The Cowboys, who made the playoffs as a wild-card team, mounted a late rally after taking over on their own 39 when Pittsburgh gave the ball up on downs with 1:22 left to play. With no timeouts, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach picked up a couple of first downs and moved the Cowboys to the Steelers' 38 yard line. But Staubach's desperation pass was intercepted in the end zone by Glen Edwards as time ran out, and Pittsburgh had made it two in a row. The game saw only two penalties assessed (both against Dallas). |
| First Quarter | ||
| Dallas won the coin toss and elected to receive. | ||
| Dallas (15:00) Gerela kick to D 3, P. Pearson 5 return, handoff to Henderson, Henderson 48 return. | ||
| P 44 | 1–10 | Staubach sacked, loss of 5 (Greenwood), fumbled, Fitzgerald recovered for Dallas at P 49. |
| P 49 | 2–15 | Newhouse 2 run off right tackle (Holmes). |
| P 47 | 3–13 | Staubach pass to P. Pearson overthrown, incomplete. |
| P 47 | 4–13 | Hoopes 40 punt, Edwards 10 return (Breunig). |
| Pittsburgh (13:12) | ||
| P 17 | 1–10 | F. Harris 8 run around left end (Renfro). |
| P 25 | 2–2 | Bleier 8 run left (C. Harris). |
| P 33 | 1–10 | F. Harris 5 run right (Martin). |
| P 38 | 2–5 | F. Harris 4 run off right tackle (Martin). |
| P 42 | 3–1 | F. Harris run right, loss of 2 (Washington). |
| P 40 | 4–3 | Walden back to punt, fumbled snap, recovered, loss of 11 (DuPree). |
| Dallas (10:32) | ||
| P 29 | 1–10 | Staubach 29 pass to D. Pearson middle (catch at P 15), touchdown (10:24). Fritsch kicked extra point. |
| Dallas scoring drive: 29 yards, 1 play, :08. Dallas 7, Pittsburgh 0 | ||
| Pittsburgh (10:24) Fritsch kick to P 6, Blount 27 return (R. White). | ||
| P 33 | 1–10 | F. Harris 7 run around right end (Gregory). |
| P 40 | 2–3 | Bleier 2 run right (Martin). |
| P 42 | 3–1 | F. Harris 5 run left (C. Harris). |
| P 47 | 1–10 | Bleier 5 run off left tackle (Waters). |
| D 48 | 2–5 | Bradshaw 32 pass to Swann deep right side line (C. Harris). |
| D 16 | 1–10 | Bleier 5 run off left tackle (Pugh). |
| D 11 | 2–5 | F. Harris 4 run right (Jordan, Jones). |
| D 7 | 3–1 | Bradshaw 7 pass to Grossman right end zone, touchdown (5:57). Gerela kicked extra point. |
| Pittsburgh scoring drive: 67 yards, 8 plays, 4:27. Dallas 7, Pittsburgh 7 | ||
| Dallas (5:57) Gerela kick to D 11, P. Pearson 24 return (Allen). | ||
| D 35 | 1–10 | Newhouse 8 run around left end (Lambert). |
| D 43 | 2–2 | Dennison 5 run off right tackle (Thomas). |
| D 48 | 1–10 | Staubach 9 pass to Fugett middle (Edwards). |
| P 43 | 2–1 | Newhouse 16 run middle (Thomas). |
| P 27 | 1–10 | Newhouse 5 run right (Greenwood). |
| P 22 | 2–5 | Dennison 4 run left (Holmes). |
| P 18 | 3–1 | Newhouse run off left tackle, no gain (Holmes). |
| P 18 | 4–1 | Dennison 3 run over left tackle (Lambert). |
| P 15 | 1–10 | P. Pearson run right, no gain (Lambert). |
| P 15 | 2–10 | Newhouse 1 run right (Lambert). |
