Lombardi Memories

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Today we have Super Bowl XX, which was held

on January 26, 1986, between the first-time AFC champion New England Patriots

and the first-time NFC champion Chicago Bears, with the never-ending

controversy about why Walter Payton didn’t score a touchdown. If you’re looking

for the full story of this 1985 season, pick up my Great Eighties book at tommyaphillips.com

and you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about that year and the rest

of the eighties.

Today we have Super Bowl XIX, which was held on January 20, 1985, Inauguration Day at Stanford Stadium in California, between the AFC champion Miami Dolphins and the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

Today we have Super Bowl XVIII, which was held on January 22, 1984 at the Old Sombrero, Tampa Stadium, between the AFC champion Los Angeles Raiders and the NFC champion Washington Redskins.

Today we have Super Bowl XVII, which was held on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl, between the AFC champion Miami Dolphins and the NFC champion Washington Redskins.

It’s time for… Lombardi Memories. A show that takes you back in time, into January or February, to the greatest one-day spectacle in all of sports. This is the every-other-Tuesday podcast that looks back at each and every one of the 50-plus Super Bowls and tells the story of who won and why. For the fan who needs more than a boxscore, this podcast goes drive-by-drive, play-by-play through the most dramatic games in history.

I’m your host, Tommy A. Phillips, and you can visit my website at tommyaphillips.com where you can find all of my books. Those include Great Eighties, a book that covers this Super Bowl and the next nine of them as well. Today we have Super Bowl XVI, which was held on January 24, 1982 in the Pontiac Silverdome, home of the Detroit Lions. The game was between two first-time Super Bowl teams: the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals and the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. If you’re looking for the full story of this 1981 season, pick up my Great Eighties book and you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about that year and the rest of the eighties.

As always, we have a pop quiz, and then homework at the end of the episode. The pop quiz question for today goes like this. In Super Bowl XVI, we had two first-time Super Bowl teams collide with each other, meaning one of them had to win in their first appearance. In the first 15 Super Bowls, how many games were won by first-time Super Bowl teams? You can count the Super Bowl I champion Green Bay Packers in your tally. The answer will come at the end of the podcast.

Prelude to Super Bowl XVI

The Cincinnati Bengals finished 6-10 and in last place in the AFC Central in 1980. But head coach Forrest Gregg had a plan in place, and in just his second year he got his team to a 12-4 record and a first-place finish in the AFC Central. The Bengals were at 5-3 at midseason but went on a tear in the second half of the season. They won five straight games before a loss to San Francisco, before beating Pittsburgh for a season sweep as well as Atlanta to finish as the #1 seed in the AFC.

Quarterback Ken Anderson threw for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns, completing 62.6% of his passes, with only ten interceptions. He was an easy pick for NFL MVP. Amongst his receivers were tight end Dan Ross, who had 71 catches for 910 yards and five touchdowns, and Cris Collinsworth, a rookie wide receiver who caught 67 passes for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns. The third leading receiver was running back Pete Johnson, who caught 46 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson also led the team in rushing with 1,077 yards on 274 carries, scoring 12 times on the ground. On defense, the Bengals were led by defensive backs Ken Riley, Louis Breeden, and Reggie Williams, each of whom had at least four interceptions (Riley had five).

In the divisional round, the Bengals got by the Bills 28-21. Then, at the AFC Championship Game, the Bengals and Chargers faced each other in the coldest game by wind chill in NFL history. With the wind chill around minus-57 degrees Fahrenheit, the Bengals froze out the Chargers 27-7 to advance to their first Super Bowl.

Over in the NFC, it was a two-team race between the Cowboys and 49ers for conference supremacy. After a 1-2 start, the 49ers got on a roll, winning seven games in a row, including a 45-14 pasting of the Cowboys. After a close loss to the Browns, the 49ers won their final four games, including a 21-3 beating of the Bengals. The 49ers got by the New York Giants in the divisional round 38-24, before one of the greatest games in NFL history. In a back-and-forth battle in San Francisco, quarterback Joe Montana led his team on a late drive and threw one of the most improbable touchdown passes ever. Receiver Dwight Clark came down with “The Catch” to give the 49ers the lead in the final minutes of the game. The 49ers then stopped the Cowboys by coming up with a fumble recovery, and they advanced to their first Super Bowl.

This 49ers team was all about Montana and Clark. Montana threw for 3,565 yards and 19 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions. He completed 63.7% of his passes, for a passer rating of 88.4. Clark was his leading receiver with 85 catches for 1,105 yards. When it came to catching touchdowns, though, it was receiver Freddie Solomon leading the way with eight scores, and tight end Charle Young with five (Clark had four). The 49ers were a pass-heavy team; their leading rusher Ricky Patton rushed for just 543 yards. Earl Cooper had 330, and no other player reached the 300-yard mark.

This year’s Super Bowl was in Detroit, a rather strange place to hold a Super Bowl until you realize that the Lions play in a dome. The temperature was freezing outside, and Vice President George H. W. Bush was on his way to the stadium. As it happened, his motorcade slowed down the 49ers team busses, and the players started to worry if they’d get there in time. Head coach Bill Walsh started cracking jokes about the equipment managers throwing touchdown passes. Walsh was so good at knowing the temperature of his team. He is viewed by many these days as a mad scientist who was all about numbers. That wasn’t him at all. He was an empathetic, authentic person who connected to each and every one of his players.

First Quarter

This game didn’t start out all that great for the 49ers. After Bengals kicker Jim Breech kicked the first kickoff out of bounds, his second kick was mishandled by rookie running back Amos Lawrence. The Bengals’ Don Bass knocked the ball out of his hands, and defensive back John Simmons recovered for Cincinnati.

Anderson threw to receiver Isaac Curtis for about seven yards, and Johnson ran for a first down from there. Anderson then threw on the run, getting the ball to Ross for a first down at the 5. But that’s when the San Francisco defense stepped up. First, defensive end Jim Stuckey sacked Anderson for a loss of six. Then, defensive back Dwight Hicks stepped in front of an Anderson pass and picked it off, returning it to the 32.

Montana started his first drive with a screen pass to running back Ricky Patton for eight yards. He then found Clark for a first down at the 44. Montana hit Solomon for eight yards, before the 49ers went with a reverse flea flicker. After three flips of the ball, Montana had it back, and he gunned it downfield to Young for a first down at the 33. Cooper ran for a first down at the 23, and running back Bill Ring went for another eight. Montana then hit a wide-open Solomon for a first down at the 1. Set up there, Montana dived over the top on a quarterback sneak to score the game’s opening touchdown and make it 7-0.

