angeles Rams, 28-0. The Atlanta Falcons are an American football team based in Atlanta Georgia. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Meanwhile, the Steelers easily demolished the Denver Broncos, 33-10, and the Houston Oilers, 34-5. The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville Tennessee.

Super Bowl pregame news and notes

Super Bowl XIII can arguably be called the greatest collection of NFL talent ever to gather for a game. In additions to Coaches Noll and Landry, 14 players would go on to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: 9 from Pittsburgh (Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Webster, Greene, Lambert, Ham, and Blount), and 5 from Dallas (Staubach, Dorsett, White, Wright, and Jackie Smith).

Much of the pregame hype surrounded Super Bowl XIII centered around Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (born March 3, 1953 in Austin Texas) was an American football Linebacker in the NFL Henderson caused quite a stir before the NFC Championship Game by claiming that the Rams had "no class" and the Cowboys would shut them out. His prediction turned out to be very accurate; the Cowboys did shut them out, aided by Henderson's 68-yard interception return for a touchdown.

In the days leading up the Super Bowl, Henderson began talking about the Steelers in the same manner. He predicted another shutout and then made unfriendly comments about several Pittsburgh players. He put down the talent and the intelligence of Bradshaw, proclaiming "Bradshaw couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'c' and the 'a'". But the Steelers refused to get into a war of words with Henderson. Greene responded by saying the Steelers didn't need to say they were the best, they would just go out on the field and "get the job done".

Television and entertainment

The game was televised in the United States by NBC with Curt Gowdy handling play-by-play and color commentators Merlin Olsen and John Brodie. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Curtis Edward Gowdy ( July 31 1919 – February 20 2006) was an American Sportscaster, well-known as the longtime "voice" Play-by-play, in Broadcasting, is a North American term and means the reporting of a Sporting event with a Voiceover describing the details of the action A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940) is a former American football player in the National Football League and an Actor. This article is about an American Football player For the English football (soccer player of the same name see here. Dick Enberg served as the pregame host for the broadcast. Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg (born January 9, 1935) is an American Sportscaster. Also helping out for NBC's coverage were Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle. Bryant Charles Gumbel (born September 29, 1948) is an American Television personality for news and Sports programs Michael David Adamle (born October 4 1949) is a sports personality and former National Football League player

This was Gowdy's seventh and final Super Bowl telecast. Enberg had essentially succeeded him as NBC's lead NFL play-by-play announcer in the 1978 regular season, and network producers didn't decide until nearly the last minute which man would get the Super Bowl call.

NBC preceded the game with the first network broadcast of Black Sunday, a 1977 motion picture that depicts a terrorist attack on a fictitious Super Bowl game in the Orange Bowl between Pittsburgh and Dallas (and which utilized footage shot during Super Bowl X). Black Sunday is a 1977 American Thriller film based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the

The pregame festivities featured the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and several military bands. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC a National Football League Cheerleading squad from Texas, is one of the most famous cheerleading organizations The Colgate Thirteen performed the national anthem. The Colgate Thirteen is an A cappella group of Colgate University Undergraduate male students The coin toss ceremony featured Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime Chicago Bears owner/head coach George Halas. Coin flipping or coin tossing is the practice of throwing a Coin in the air to resolve a Dispute between two parties or otherwise choose between two alternatives The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. George Stanley Halas Sr ( February 2 1895 &ndash October 31 1983) nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr

The halftime show was a "Carnival Salute to Caribbean" with various Caribbean bands.

Game summary

Both teams entered the game with the best defenses in the league (the Cowboys only allowed 107. 6 rushing yards per game while the Steelers only allowed 107. 8), and each side took advantage of the other team's mistakes throughout the game. But Dallas could not overcome their miscues in the second half.