| END OF FIRST QUARTER: Dallas 7, Pittsburgh 7 | ||
| Second Quarter | ||
| P 14 | 3–9 | Dallas penalized 5 for false start. |
| P 19 | 3–14 | Staubach pass to Fugett broken up (Edwards), incomplete. |
| P 19 | 4–14 | Fritsch, 36–yard field goal (14:45). |
| Dallas scoring drive: 46 yards, 11 plays, 6:12. Dallas 10, Pittsburgh 7 | ||
| Pittsburgh (14:45) Fritsch kick to P 13, Blount 19 return (Breunig). | ||
| P 32 | 1–10 | Bradshaw pass to Stallworth overthrown, incomplete. |
| P 32 | 2–10 | Bleier 6 run off right tackle (Henderson). |
| P 38 | 3–4 | Bradshaw 7 run evading pass rush (Renfro). |
| P 45 | 1–10 | F. Harris 11 run off left tackle (Jordan). |
| D 44 | 1–10 | Bradshaw pass to Stallworth, loss of 5 (C. Harris). |
| D 49 | 2–15 | Bradshaw 13 pass to Stallworth left (C. Harris). |
| D 36 | 3–2 | F. Harris run left, no gain (Martin). |
| D 36 | 4–2 | Bradshaw pass to F. Harris broken up (C. Harris), incomplete. |
| Dallas (10:51) | ||
| D 36 | 1–10 | Newhouse 3 run right (Furness). |
| D 39 | 2–7 | Staubach 6 pass to Dennison right (Ham). |
| D 45 | 3–1 | Staubach pass to Newhouse left overthrown, incomplete. |
| D 45 | 4–1 | Hoopes 37 punt, D. Brown 5 return (R. White). |
| Pittsburgh (9:05) | ||
| D 23 | 1–10 | Bleier 2 run over right tackle (Waters). |
| D 25 | 2–8 | Bradshaw pass to Stallworth broken up (Lewis), incomplete. |
| D 25 | 3–8 | Bradshaw sacked, loss of 5 (R. White). |
| D 20 | 4–13 | Walden 32 punt, Richards fair catch. |
| Dallas (8:04) | ||
| D 48 | 1–10 | Staubach 9 pass to P. Pearson left (Ham). |
| P 43 | 2–1 | Staubach recovered own fumble, no gain. |
| P 43 | 3–1 | Staubach 7 pass to P. Pearson left (Edwards). |
| P 36 | 1–10 | Newhouse 2 run left (Wagner). |
| P 34 | 2–8 | Staubach pass to P. Pearson overthrown, incomplete. |
| P 34 | 3–8 | Staubach 14 pass to Young right (Wagner). |
| P 20 | 1–10 | Newhouse run left, loss of 3 (Russell). |
| P 23 | 2–13 | Staubach sacked, loss of 12 (Greenwood). |
| P 35 | 3–25 | Staubach sacked, loss of 10 (D. White). |
| P 45 | 4–35 | Hoopes 39 punt out of bounds at P 6. |
| Pittsburgh (3:47) | ||
| P 6 | 1–10 | Bleier 2 run around left end (Edwards). |
| P 8 | 2–8 | F. Harris 2 run right (Edwards). |
| P 10 | 3–6 | Bradshaw 53 pass to Swann deep right, Swann made juggling catch while falling (Washington). |
| D 37 | 1–10 | Bradshaw pass to Swann deep overthrown, incomplete. Two–Minute Warning. |
| D 37 | 2–10 | Bleier 7 run off right tackle (Lewis). |
| D 30 | 3–3 | F. Harris 4 run right (Lewis, Jordan). |
| D 26 | 1–10 | Bradshaw 7 pass to L. Brown left (Lewis). |
| D 19 | 2–3 | Bleier run at right tackle, no gain (Martin). |
| D 19 | 3–3 | Bradshaw pass to Stallworth broken up (Renfro), incomplete. |
| D 19 | 4–3 | Gerela’s 36–yard field–goal attempt was wide left. |
| Dallas (:22) | ||
| D 20 | 1–10 | Newhouse 5 run off right tackle (Banaszak). |
| END OF SECOND QUARTER: Dallas 10, Pittsburgh 7 | ||