Anderson started the next drive with a screen to Johnson for four yards. He went back to Johnson on the next play, before scrambling with the ball himself for a first down at the 30. Two plays later, he scrambled again, getting to the 39. Johnson picked up the first down on the next play. Anderson went deep for Collinsworth, but defensive back Eric Wright knocked the ball away at the last moment. The Bengals ended up having to punt, and punter Pat McInally got away the ugliest 53-yard punt you’ll ever see.

Second Quarter

The 49ers had to punt, and the Bengals got the ball back in great field position, at midfield, to start the second quarter. Johnson ran for four, then Anderson hit Collinsworth for a first down inside the 30. An illegal contact foul gave Cincinnati another first down. Anderson went back to Collinsworth, finding him at the 5 for what looked like a first down. However, Wright knocked the ball out of Collinsworth’s hands, and defensive back Lynn Thomas recovered for San Francisco. Had this play happened in today’s NFL, it likely would have been ruled an incomplete pass. As it was, the 49ers had the ball back, but deep in their own territory at their own 8.

It was time for Montana to work. He rolled to his right and found an open Solomon for a first down at the 32. He then scrambled for seven more, before Cooper took a toss, broke a tackle, and found his way into Cincinnati territory at the 47. On the next third down, Montana found Clark for a first down at the 32. Patton ran for about nine yards up the middle, before picking up the first down. The 49ers then tried a reverse to Clark, but he was stopped for no gain. However, linebacker Jim LeClair got called for piling on, and that penalty gave San Francisco a first down. Montana immediately took advantage, throwing to Cooper on the left side of the field for an 11-yard touchdown, and San Francisco now led 14-0. It was a 92-yard drive, the longest in Super Bowl history.

After a mishandled squib kick, the Bengals got the ball back at their own 2 after an illegal block in the back. Anderson completed a pass for a first down to Ross, but after that, the Bengals had to punt. San Francisco took over at their own 34. Montana fired to Clark for a first down at the Cincinnati 49. Patton then ran for the next first down. Montana went back to Clark for the third first down of the drive. With a minute to go, Cooper ran down to the 16, and Walsh called timeout with 54 seconds left. After a quarterback sneak by Montana to get a first down, he threw to Solomon to get down to the 5. That set up a 22-yard field goal by kicker Ray Wersching, and with 15 seconds left in the half, the 49ers figured to go into the locker room with a 17-0 lead.

But Wersching tried another squib kick. This came from having knowledge of how bouncy the ball could get on the Pontiac Silverdome turf. The 49ers played at Detroit early in the season, and that’s why Wersching thought that bouncing the ball could be beneficial. This time, he kicked it on the ground, and running back Archie Griffin mishandled it. 49ers defensive back Rick Gervais knocked the ball out, and linebacker Milt McColl recovered it at the 4. With five seconds left, Walsh sent Wersching back out. The Niners got called for a false start, but after that Wersching nailed a 26-yard field goal to make it 20-0 at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Bengals got the ball to start out the second half, and they finally put something together on offense. Running back Charles Alexander took a pitch for a first down at the 29. On a third down, Anderson found receiver Steve Kreider for 18 yards and a new set of downs. Johnson ran for six, then the Bengals pulled a flea flicker, which Anderson completed to Curtis. A late hit on the Niners gave the Bengals more yardage. Facing third down after that, Anderson scrambled in for a touchdown up the middle, and the Bengals pulled within 13.

Three punts followed, two by San Francisco. After the second of those Niner punts, the Bengals started out at midfield. Cincinnati committed a personal foul and Anderson got sacked by Niners defensive end Fred Dean, and the Bengals faced third-and-long. Anderson launched a long pass downfield for Collinsworth, almost like a Hail Mary of sorts. Collinsworth made the catch over his shoulder, and the Bengals got a first down inside the San Francisco 20. Anderson was sacked by linebacker Jack Reynolds, but he came back with a pass to Ross to get down to the 5. The Bengals got a first down at the 3, setting up one of the most famous series in Super Bowl history: the goal-line stand.

On first and second downs, Johnson tried runs up the middle, and he was held back at the 1. Reynolds made a great tackle on second down to knock him back. On third down, Anderson threw to his right to Alexander, but linebacker Dan Bunz kept him out of the end zone by inches. Finally, Johnson was stuffed on fourth down, with Reynolds making another play to keep him out. The 49ers took over on downs, as the third quarter came to an end.

Fourth Quarter

What goes forgotten about this goal-line stand is that it was the right decision by Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg. The Bengals forced a quick three-and-out and got the ball back at their own 46 after a punt. They then went right downfield and scored. Johnson ran across midfield, then Anderson hit Collinsworth for a first down at the 38. Anderson then hit Ross over the middle for nine. San Francisco got called for pass interference, and Ross followed with a catch near the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Anderson hit Ross for a four-yard touchdown, and the Bengals pulled within six.

But the thing about this was, it never felt like the 49ers were ever in any danger. On second-and-15, Montana fired a 25-yard pass to receiver Mike Wilson, then got another first down on a pass interference flag on Bengals defensive back Ken Riley. Patton ran for a first down to the Cincinnati 41, and a few plays later it was Montana who snuck for a first down. The clock ticked away, as the Niners kept running it. They didn’t get a touchdown, but all they needed was a field goal. Wersching converted a 40-yard field goal with 5:25 left, and the Niners now had a two-score lead.

On the Bengals’ first play on the new drive, Anderson was picked off by Wright. He returned it to the Cincinnati 21, before trying an ill-advised lateral that the Niners were fortunate to recover. The 49ers did pretty much nothing more than just run the ball and chew clock. They got one first down along the way, and the clock made it down to the two-minute warning. Wersching made a 23-yard field goal to make it 26-14. It was his fourth field goal of the day, tying Green Bay’s Don Chandler for the most in a Super Bowl, a record that still stands today.

While Montana was being announced as the game’s Most Valuable Player, the Bengals tried a desperation drive. This drive was unique in that the 49ers defense managed to keep the Bengals in bounds after every single completion. First, Anderson threw to Curtis for 22 yards. He then found Ross for a first down at the Niners 38. Ross caught one for nine more yards, then Collinsworth hauled in one. Anderson found Kreider down at the 3, but at that point there was less than half a minute on the clock. Anderson hit Ross over the middle for a three-yard touchdown with just 16 seconds left. The Bengals had to try an onside kick, but Clark made another great catch, this time of the kickoff, and the Niners held on to win, 26-21. For the first time ever, the San Francisco 49ers were Super Bowl champions!

Aftermath

The Nielsen television rating for this Super Bowl was 49.1, the highest-ever in Super Bowl history. What that number means is that 49.1% of all television sets in the United States were tuned in to Super Bowl XVI. What’s more, is that the Super Bowl had a 73 share. That meant that for every television that was on, 73% of them were watching the Super Bowl and only 27% were watching something else.