On their opening drive, the Cowboys advanced to the Pittsburgh 38-yard line, with running back Tony Dorsett gaining 38 yards off 3 running plays. Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in Rochester Pennsylvania) is a former American football Running back But they lost the ball on a fumbled handoff while attempting to fool the Steelers defense with a reverse-pass play. A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse) is a relatively common Trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the Receiver Drew Pearson later explained "We practiced that play for three weeks. Drew Pearson (born January 12, 1951 in South River New Jersey) is a Sportscaster and former American football Wide receiver It is designed for me to hit Billy Joe 15 to 17 yards downfield. We practiced the play so much it was unbelievable we could fumble it. I expected the handoff a bit lower, but I should have had it. Billy Joe was in the process of breaking into the clear when the fumble occurred. "[1]

After defensive lineman John Banaszak recovered the loose ball on the Pittsburgh 47-yard line, the Steelers attempted 2 running plays with running back Franco Harris carrying the ball, but only gained 1 yard. Franco Harris (born March 7 1950 is a former American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then on third down, wide receiver John Stallworth caught a 12-yard pass to the Cowboys' 40-yard line. Johnny Lee Stallworth (Born July 15, 1952, in Tuscaloosa Alabama) is a retired Wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers Then after throwing an incomplete pass, Terry Bradshaw completed 2 consecutive passes, the second one a 28-yard touchdown completion to Stallworth to take a 7-0 lead. Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League

On their next drive, the Cowboys responded by advancing to the Steelers 39-yard line, but were pushed back to their own 39-yard line after quarterback Roger Staubach was sacked twice, and they were forced to punt. Roger Thomas Staubach, also known as Roger the Dodger, Captain Comeback, and Captain America, (born February 5, 1942 in Cincinnati Then on the Steelers' ensuing drive, Bradshaw threw a 22-yard pass to Harris and followed it up with a 13-yard pass to receiver Lynn Swann to move the ball to the Dallas 30-yard line. Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster But on the next play, Dallas linebacker D. D. Lewis ended the drive by intercepting a pass intended for Stallworth. Dwight Douglas "D D" Lewis (born October 16, 1945 in Knoxville Tennessee) is a former American football Linebacker in

With a little more than a minute to go in the period, Bradshaw fumbled the ball while being sacked by Cowboys lineman Harvey Martin, and defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones recovered it. Harvey Banks Martin ( November 16, 1950 - December 24, 2001) was an American football Defensive end in the NFL Ed Lee "Too Tall" Jones (born February 23 1951 in Jackson Tennessee) was an American football player in the National Football Staubach then capitalized on Bradshaw's mistake three plays later with a 39-yard scoring strike to receiver Tony Hill, tying the game at 7 as the first quarter expired. Pittsburgh sent eight men on an all-out blitz, but Staubach got the pass away just before he was hit by Steelers' safety Mike Wagner. In American football or Canadian football, a blitz or red dog is a team defensive maneuver in which one or more Linebackers or Defensive Michael Robert Wagner (born June 22, 1949 in Waukegan Illinois) is a former American football player Hill beat Donnie Shell in single-coverage and scored the only first quarter touchdown surrendered by Pittsburgh all season. Donnie Shell (born August 26, 1952 in Whitmire South Carolina) is a former American Football Strong safety for the Pittsburgh

The Steelers took possession at the start of the second quarter and advanced to their own 48-yard line. Dallas linebackers Mike Hegman and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson then combined to score a touchdown on an unusual play. Michael William Hegman (born January 17, 1953 in Memphis Tennessee) is a former American football Linebacker in the NFL Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (born March 3, 1953 in Austin Texas) was an American football Linebacker in the NFL After taking the snap from his 48, Bradshaw collided with Franco Harris and the ball popped loose. Bradshaw scooped it up and rolled to his right, looking to pass, but Henderson stripped the ball as Bradshaw was about to throw, and Hegman returned the fumble 37 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 14-7 lead.