| Third Quarter | ||
| Pittsburgh (15:00) Fritsch kick to P 8, Blount 18 return (Henderson). | ||
| P 26 | 1–10 | F. Harris 3 run right (Jones). |
| P 29 | 2–7 | F. Harris sweep right, loss of 5 (Martin). |
| P 24 | 3–12 | Bradshaw pass to L. Brown broken up (C. Harris), incomplete. |
| P 24 | 4–12 | Walden 34 punt, Richards fair catch. |
| Dallas (13:45) | ||
| D 42 | 1–10 | P. Pearson run left, no gain (Blount). |
| D 42 | 2–10 | Dennison 3 run middle (Holmes). |
| D 45 | 3–7 | Staubach pass to Richards right intercepted at P 40, Thomas 35 return (DuPree). |
| Pittsburgh (12:12) | ||
| D 25 | 1–10 | F. Harris 3 run around left end (Jordan). |
| D 22 | 2–7 | F. Harris 6 run off right tackle (Waters). |
| D 16 | 3–1 | F. Harris 2 run left (Renfro). |
| D 14 | 1–10 | Bradshaw keeper, loss of 2 (Jones). |
| D 16 | 2–12 | Bradshaw pass to Swann end zone overthrown, incomplete. |
| D 16 | 3–12 | Bradshaw pass to Swann broken up (Washinton), incomplete. |
| D 16 | 4–12 | Gerela’s 33–yard field–goal attempt was wide left. |
| Dallas (9:29) | ||
| D 20 | 1–10 | P. Pearson 9 run off right tackle (Lambert). |
| D 29 | 2–1 | Newhouse 2 run off left tackle (Furness). |
| D 31 | 1–10 | Newhouse run left, no gain (Greenwood). |
| D 31 | 2–10 | Newhouse 6 run off left tackle (Lambert). |
| D 37 | 3–4 | Staubach 3 run evading pass rush (Furness). |
| D 40 | 4–1 | Hoopes 45 punt, D. Brown 9 return (Breunig). |
| Pittsburgh (6:15) | ||
| P 24 | 1–10 | F. Harris 3 run off right tackle (Jordan). |
| P 27 | 2–7 | Bradshaw 12 pass to Swann right (Washington). |
| P 39 | 1–10 | Bleier 3 run off right tackle (Edwards). |
| P 42 | 2–7 | F. Harris 6 run right (C. Harris). |
| P 48 | 3–1 | Bradshaw pass to L. Brown broken up (Waters), incomplete. |
| P 48 | 4–1 | Walden 34 punt, Richards fair catch. |
| Dallas (4:06) | ||
| D 18 | 1–10 | Newhouse 6 run right (Ham). |
| D 24 | 2–4 | P. Pearson 3 run off left tackle (Russell). |
| D 27 | 3–1 | Newhouse 2 run off left tackle (Russell). |
| D 29 | 1–10 | P. Pearson 2 run off left tackle (D. White). |
| D 31 | 2–8 | Staubach 8 pass to Newhouse left (Blount). |
| D 39 | 1–10 | Staubach 2 run evading pass rush. Dallas penalized 15 from spot of foul (D 41) for clipping (Newhouse). |
| D 26 | 1–23 | Staubach 6 run evading pass rush (Ham). |
| D 32 | 2–17 | Newhouse 1 run left (Furness, Lambert). |
| D 33 | 3–16 | Staubach 14 pass to P. Pearson left (Blount). |
| END OF THIRD QUARTER: Dallas 10, Pittsburgh 7 | ||
| Fourth Quarter | ||
| D 47 | 4–2 | Hoopes 36 punt. D. Brown no return, fumbled, Thomas recovered for Pittsburgh at P 17. |
| Pittsburgh (14:46) | ||
| P 17 | 1–10 | Bradshaw 26 pass to F. Harris right sideline. |
| P 43 | 1–10 | Bradshaw pass to Stallworth overthrown, incomplete. |
| P 43 | 2–10 | Harris run right, loss of 2 (Pugh). |
| P 41 | 3–12 | Bradshaw sacked, loss of 14 (R. White). |