The Niners won their first Super Bowl in their first try, something only three other teams had done. That is the answer to today’s pop quiz. Three teams before the Niners won their first Super Bowl – the Green Bay Packers in I, the New York Jets in III, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in IX.

Montana won Super Bowl MVP for his 157 yards passing and two touchdowns, one throwing and one rushing. If I were to pick a second-best player on the Niners, I’d go with Jack Reynolds. He had one sack, but more importantly he had two tackles on that goal-line stand. You may wonder, why does that goal-line stand matter if the Bengals scored anyway? Because it enabled the 49ers to eat more clock. If the Bengals score on that goal-line situation, then they would have had a lot more time to try to complete the comeback. That’s why “Hacksaw” Reynolds deserves consideration for MVP.

Dan Ross is my pick for best player on the losing team. The Bengals tight end caught a Super Bowl-record 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Ross’s 11 catches remain the record for a tight end at the Super Bowl. His performance is one of the best in a losing effort in the history of the Super Bowl.

The Least Valuable Player, who was it? I’d have to go with Pete Johnson of the Bengals. He averaged only 2.57 yards per carry, rushing 14 times for 36 yards. That’s not going to get it done on the ground. The Bengals couldn’t run, and Johnson couldn’t score on three attempts near the goal line. The lack of a running game doomed the Bengals in this one.

The player no one remembers who was best in this one? How about Ricky Patton of the 49ers? He rushed for 55 yards in this game, and he was the leading rusher of all players in this Super Bowl. Patton also caught a pass for six yards. He was a nice change-of-pace in the pass-oriented Niners offense.

The biggest play of this game was the goal-line stand. I know, I know, the Bengals eventually scored anyway, but making that stand not only chewed time off the clock, it also gave the 49ers a lot of energy. Sometimes the biggest plays are the intangible ones.

The best play no one remembers is Montana’s 25-yard completion to Wilson on second-and-15 with his team up only six in the fourth quarter. That pass helped put the Niners in field goal range to put away this game. Can you imagine if it had gotten to third-and-15? The Bengals would have been in great position to make the comeback from down 20-14. This play was very important to the Niners salting this one away.

Homework

Finally, for some homework, here’s an easy one. Gary Myers wrote a book called The Catch: One Play, Two Dynasties, and the Game That Changed the NFL. It tells the story of how the 49ers and Cowboys went in opposite directions after Dwight Clark made the famous catch to win the NFC Championship Game. This book is entertaining from start to finish. I highly recommend it.

For now, we’ll put the 49ers dynasty aside, and instead move over to a different NFC team who was building a dynasty of their own. I’m talking about the Washington Redskins. We will see the Redskins in both of our next two episodes, starting in two weeks with their battle against the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII. My website is tommyaphillips.com; there you can find all my books, including my new release Penn State Bowl Games: A Complete History. Until then, so long!

Opening

It’s time for… Lombardi Memories. A show that takes you back in time, into January or February, to the greatest one-day spectacle in all of sports. This is the every-other-Tuesday podcast that looks back at each and every one of the 50-plus Super Bowls and tells the story of who won and why. For the fan who needs more than a boxscore, this podcast goes drive-by-drive, play-by-play through the most dramatic games in history.

I’m your host, Tommy A. Phillips, and you can visit my website at tommyaphillips.com where you can find all of my books. Those include Great Eighties, a book that covers this Super Bowl and the next nine of them as well. Today we have Super Bowl XV, which was held on January 25, 1981, between the third-time AFC champion Oakland Raiders, and the first-time NFC champions. Philadelphia Eagles. If you’re looking for the full story of this 1980 season, pick up my Great Eighties book and you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about that year and the rest of the eighties.

As always, we have a pop quiz, and then homework at the end of the episode. The pop quiz question for today is: what individual record in this game still stands today? The answer will come near the end of the podcast.

Prelude to Super Bowl XV

The Philadelphia Eagles got off to a roaring start in 1980. They won 11 of their first 12 games, beating the Dallas Cowboys once along the way. They then stumbled down the stretch to three losses in their final four games, including a season-ending loss to Dallas that made the Eagles and Cowboys finish with the same record. Philadelphia had the tiebreaker, so the Eagles won the division, and the Cowboys were one of the wild cards.

The Eagles breezed by the Minnesota Vikings 31-16 in the divisional round. For the NFC Championship Game, they’d have to play a “threematch” – the third game against the Cowboys on the season. Using the legs of running back Wilbert Montgomery, the Eagles ran all over Dallas and beat them 20-7 at Veterans Stadium to clinch a spot in the 15th Super Bowl, their first one.

Montgomery ran for 778 yards and eight touchdowns, which weren’t entirely impressive numbers, but still very solid. Quarterback Ron Jaworski threw for over 3,500 yards and 27 touchdowns, with just 12 interceptions all season. His most-thrown-to receiver was Montgomery, who had 50 catches. The deep threats came from Harold Carmichael and Charlie Smith, who both went over 800 yards and 45 catches.

The Oakland Raiders, meanwhile, did things the hard way. They lost five regular-season games, including a 10-7 loss to the Eagles in Week 12. The Raiders finished at 11-5, which tied them for the best record in the conference. It wasn’t enough to win the division, though, as the 11-5 Chargers held the tiebreaker over them. The Raiders’ only way to the Super Bowl was through the wild card game.

The Raiders won easily at home against Houston in the wild card game, before one of the most famous games in NFL history. It was “Red Right 88,” the fateful call by the Browns where NFL MVP quarterback Brian Sipe threw an interception in the final minutes of the game when all Cleveland needed was a field goal. The Raiders held on to win, 14-12. They then won a shootout in San Diego to claim their third ticket to the Super Bowl.

Quarterback Dan Pastorini started the season as starter, but he got hurt, and Jim Plunkett had to come in. He was serviceable, throwing for just shy of 2,300 yards and 18 touchdowns, but also 16 interceptions. The leading Oakland receivers were Bob Chandler with 49 grabs for 786 yards and ten touchdowns, and Cliff Branch, with 44 catches for 858 yards and seven touchdowns. Running backs Mark van Eeghen and Kenny King combined for just short of 1,600 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Of course, the biggest storyline with the Raiders was that owner Al Davis was in a fight with the league to move the Raiders to Los Angeles. That decision would go to court, but for now, everyone looked forward to seeing what would happen if the Raiders won the Super Bowl. How would NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle congratulate Davis, should the Raiders win?

First Quarter

Chris Bahr, the brother of Steelers kicker Matt Bahr who played in the previous Super Bowl, kicked off, and Super Bowl XV was underway. On only the third play of the game, Jaworski tried going play action, and he got picked off by linebacker Rod Martin, who returned it to the Philadelphia 30. The Raiders were going to go three-and-out, but an offside penalty on the Eagles kept the drive alive. Van Eeghen ran for a first down on that replayed third down. Plunkett then found Branch down at the 5 for a first-and-goal. After van Eeghen got it down to about the 1, Plunkett scrambled and threw on the run to Branch in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.