The Cowboys lead didn’t last long. On the third play of Pittsburgh's ensuing possession, Stallworth caught a pass from Bradshaw at the Steelers 35-yard line. He then broke a tackle from defensive back Aaron Kyle and outraced every other defender to the end zone, turning a simple 10-yard pass into a 75-yard touchdown completion to tie the score, 14-14. Aaron Douglas Kyle (born April 6, 1954 in Detroit Michigan) is a former American Football Cornerback in the NFL who Bradshaw later explained that Stallworth was not even the primary receiver on the play: "I was going to Lynn Swann on the post," he said, "but the Cowboys covered Swann and left Stallworth open. I laid the ball out there and it should have gone for about 15 yards, but Stallworth broke the tackle and went all the way. "[2]

Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense then dominated the Dallas offense on their ensuing drive. First, Banaszak tackled fullback Robert Newhouse for 4-yard loss. Robert Fulton Newhouse (born January 9, 1950 in Longview Texas) was a professional American football player in the NFL for the Next, linebacker Jack Ham tackled Dorsett for a 3-yard loss on an attempted sweep. Jack Raphael Ham Jr (born December 23, 1948 in Johnstown Pennsylvania) is a former American Football Linebacker who played for A Sweep is a running play in American Football where the Running back takes a pitch or handoff from the Quarterback and starts running parallel to the On third down, defensive tackle Joe Greene sacked Staubach, forcing a fumble that bounced through the hands of Steelers' defensive lineman Steve Furness. Charles Edward Greene, known as "Mean Joe" Greene, (born September 24, 1946) is a former all-pro American football Defensive tackle Stephen Robert Furness (born December 5, 1950, Providence Rhode Island; died February 9, 2000, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Cowboys lineman Tom Rafferty eventually recovered at the Dallas 13-yard line. Thomas Michael Rafferty (born August 2 1954 in Syracuse New York) is a former American football Offensive lineman in the Theo Bell then returned Danny White's eunsuing 38-yard punt 3 yards to the Dallas 38-yard line. Theopolis Bell Jr ( December 21, 1953 – June 21, 2006) was an American football Wide receiver who played nine seasons Wilford Daniel "Danny" White (born February 9, 1952 in Mesa Arizona) is an American football coach in the Arena Football

The Steelers began their ensuing drive with Bradshaw's 26-yard completion to Swann. Jones tackled Harris for an 8-yard loss on the next play, but a subsequent holding penalty on Henderson gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Dallas 25-yard line. However, after an incomplete pass and a 2-yard run by Harris, Hegman sacked Bradshaw for an 11-yard loss on third down, pushing the ball back to the 34-yard line. The Steelers then came up empty after kicker Roy Gerela's 51-yard field goal attempt hit the crossbar. Roy Gerela (born April 2, 1948, Sarrail Alberta) is a former American football Placekicker best known for his years with the

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, Dallas advanced to the Pittsburgh 32-yard line, after starting from their own 34-yard line. But Pittsburgh defensive back Mel Blount intercepted a pass from Staubach and returned it 13 yards to the 29, with a personal foul on Dallas tight end Billy Joe Dupree adding another 15 yards and giving the Steelers the ball at their own 44-yard line. Melvin Cornell Blount (born April 10, 1948 in Vidalia Georgia) was a five-time All Pro-Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is considered one Billy Joe Dupree (born March 7, 1950 in Monroe Louisiana) is former professional American football Tight end who played his entire With time running out, Bradshaw completed 2 passes to Swann for gains of 29 and 21 yards, moving the ball to the 16-yard line with 40 seconds left in the half. Then after throwing an incomplete pass, Harris ran the ball to the 7-yard line. Then with just 26 seconds left, Bradshaw completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to fullback Rocky Bleier, giving the Steelers a 21-14 lead at halftime. Robert "Rocky" Bleier (born March 5 1946 in Appleton Wisconsin) is a former National Football League fullback who played