| P 27 | 4–26 | Walden 59 punt, Richards 5 return (Davis). |
| Dallas (13:11) | ||
| D 19 | 1–10 | Staubach received lateral from P. Pearson, sacked, loss of 1 (Furness). |
| D 18 | 2–11 | Dennison 1 run off right tackle (Furness). |
| D 19 | 3–10 | Staubach sacked, loss of 3 (Greenwood). |
| D 16 | 4–13 | Hoopes punt blocked out of end zone by Harrison, safety (11:28). |
| Dallas 10, Pittsburgh 9 | ||
| Pittsburgh (11:28) Hoopes free kick to P 30, Collier 25 return (Breunig). | ||
| D 45 | 1–10 | F. Harris 5 run left (Lewis). |
| D 40 | 2–5 | Bleier 4 run off left tackle (Lewis). |
| D 36 | 3–1 | F. Harris 7 run around left end (C. Harris). |
| D 29 | 1–10 | Bleier 1 run right (Jones). |
| D 28 | 2–9 | Bradshaw 8 keeper right, fumbled out of bounds. |
| D 20 | 3–1 | F. Harris run right, no gain (Jordan, C. Harris). |
| D 20 | 4–1 | Gerela, 36–yard field goal (8:41). |
| Pittsburgh scoring drive: 25 yards, 6 plays, 2:47. Pittsburgh 12, Dallas 10 | ||
| Dallas (8:41) Gerela kick to D 15. P. Pearson recovered own fumble, no return. | ||
| D 15 | 1–10 | Staubach pass to D. Pearson middle intercepted at D 26. Wagner 19 return (Neely). |
| Pittsburgh (8:22) | ||
| D 7 | 1–goal | Bleier 3 run right (Jones). |
| D 4 | 2–goal | Bradshaw 3 keeper middle (Jones, C. Harris). |
| D 1 | 3–goal | F. Harris run left, recovered own fumble, no gain (Jordan). |
| D 1 | 4–goal | Gerela, 18–yard field goal (6:37). |
| Pittsburgh scoring drive: 6 yards, 3 plays, 1:45. Pittsburgh 15, Dallas 10 | ||
| Dallas (6:37) Gerela kick to D 5, P. Pearson 19 return (Shell). | ||
| D 24 | 1–10 | Staubach 4 pass to Newhouse right (Furness). |
| D 28 | 2–6 | Staubach sacked, loss of 9 (Greenwood). |
| D 19 | 3–15 | Staubach 10 pass to Young left (Greenwood). |
| D 29 | 4–5 | Hoopes 48 punt. Edwards 7 return (Barnes). |
| Pittsburgh (4:25) | ||
| P 30 | 1–10 | F. Harris 4 run middle (Pugh). |
| P 34 | 2–6 | F. Harris 2 run off right tackle (Jones, Harris). |
| P 36 | 3–4 | Bradshaw 64 pass to Swann deep middle (catch at D 5), touchdown (3:02). Gerela’s extra–point attempt hit the left upright, no good. |
| Pittsburgh scoring drive: 70 yards, 3 plays, 1:23. Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 10 | ||
| Dallas (3:02) Gerela kick into end zone, touchback. | ||
| D 20 | 1–10 | Staubach 7 pass to Young middle (Russell). |
| D 27 | 2–3 | Staubach 30 pass to D. Pearson deep right (Thomas). |
| P 43 | 1–10 | Staubach 11 pass to P. Pearson left (Russell). |
| P 32 | 1–10 | Staubach sacked, loss of 2 (D. White). Two–Minute Warning. |
| P 34 | 2–12 | Staubach 34 pass to P. Howard left end zone, touchdown (1:48). Fritsch kicked extra point. |
| Dallas scoring drive: 80 yards, 5 plays, 1:14. Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 | ||
| Pittsburgh (1:48) Fritsch onside kick to D 42, covered by Mullins, no return. | ||
| D 42 | 1–10 | F. Harris run left, loss of 2. Dallas–first time out. |