The teams traded three-and-outs after that. On the Eagles’ third drive, Jaworski hit tight end Keith Krepfle for eight yards and handed off to Montgomery for a first down. Jaworski then fired a screen to Montgomery, who picked up 13 yards. The Eagles soon faced third-and-long, and Jaworski aired it out for receiver Rodney Parker. Touchdown! Except that it wasn’t. Carmichael had been in motion toward the line of scrimmage on the play, which is illegal in the NFL. The touchdown got wiped off the board, and the Eagles ended up punting.

King ran it out six yards to the 20, before a record-setting play. Plunkett was given all day to throw, and he used the time to scramble out and throw to King on the run. King had a convoy, and he sprinted to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown. It was the longest pass in Super Bowl history, and it would remain so through the first thirty Super Bowls. As the first quarter came to an end, the Raiders led it, 14-0.

Second Quarter

The Eagles finally got something going on the first drive of the second quarter. Montgomery started out with an eight-yard run, and Jaworski went play action and fired to tight end John Spagnola for 22 yards. Jaworski threw a bomb for receiver Charlie Smith in the end zone on the next play, but Oakland defensive back Lester Hayes knocked it away at the last second. That was the second time a Jaws pass could have been a touchdown, but wasn’t. Jaworski did get the Eagles into field goal range, firing a 24-yard pass to Montgomery. But the Eagles settled for a 30-yard Tony Franklin field goal, and they trailed 14-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, Raiders defensive back Keith Moody fumbled after getting hit by Ron Baker. The ball came loose, but Rod Martin recovered for Oakland. It was a crucial recovery that prevented Philadelphia from getting back into the game. The Raiders didn’t score on this possession, but they managed to flip field position on an exchange of punts.

On Oakland’s next possession, van Eeghen started by running twice to get a first down, and Plunkett found Branch for a first down at the 36. King ran for four more, and Plunkett scrambled to the 27, but he came up a yard shy on third down. Bahr tried a 45-yard field goal, but his kick was a bit to the right, and a little short as well.

Jaworski threw to Carmichael for a 30-yard gain, and the Eagles got into Raiders territory at the two-minute warning. He’d go to Carmichael again for a first down at the 27, then Montgomery caught one and spun for a first down to the 12. However, the Eagles got nothing out of this end-of-half drive, as Franklin had his 28-yard field goal blocked by Oakland linebacker Ted Hendricks. The Raiders went to the half holding a 14-3 lead.

Third Quarter

The Raiders got the ball to start the second half, and despite a first-down holding flag, they marched right downfield. Plunkett threw to King for 13 yards, then he went long for Bob Chandler for a 32-yard pickup. Van Eeghen ran for four more, then Plunkett went play action to Branch, who stole away the jump ball from defensive back Roynell Young. Instead of an interception, it was a 29-yard touchdown for Branch, who put the Raiders up 21-3.

Despite the fact that Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil ran a tight ship, his team was making mistakes left and right. First, linebacker John Bunting touched a kickoff before it bounces out of bounds, backing up the Eagles deep in their own territory. Then, Jaworski threw another interception to Martin. This pick would set up Oakland’s next score. Plunkett found tight end Ray Chester for 16 yards, then he hit Chandler for another first down at the 32. The Raiders got a 46-yard Bahr field goal out of it, and they went to the final quarter leading 24-3.

Fourth Quarter

Jaworski was nearly sacked for a safety on Philadelphia’s next drive, but he got the ball away, and Charlie Smith hauled it in for a big gain to the Oakland 45. Montgomery ran for a first down, before the Eagles faced a fourth down. They had to go for it, and Jaworski found Rodney Parker to move the chains to the 12. Facing fourth down again, the Eagles got lucky when the Raiders jumped offside. Jaworski then found Krepfle in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, and the Eagles pulled within 24-10.

But Oakland put away the game on their next drive. Van Eeghen ran for eight yards, then he picked up a first down. Plunkett fired to Chester for a nice gain, and a roughing the passer penalty moved the ball further for Oakland. Plunkett nearly threw an interception to defensive back Herman Edwards, but Branch broke it up to force an incompletion. After that near-mistake, Plunkett followed that up by firing to Chandler for 23 yards. The Raiders ended up getting a 35-yard field goal from Bahr, and they led 27-10 with eight-and-a-half minutes to play.

The Eagles’ final two chances in the game would end in turnovers. First, Jaworski fumbled a snap in Oakland territory, which defensive end Willie Jones recovered. Then, Jaworski threw a third interception to Martin. That made Martin the first and only player to this date to intercept three passes in a single Super Bowl. The Raiders had won their second Super Bowl, 27-10, and now it was time for Davis to receive the Lombardi Trophy. Surprisingly, Rozelle and Davis had a peaceful transfer of the trophy, which Davis called “our finest hour.”

Aftermath

Plunkett completed 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, suffering just one sack. He had a passer rating of 145.0, and he was named Super Bowl MVP. There’s little arguing with those stats, but if I were to give the award to someone else, I’d give it to Rod Martin, for his three interceptions. Never before or since has a player picked off three passes, making him the answer to today’s pop quiz question. He was an unusual hero for this game, a role player who ended up having his biggest moment in the biggest game of all.

The most valuable player on the losing team was Montgomery. He rushed for 44 yards and caught six passes for 91 yards. He and Carmichael were the only two offensive players to really contribute to the Philadephia cause. The Eagles had a rough day, with Jaworski throwing 38 passes but completing fewer than half of them.

Jaws’s passer rating was a putrid 49.3, but I think he gets too much blame for this performance. Instead, I give the Least Valuable Player award to his entire offensive line. NBC made a point to show that Plunkett was getting four-plus seconds to throw, while Jaws had less than two. Jaworski really couldn’t do anything playing behind turnstiles.

The best player you’ve never heard of? Well, that’s difficult since the Raiders are such a well-known team. If I were to pick a player who isn’t as well-known, I’d go with defensive back Burgess Owens, who played great in the secondary and picked up seven tackles throughout this game. Owens was part of a secondary including Lester Hayes that wouldn’t allow Jaws to throw it deep.

The biggest play of this game was, of course, the 80-yard touchdown pass from Plunkett to King. It wasn’t designed as a long pass; instead, Plunkett was just hoping to get something out of a somewhat-broken play. King ended up making the catch in space and having all the room in the world to sprint down the field for a touchdown. That made it 14-0, and as we know, the Eagles never reached 14 points.