The torrid scoring pace slowed during much of the third quarter, as both teams began to assert themselves on the defensive side of the ball. But late in the quarter, a 12-yard punt return by Cowboys receiver Butch Johnson gave Dallas good field position on their 42-yard line. Richard Andrew ("Butch" Johnson (born August 30 1955) is an archer from Woodstock Connecticut in the United States The Cowboys subsequently drove down to the Steelers 10-yard line, mostly with Dorsett's rushing. Then on third down with less than three minutes remaining in the period, Staubach spotted 38-year old reserve tight end Jackie Smith wide open in the end zone and threw him the ball. For the British Home Secretary under Gordon Brown, see Jacqui Smith. The pass was a little behind Smith, but it was catchable. However, Smith dropped the pass and the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal from kicker Rafael Septien, cutting their deficit to 21-17. Jose Rafael Septien (born December 12, 1953 in Mexico City Mexico) was an American football Placekicker in the NFL for Though Smith played 16 years in the league and is now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he is perhaps best known for his embarrassing blunder on the sport's biggest stage. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL

Two controversial penalties early in the fourth quarter paved the way for the Steelers to score 14 unanswered points. The Steelers advanced to their own 44-yard line after a crucial 3rd down pass from Bradshaw to tight end Randy Grossman, a 13-yard pass to Swann, and a 5-yard run by Harris. Curt Randy Grossman (born September 20, 1954 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is a former professional American football player who played Bradshaw then attempted a pass to Swann, but the receiver collided with Cowboys defensive back Benny Barnes and fell to the ground as the ball rolled incomplete. Benny Jewell Barnes (born March 3, 1951 in Lufkin Texas) is a former American Football Cornerback who played eleven seasons However, official Fred Swearingen called Barnes for pass interference. Replays showed that it could have been incidental contact. The penalty gave Pittsburgh a first down at Dallas' 23-yard line.

Two plays later, the Steelers faced 3rd down and 4 from the Dallas 17. Henderson sacked Bradshaw for a 12-yard loss, but the play was nullified by a delay of game penalty on Pittsburgh, bringing up 3rd down and 9 instead of a fourth down. Replays clearly showed the whistle blew before the play's onset, plus most of the players pulled up and stopped playing after a whistle sounded, but Henderson claimed, "I didn't hear a whistle until after I had knocked Bradshaw down. " Franco Harris confronted Henderson for taunting Bradshaw after the whistle, and on the next play, Bradshaw handed the ball off to Harris, who raced untouched up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown run. The score increased Pittsburgh's lead to 28-17.

The ensuing squib kickoff by Gerela bounced to Cowboy lineman Randy White at the 24-yard line. Randy Lee White (born January 15, 1953 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) was an American football player White, who was playing the game with a cast on his broken left hand, fumbled the ball after being hit by Tony Dungy and Pittsburgh linebacker Dennis Winston recovered the ball at the Dallas 18-yard line. Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football player and the current Head coach of the Dennis Edward Winston (born October 25, 1955 in Forrest City, Arkansas) is a former professional American football Linebacker On the next play, Bradshaw threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Swann, increasing the Steelers' lead to 35-17 with less than 7 minutes left in the game.

Although the game seemed decided, the Cowboys refused to give up. On their next drive, Dallas drove 89 yards in 8 plays to score on Staubach's 7-yard touchdown pass to Dupree. Then after Dallas' Dennis Thurman recovered an onside kick at 2:19, Drew Pearson caught 2 passes for gains of 22 and 25 yards as the Cowboys drove 52 yards in 9 plays to score on Staubach's 4-yard touchdown pass to Butch Johnson. Dennis Thurman (born April 13, 1956 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American football Cornerback in the With the ensuing extra point, the score was cut to 35-31 with just 0:22 left in the game.

But the Cowboys' second onside kick attempt was unsuccessful. Bleier recovered the ball and the Steelers were able to run out the clock to win the game.