The biggest play of this game that no one remembers? There are a couple. You may think I would pick Carmichael’s illegal motion penalty that wiped out a long touchdown pass to Parker. However, I think that you may remember that play, so I’m going with two others. One of them was when Jaworski threw a bomb to Smith in the end zone, but Hayes broke it up at the last second. Philadephia got only a field goal out of it. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Martin luckily recovered a fumble by Moody to keep the ball with Oakland. While I believe instant replay would have given back the ball to Oakland had it existed at the time, if the Eagles recover that, it could have been an entirely different game.

Homework

I’ve got an excellent book for you this week to read. It’s called Cheating is Encouraged: A Hard-Nosed History of the 1970s Raiders. Yes, I know it says “70s” but there’s a bunch in there on the 1980 team going through Super Bowl XV. In fact, that’s the ultimate chapter of the book that brings the rest of the book together. Obviously, the seventies were a great decade for the Raiders, but the eighties were when they had their most Super Bowl success. We will find out more about them in a couple months.

As for now, we will move on to a different dynasty. It’s the San Francisco 49ers, who will go to their first Super Bowl against another team in their first big game, the Cincinnati Bengals. Which of these worst-to-first teams will come out on top? Which one will become a dynasty, and which one will remain snakebitten? It all comes in two weeks, when we get to Super Bowl XVI. Again, you can find all my books at tommyaphillips.com, where I have a book on the Great Eighties and all of the next nine Super Bowls we cover. Until next time, so long!

Opening

It’s time for… Lombardi Memories. A show that takes you back in time, into January or February, to the greatest one-day spectacle in all of sports. This is the every-other-Tuesday podcast that looks back at each and every one of the 50-plus Super Bowls and tells the story of who won and why. For the fan who needs more than a boxscore, this podcast goes drive-by-drive, play-by-play through the most dramatic games in history.

I’m your host, Tommy A. Phillips, and you can visit my website at tommyaphillips.com where you can find all of my books. Today we have Super Bowl XIV, which was held on January 20, 1980 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California between the three-time and defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the first-time NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.

As always, we have a pop quiz, and then homework at the end of the episode. The pop quiz question for today is: the Rams made it to the Super Bowl with seven regular-season losses. What two other teams have reached the Super Bowl with seven losses? The answer will come at the end of the podcast.

Prelude to Super Bowl XIV

The defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers were rather vulnerable in 1979. They only barely won their season opener at New England, then suffered two losses in three games in midseason. They got killed 35-7 by the Chargers, and they lost an emotional game late in the season to Houston. Having said all that, they still finished 12-4 and won the AFC Central.

The Steelers won an easy divisional round game over Miami, 34-14. In the AFC Championship Game against Houston, the Steelers held a tentative lead when the Oilers seemingly completed a touchdown pass that got overruled by the officials. Some say it cost Houston the game, I say it didn’t. Pittsburgh won by two touchdowns anyway, 27-13, and advanced to its fourth Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh was led by quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who had a monster year with 3,724 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also threw 25 interceptions, making his passer rating only 77.0. But boy, did he light it up in the air! Receiver John Stallworth caught 70 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the team in all categories. Receiver Lynn Swann had 41 catches for just over 800 yards and five scores, and tight end Bennie Cunningham caught 36 passes for just over 500 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Franco Harris led the ground game with 1,186 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.

The L.A. Rams were not the type of team you’d expect to see in the Super Bowl. They were 4-5 at midseason, and 5-6 after Week 11. But they won four games in a row to take the NFC West crown, and they made it into the playoffs as the lowest-ranked NFC division champion. They then narrowly defeated the #1-seeded Dallas Cowboys 21-19 in the divisional round to advance to the NFC Championship Game at Tampa Bay. What was it about the Rams and Buccaneers playing low-scoring NFC Championship Games? They’d have a similar low-scoring affair 20 years later. As for now, the Rams beat the Bucs 9-0 to advance to their first Super Bowl.

Quarterback Vince Ferragamo took over for Pat Haden at midseason, and his numbers were not that great: 48.2 completion percentage, just five touchdowns to ten interceptions, and a 49.0 passer rating. But the Rams succeeded thanks to their running game – Wendell Tyler ran for over 1,100 yards – and their defense. The Youngbloods were a force to fear on defense, and the Rams had great defensive backs such as Nolan Cromwell and Dave Elmendorf. The Rams could keep any game close because of their strong defense.

First Quarter

The Rams won the toss and chose to receive. They went three-and-out and punted it to Pittsburgh. The Steelers got their offense going with a run by running back Rocky Bleier up the middle for a first down at the 32. He came close to getting another first down, and Harris picked it up from there. Bradshaw then threw over the middle to Harris, and he picked up 32 yards down to the 26. That set up a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Bahr, who barely got it over the crossbar for a 3-0 Pittsburgh lead.

The Steelers tried a surprise onside kick, but it failed, and L.A. got great field position. Tyler started the Rams’ ensuing drive with a six-yard catch and a 39-yard run down to the 13. Running back Lawrence McCutcheon ran it three times to get a first down at the 3. After Tyler was stopped twice, running back Cullen Bryant scored on third down, and the Rams took a 7-3 lead.

Defensive back Larry Anderson took back the ensuing kickoff 45 yards. Harris ran for a first down, then Bleier ran a couple of times to get another first down. Bradshaw threw to Swann for a first down at the 18, then he found Cunningham for another new set of downs at the 5. Three plays later, Harris got in from the 1, and Pittsburgh took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Second Quarter

The Rams weren’t about to be pushed around, though. Tyler ran for and caught a pass for a first down. Ferragamo then went to McCutcheon for another first down. A long pass fell incomplete, but Pittsburgh defensive back Donnie Shell got called for pass interference down the sideline. That set up kicker Frank Corral for a 31-yard field goal to tie the game at ten.

Anderson ripped off another great return, this time 38 yards. But the Steelers offense went three-and-out, and the punt went for a touchback. Ferragamo completed a third-down pass to Terry Nelson, but the Rams were forced to punt. On this Steeler possession, Elmendorf made an interception of a Bradshaw pass. Ferragamo completed a 12-yard pass to Bryant, and he found receiver Billy Waddy on a fourth down for a first down. He hit Nelson for a first down at the 14, before Pittsburgh defensive tackle John Banaszak got a sack. Corral came on to try a 45-yard field goal, and he made it to put L.A. up 13-10 at the half.

Third Quarter

Starting out the second half, Anderson got yet another great kickoff return, this one 37 yards. The Steelers then sandwiched two Bradshaw passes to Swann around three runs, two by Harris. The second of those passes was a 47-yard touchdown, on which Bradshaw found Swann on a deep ball. Bahr made the extra point, and Pittsburgh went up 17-13.

The Rams started their next drive at the 24. Ferragamo passed to Bryant for a short gain, before facing third-and-long. He then threw a deep ball to Waddy, who hauled it in for a 50-yard gain at the Pittsburgh 24. Next, head coach Ray Malavasi called for a trick play. McCutcheon took a handoff to his right, then passed downfield for receiver Ron Smith. Touchdown! Corral missed the extra point wide left, but L.A. now led 19-17.