Swann was the leading receiver in the game with 7 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. Stallworth recorded 115 yards and a touchdown off just 3 receptions. Stallworth and Swann became the first pair of teammates to each have 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl and first time two receivers did it in the same game. Dorsett was the top rusher of the game with 96 rushing yards, and also caught 5 passes for 44 yards. Harris was Pittsburgh's leading rusher with 68 yards, and he caught a pass for 22 yards. Staubach finished the game with exactly as many passing attempts (30) and completions (17) as Bradshaw, good for 228 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Butch Johnson caught 2 passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, returned 3 kickoffs for 63 yards, and gained 33 yards on 2 punt returns, giving him 126 total yards.

Scoring summary

• PIT - TD: John Stallworth 28 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 7-0 PIT
• DAL - TD: Tony Hill 39 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 7-7 tie
• DAL - TD: Mike Hegman 37 yard fumble return (Rafael Septien kick) 14-7 DAL
• PIT - TD: John Stallworth 75 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 14-14 tie
• PIT - TD: Rocky Bleier 7 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 21-14 PIT
• DAL - FG: Rafael Septien 27 yards 21-17 PIT
• PIT - TD: Franco Harris 22 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) 28-17 PIT
• PIT - TD: Lynn Swann 18 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 35-17 PIT
• DAL - TD: Billy Joe DuPree 7 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 35-24 PIT
• DAL - TD: Butch Johnson 4 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 35-31 PIT

Quotes

It's 3rd down and 3, Dallas at the Pittsburgh 10. . . Roger back to throw, has a man open in the end zone. . . caught! Touchdown. . . DROPPED! Dropped in the end zone, Jackie Smith all by himself. Aw, bless his heart, he's got to be the sickest man in America.

• Verne Lundquist, play-by-play broadcaster on the Dallas Cowboy radio broadcast, on Smith's drop

Starting lineups

         Pittsburgh                         Dallas
                                 OFFENSE
         John Stallworth 82    WR       Tony Hill 80
         Jon Kolb 55           LT       Pat Donovan 67
         Sam Davis 57          LG       Herbert Scott 68
         Mike Webster 52        C       John Fitzgerald 62
         Gerry Mullins 72      RG       Tom Rafferty 64
         Ray Pinney 74         RT       Rayfield Wright 70
         Randy Grossman 84     TE       Billy Joe Dupree 89
         Lynn Swann 88         WR       Drew Pearson 88
         Terry Bradshaw 12     QB       Roger Staubach 12
         Rocky Bleier 20       FB       Robert Newhouse 44
         Franco Harris 32      RB       Tony Dorsett 33
                                 DEFENSE
         L.C. Greenwood 68     LE       Ed "Too Tall" Jones 72      
         Joe Greene 75         DT       Larry Cole 63
         Steve Furness 64      DT       Randy White 54
         John Banaszak 76      RE       Harvey Martin 79
         Jack Ham 59          LLB       Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson 56
         Jack Lambert 58      MLB       Bob Breunig 53
         Loren Toews 51       RLB       D. D. Lewis 50
         Ron Johnson 29       LCB       Benny Barnes 31
         Mel Blount 47        RCB       Aaron Kyle 25
         Donnie Shell 31       SS       Charlie Waters 41
         Mike Wagner 23        FS       Cliff Harris 43

Officials

• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• Umpire: Art Demmas
• Head Linesman: Jerry Bergman
• Line Judge: Jack Fette
• Field Judge: Fred Swearingen
• Side Judge: Dean Look
• Back Judge: Pat Knight

Weather conditions

• 71 degrees, cloudy

See also

• 1978 NFL season
• NFL playoffs, 1978-79
• 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season
• 1978 Dallas Cowboys season

References

• Super Bowl official website
• 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. Time Inc. Home Entertainment. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.  
• Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League. Harper Collins. HarperCollins is a Publishing company owned by News Corporation. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.  
• The Official NFL Encyclopedia Pro Football. NAL Books. ISBN 0-453-00431-8.  
• The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995. ISBN 0-89204-523-X.  
• http://www.pro-football-reference.com - Large online database of NFL data and statistics
• Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA Today (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
• All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)

USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company.

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