The next two drives for Pittsburgh ended in picks. First, Bradshaw almost had one returned for a pick-six by defensive back Nolan Cromwell. It fell incomplete, but three plays later Eddie Brown picked one off and lateraled to Pat Thomas, reaching the 38. The Rams punted, and Pittsburgh moved the ball downfield with a 20-yard pass to Harris and a 22-yard pass to running back Sidney Thornton. But Bradshaw had a pass tipped and intercepted by defensive back Rod Perry, and Los Angeles took their two-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

On the Rams’ next drive, Steelers defensive tackle Steve Furness and linebacker Loren Toews combined on a sack of Ferragamo that forced a punt. Punter Ken Clark got away a 58-yard kick, and the Steelers got it back at their own 25. With Swann on the bench with an injury, Bradshaw faced a perilous moment – third-and-eight down by two points. On the fateful play, he threw a bomb. John Stallworth got underneath the pass and made an amazing catch, then sprinted 73 yards for a touchdown. Bahr’s extra point was good, and the Steelers led by five.

That was the sixth lead change of the game, and it would also be the last. The Rams went three-and-out, but so did the Steelers. Los Angeles got the ball back, with about five to six minutes to get the winning touchdown. Ferragamo found Preston Dennard for a first down, then he hit him again at midfield. Waddy hauled in a pass for 14 yards, and the Rams had the ball at the Pittsburgh 32. The defensive play of the game was then made by Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert. He picked off Ferragamo’s pass down the middle and returned it to the Pittsburgh 29. If Lambert doesn’t step in front of that pass, maybe the Rams score there, or maybe they score a bit later. In any case, it was Pittsburgh ball with four minutes to play.

Facing third down again, Bradshaw threw up a rainbow to Stallworth, and once again he made an over-the-shoulder catch, this time for 44 yards to the L.A. 23. Bradshaw went to the end zone two plays later, and the Steelers drew a pass interference flag on defensive back Pat Thomas. After the two-minute warning, Harris pounded it in, and Pittsburgh went up by 12. Victory was all but assured for the Steelers now. The Rams got as far as the Pittsburgh 30 on their final drive, but they turned the ball over on downs, and it was all over. The Pittsburgh Steelers had won Super Bowl XIV, 31-19, and head coach Chuck Noll was now a four-time Super Bowl champion!

Aftermath

Terry Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP for a second consecutive year. Only Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers has also been named Super Bowl MVP in back-to-back seasons. Though, I wouldn’t give this MVP to Bradshaw, if I had the choice. Pat Summerall said it during the broadcast: Stallworth deserved MVP. Bradshaw threw three interceptions, and those were a big reason Pittsburgh fell behind. Stallworth came up with two monster catches that totaled over 100 yards themselves. He ended up with three catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. His two fourth-quarter catches decided the game all by themselves, and they were amazing, beautiful catches. There’s no other way around it; Stallworth deserved MVP. Bradshaw deserves a ton of credit, but Stallworth got him that MVP.

Who would be the most valuable player on the losing team? I’d have to go with running back Wendell Tyler; he rushed for 60 yards on 17 carries, and he caught three passes for 20 yards. Those aren’t amazing numbers, but they are the best of anyone on the L.A. offense. The Rams defense played a big role in keeping the game so close; however, there wasn’t one defensive player who stood out as the most valuable. I’m still going with Tyler, though, as he played a vital role in helping the Los Angeles offense hold that lead after each of the first three quarters.

The Least Valuable Player? I’m going with Rams defensive back Pat Thomas. He got called for a pass interference flag on the Steelers’ final possession that set up Harris’ one-yard touchdown run. If he doesn’t get called for it, the Rams probably lose anyway; but there really wasn’t anyone who was LVP of this game. Both teams played hard and played well. Thomas just made a bad mistake at a crucial time.

The best player you’ve never heard of? How about Larry Anderson, kick returner for the Steelers? He returned five kickoffs for 162 yards and a 32.4 average, all Super Bowl records. His performance was the greatest performance by a kick returner in Super Bowl history up to this point, as well as probably still the greatest by a returner who didn’t score a touchdown. I even thought of naming him MVP, because he put the Steelers in such good field position on several occasions.

The biggest play of the game was Stallworth’s 73-yard touchdown reception. It came on a third-and-long with Pittsburgh losing by two. If Stallworth doesn’t make that catch, maybe the Rams win. I think the Steelers would have pulled it out anyway eventually, but Stallworth’s catch (and Bradshaw’s throw) completely turned the game on its head.

The best play that goes overlooked had to be Jack Lambert’s interception in the fourth quarter. No, it’s not a play that no one remembers, because most people probably do remember that pick. However, it gets overshadowed by Stallworth’s amazing catches, Bradshaw’s prolific passes, and Harris’ hard runs. Lambert’s pick essentially sealed the game for Pittsburgh, and that’s why he’s a Hall of Famer.

The Rams gave it all they had and came up short. They were a Cinderella story, having lost seven games during the regular season. Who are the other two to reach the Super Bowl with seven losses? The answer to this week’s pop quiz question is: the 2008 Arizona Cardinals, and the 2011 New York Giants. The Cards lost Super Bowl XLIII to the Steelers, and the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots. Interesting that two of Pittsburgh’s six Super Bowl victories came over two of the worst teams to ever reach the Super Bowl.

Homework

This week’s homework is simple: Steel Dynasty: The Team That Changed The NFL by Bill Chastain. This book covers the whole Steelers dynasty, but in particular it’s got some pretty good stuff on the 1979 Steelers and Super Bowl XIV. It also includes an epilogue on the fall of the dynasty, which is helpful as we move on to the eighties, a decade in which Pittsburgh made just one AFC Championship Game and zero Super Bowls.

I also would like to inform you of a new podcast that has been released. It is called “With the Benefit of Hindsight…” by professional documentary maker John Ziegler. This podcast is all about the so-called Penn State scandal, and it will hit you like a bucket of cold water. You will have your eyes opened to the truth about that situation, and you will find that what really happened is quite different from what you learned while watching the news. Again, that’s “With the Benefit of Hindsight…” and you can find it on Apple Podcasts as well as others.

In two weeks, we will tackle the first Super Bowl of the eighties, Super Bowl XV between the good guys, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the bad guys, the Oakland Raiders. Will NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle have to award the Lombardi Trophy to Raiders owner Al Davis? Find out then! Until then, this is Tommy A. Phillips, and my website with my books is tommyaphillips.com. So long!

Opening

It’s time for… Lombardi Memories. A show that takes you back in time, into January or February, to the greatest one-day spectacle in all of sports. This is the every-other-Tuesday podcast that looks back at each and every one of the 50-plus Super Bowls and tells the story of who won and why. For the fan who needs more than a boxscore, this podcast goes drive-by-drive, play-by-play through the most dramatic games in history.

I’m your host, Tommy A. Phillips, and you can visit my website at tommyaphillips.com where you can find all of my books. Today we have Super Bowl XIII, which was held on January 21, 1979 in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida between the three-time AFC champion and two-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the five-time NFC champion and defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys.

As always, we have a pop quiz, and then homework at the end of the episode. The pop quiz question for today is: what unusual special teams feat was accomplished in both this Super Bowl, and also the next Super Bowl between the Cowboys and Steelers? That would be Super Bowl XXX, which had something that also happened in this game. The answer will come at the end of the podcast.

The NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. That would remain the season length for the next 42 years, with the exceptions of the 1982 and 1987 seasons, both of which were affected by player strikes. The NFL also added a second wild card to each conference, meaning that the two wild cards would play in a wild card game, and the three division champions got first-round byes.

The Steelers romped right through their first 16-game schedule, winning their first seven games and going on to win 14 of 16 games. They had little trouble in the playoffs, dispatching Denver 33-10 and beating up on Houston 34-5 in the AFC Championship Game. They were led by quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who threw for 2,915 yards and 28 touchdowns. Running back Franco Harris ran for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Receiver Lynn Swann led in all receiving categories with 61 catches for 880 yards and 11 touchdowns, but John Stallworth was right behind him with 41 catches for 798 yards and nine scores.

Dallas’s road to the Super Bowl was much more of a bumpy ride. After starting out 2-0, the Cowboys lost four of their next eight games and sat at only 6-4 at midseason. But they turned things around, winning all of their final six regular-season games, and most of them by big margins. The Cowboys then got by Atlanta 27-20 in the divisional round before beating Los Angeles 28-0 in the NFC Championship Game.

The Cowboys were led, as they were a year before, by quarterback Roger Staubach, who threw for 3,190 yards and 25 touchdowns. Running back Tony Dorsett ran for 1,325 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back Robert Newhouse had another 584 yards and eight scores. The Cowboys had five players catch at least 34 balls, with Preston Pearson leading in catches with 47, and Tony Hill leading in yards with 823.

First Quarter

               Chicago Bears founder George S. Halas tossed the coin, which came up heads. The Cowboys won and chose to receive. Receiver Butch Johnson took the kick back to the 28. Running back Tony Dorsett ran it twice to start the game, and he took the ball into Pittsburgh territory at the 47. After running back Robert Newhouse was stopped for no gain, Dorsett took a pitch from quarterback Roger Staubach and made a first down at the 34. On the next play, however, the Cowboys tried a trick play. Receiver Drew Pearson fumbled when trying to get the ball from Dorsett, and defensive tackle John Banaszak recovered for Pittsburgh.

               Running back Franco Harris tried a couple of runs, going nowhere to start the drive. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw converted on third down, finding receiver John Stallworth for a first down at the Dallas 40. Stallworth made a one-handed grab on the next play, but he was out of bounds, so it was incomplete. Running back Rocky Bleier ran it for a couple yards, then Bradshaw found tight end Randy Grossman for a first down at the 28. Bradshaw went back to the air on the next play, finding Stallworth in the left corner of the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown, and putting Pittsburgh up 7-0 early.

               Cowboys running back Larry Brinson took the next kickoff back to the 28. Staubach threw incomplete on first down, and Dorsett gained four on second down. From the shotgun, Staubach found Johnson on third down for a first down at the Pittsburgh 42. Dorsett took a pitch for four, but Steelers defensive end Steve Furness and linebacker Loren Toews sacked Staubach back in Dallas territory. Defensive end Dwight White added another sack on third down, and the Cowboys were forced to punt. Punter (and backup quarterback) Danny White’s kick was returned to the 30 by receiver Theo Bell.

               Harris ran for five, then he caught a third-down pass for a first down in Dallas’s end of the field at the 43. Bradshaw then went play action to receiver Lynn Swann, and he got thirteen more yards to the 30. But on the next play, linebacker D.D. Lewis picked off Bradshaw and returned the pick 32 yards into Pittsburgh territory at the 35.

               Newhouse took a pair of runs for very little, and Staubach threw incomplete on third down. Danny White punted it back down to the 38. Harris started Pittsburgh’s new drive with a run through a big hole for nine yards. He looked to have a first down on the next play, but a holding call brought it back. He ran for five yards on the next play, setting up third-and-long. Defensive end Harvey Martin brought the pressure, sacking Bradshaw and forcing a fumble. Defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones picked up the loose ball, giving Dallas great field position. Three plays later, Staubach fired to receiver Tony Hill for a 39-yard touchdown, and the Cowboys tied the game at seven at the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter

               Defensive end Larry Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff to the 27. Bradshaw threw a pass for Grossman, and he made a diving catch for a first down and ten yards. Harris ran it on the next three plays, and he got another first down. Bradshaw had a couple passes fall incomplete, then he was under immense pressure again. Linebacker Tom Henderson – known as “Hollywood” by Cowboys fans and “Loudmouth” by Steelers fans – sacked Bradshaw and forced a fumble. Linebacker Mike Hegman scooped up the loose ball and returned it 37 yards to put Dallas out in front, 14-7.

               The following kickoff went for a touchback. The Steelers handed it to Harris a couple times, and he got five yards on two carries. Bradshaw then went long for Stallworth, who caught the pass and broke away from the Dallas defense. Stallworth ended up going 75 yards for a touchdown, tying the record for the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history, and the Steelers tied the score at fourteen.

               The Steelers defense came out on fire after that score, tackling both Newhouse and Dorsett for losses. Staubach fumbled after a sack, but center Tom Rafferty fell on the loose ball. The Cowboys were forced to punt, and Bell took it back to the 48. Bradshaw immediately came out firing, hitting Swann for a first down at the 22. The Steelers got a first down on a holding penalty, but they got nothing on their next two plays. On third down, the controversial Henderson sacked Bradshaw back at the 33. Kicker Roy Gerela came out to try a Super Bowl record 51-yard field goal, but it bounced off the left upright just above the crossbar, and the score remained tied.

               Dorsett and Newhouse took a handoff each, then Staubach dropped back in the shotgun and fired to running back Preston Pearson for a first down at the 45. He followed with a pass to Hill for another first down at the Pittsburgh 44, and the game went to the two-minute warning. Out of the timeout, Staubach threw a screen to Dorsett, who got a first down at the 32. After a minor scuffle between the two teams, Staubach got too aggressive and had his pass picked off by defensive back Mel Blount.

               The Steelers got good field position when the Cowboys were called for a personal foul on Blount’s return. They gave that position back right away with a holding penalty, but then Bradshaw and Swann hooked up on consecutive plays for big gains. The first one went 29 yards to the Dallas 37, and the second one Swann hauled in for 21 yards down to the 16. Harris took it further down inside the 10, then Bradshaw found Bleier on the right side of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown with less than half a minute left in the half. The Steelers went to the Orange Bowl locker room holding a 21-14 lead.

Third Quarter

               The second half started out rather uneventfully. The Steelers went three-and-out on their first possession. The Cowboys got a couple first downs on a holding penalty and a Staubach scramble, but they soon had to punt as well. Their defense forced a second Steeler three-and-out, and Johnson took the kick back to the Pittsburgh 42. Staubach then tried a flea flicker, but his pass for Hill fell incomplete. He got a first down on a pass to Preston Pearson at the 29, before Dorsett ran for a first down off the right side of the line. Dorsett further ran it down to the 10, and an incompletion set up third-and-two.

               Tight end Jackie Smith, after an entire career of playoff futility in St. Louis, was playing in his final career NFL game. He had the chance to catch the tying touchdown, but he dropped a pass from Staubach despite being wide open and having absolutely no one around him. Kicker Rafael Septien made a 27-yard field goal, but the Cowboys still trailed, 21-17.

Fourth Quarter

               The Steelers continued to struggle on offense, though. Bradshaw completed one pass to Bell for a first down, before getting sacked by defensive tackle Randy White on a third down. As the third quarter began, Staubach threw a flare pass to Dorsett for a first down. But on the next third down, Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene batted down a Staubach pass, and the Cowboys were forced to punt. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 14.

               Facing third down early in their next drive, Bradshaw fired to Grossman for a first down at the 25. He then went to Swann for fourteen more yards to the 39, before Harris ran for about a five-yard gain. Swann was open downfield on the next play, and Dallas defensive back Benny Barnes purposely tripped him to avoid a big gain. The result? A 33-yard penalty. Bradshaw followed by throwing to Swann at the Dallas 20. A couple plays later, Harris plowed right up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown, putting the Steelers up by eleven.

               Gerela decided to squib the following kickoff, and it bounced to Randy White. The defensive tackle had a hard time handling the ball, and it came free after a hit by Steelers defensive back Tony Dungy. After a pileup that took around five minutes to sort out, Steelers linebacker Dennis Winston came out of the pile with the ball. On the very next play, Bradshaw fired an eighteen-yard touchdown pass to Swann, who made a great catch. The Steelers had two touchdowns in the matter of seventeen seconds, and their lead swelled to 35-17.

               Dallas went into desperation mode at this point. Staubach scrambled for a first down to the 28, then he fired to Drew Pearson for a seventeen-yard gain. Dorsett took a draw play for 28 yards, then Staubach hit tight end Billy Joe DuPree for a first down at the 16. In the middle of the announcement that Terry Bradshaw had unanimously been named Super Bowl XIII MVP, Staubach threw to Pearson to get down to the 7, then to DuPree for a touchdown. The Cowboys closed within eleven with 2:27 to go.

               Septien went with the onside kick, and defensive back Dennis Thurman recovered for Dallas. Staubach came right back out and threw his second-down pass to Drew Pearson for a first down at the Pittsburgh 30. That brought on the two-minute warning. Furness sacked Staubach and the Cowboys got forced into a fourth-and-eighteen. But Staubach was not finished; he fired to Drew Pearson on that fourth-down play for a first down. He then found Dorsett down at the 4, before firing incomplete. On his next pass, he found Johnson in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown. The Cowboys were now within four, but there were only 22 seconds left.

               For the second onside kick, Septien tried kicking it down the middle. Bleier was waiting there to fall on the ball for Pittsburgh, and that was it. The Steelers had won Super Bowl XIII, 35-31, and they were now the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls!

Aftermath

               The MVP may have been Terry Bradshaw, but a good case could be made for Lynn Swann. He would be my pick for the player who would have won MVP if not for Bradshaw himself.     Bradshaw was named MVP for his 318 passing yards and four touchdowns. It was the first 300-yard game of his career. Both Swann and Stallworth went over the century mark, with Swann catching seven passes for 124 yards and a score.

               Who was the MVP of the losing team? That would have to be Staubach. He threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort. Would the Cowboys have won if Bleier doesn’t fall on that onside kick? Who knows, but I wouldn’t have wanted to bet against Staubach.

               The Least Valuable Player was Jackie Smith. He dropped a touchdown pass which cost his team four points. And, of course, the Cowboys lost by four points. While Smith had a great career, this one drop is what he’s most remembered for, sadly enough. There’s no guarantee that the Cowboys would have tied the game if he caught it, though. Pittsburgh would have definitely played the last few minutes differently up by 14 instead of up by 18.

               The best player you’ve never heard of? That’s almost impossible to pick since the 1970s Steelers and Cowboys are the best-known teams of all time. Everyone knows every player on these teams, offense and defense. I will have to pick Steelers linebacker Dennis Winston, who recovered the fumble on the kickoff in the fourth quarter. You’ve probably heard of him, too, but he’s the best one I can come up with who isn’t as well-known.

               As for the biggest play of the game, it had to be that fumble recovery, which immediately led to a Pittsburgh touchdown and an 18-point lead. If Dallas just has to come back from down 11, it’s a totally different ballgame. Roy Gerela deserves a lot of credit for squibbing the ball effectively. In a few weeks, we’ll see another kicker do that to great effect in Super Bowl XVI.

               The biggest play no one remembers is Benny Barnes tripping up Swann for a 33-yard penalty. That set up Pittsburgh’s fourth touchdown, a run by Harris. You never know whether the Cowboys would have stopped the Steelers without that penalty, but it certainly gave a big boost to the Steelers’ chances. Maybe they don’t even need that onside kick which they recovered late in the fourth quarter.

               And that is the answer to today’s pop quiz question. In this Super Bowl, the Cowboys recovered an onside kick. In the next Super Bowl played between the Steelers and Cowboys, the Steelers recovered an onside kick on a bold move by Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher. The Steelers nearly pulled out that game, and if they would have, Cowher would have gotten all the credit. But that’s another game for another time.

               Your homework today is to get this book: The Ones Who Hit the Hardest: The Steelers, the Cowboys, The ‘70s, and the Fight for America’s Soul by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne. I think the title of the book speaks for itself; this book is all you need to learn about Super Bowls X and XIII. You can find it on Amazon here:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ones-Who-Hit-Hardest-Steelers/dp/1592405762/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+ones+who+hit+the+hardest&qid=1618251023&sr=8-1

               That’s all we have for this week’s podcast. In two weeks, we will get to find out if the Steelers can win a fourth Super Bowl in six seasons. But they won’t be taking on the Cowboys this time around!...