| D 44 | 2–12 | F. Harris 2 run left. Dallas–second time out (1:33). |
| D 42 | 3–10 | Bleier 1 run left. Dallas–third time out (1:28). |
| D 41 | 4–9 | Bleier 2 run off right tackle (Jones). |
| Dallas (1:22) | ||
| D 39 | 1–10 | Staubach 11 keeper left. |
| 50 | 1–10 | Staubach 12 pass to P. Pearson (Kellum). |
| P 38 | 1–10 | Staubach recovered own fumble, pass to D. Pearson overthrown, incomplete. |
| P 38 | 2–10 | Staubach pass to P. Howard right end zone broken up (Lambert), incomplete. |
| P 38 | 3–10 | Staubach pass to D. Pearson deep intercepted 2 yards into end zone. Edwards 35 return to P 33. |
| FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 | ||
| FINAL RECORDS: Pittsburgh 15–2, Dallas 12–5 | ||
SCORING
Dallas 7 3 0 7 -- 17
Pittsburgh 7 0 0 14 -- 21
DAL- D. Pearson 29 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick), 4:36 1st
PIT- Grossman 7 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick), 9:03 1st
DAL- FG Fritsch 36, 0:15 2nd
PIT- safety Harrison blocked Hoopes' punt through the end zone, 3:32 4th
PIT- FG Gerela 36, 6:19 4th
PIT- FG Gerela 18, 8:23 4th
PIT- Swann 64 pass from Bradshaw (kick failed),11:58 4th
DAL- P. Howard 34 pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick), 13:12 4th
TEAM STATISTICS Dal. Pitt.
Total First Downs 14 13
Rushing 6 7
Passing 8 6
Penalty 0 0
Total Net Yardage 270 339
Total Offensive Plays 62 67
Average Gain per Offensive Play 4.4 5.1
Rushes 31 46
Yards Gained Rushing (Net) 108 149
Average Yards per Rush 3.5 3.2
Passes Attempted 24 19
Passes Completed 15 9
Had Intercepted 3 0
Tackled Attempting to Pass 7 2
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass 42 19
Yards Gained Passing (Net) 162 190
Punts 7 4
Average Distance 35.0 39.8
Punt Returns 1 5
Punt Return Yardage 5 31
Kickoff Returns 4 4
Kickoff Return Yardage 96 89
Interception Return Yardage 0 89
Fumbles 4 4
Own Fumbles Recovered 4 4
Opponent Fumbles Recovered 0 0
Penalties 2 0
Yards Penalized 20 0
Total Points Scored 17 21
Touchdowns 2 2
Rushing 0 0
Passing 2 2
Returns 0 0
Extra Points 2 1
Field Goals 1 2
Field Goals Attempted 1 4
Safeties 0 1
Third-Down Efficiency 3/14 8/19
Fourth-Down Efficiency 1/1 0/3
Time of Possession 30:30 29:30
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Dallas No. Yds. LG TD
Newhouse 16 56 16 0
Staubach 5 22 11 0
Dennison 5 16 5 0
P. Pearson 5 14 9 0
Pittsburgh No. Yds. LG TD
Harris 27 82 11 0
Bleier 15 51 8 0
Bradshaw 4 16 8 0
Passing
Dallas Att. Comp. Yds. TD Int.
Staubach 24 15 204 2 3
Pittsburgh Att. Comp. Yds. TD Int.
Bradshaw 19 9 209 2 0
Receiving
Dallas No. Yds. LG TD
P. Pearson 5 53 14 0
Young 3 31 14 0
D. Pearson 2 59 30 1
Newhouse 2 12 8 0
P. Howard 1 34 34t 1
Fugett 1 9 9 0
Dennison 1 6 6 0
Pittsburgh No. Yds. LG TD
Swann 4 161 64t 1
Stallworth 2 8 13 0
Harris 1 26 26 0
L. Brown 1 7 7 0
Grossman 1 7 7t 1
Interceptions
Dallas No. Yds. LG TD
None -- -- -- --
Pittsburgh No. Yds. LG TD
Edwards 1 35 35 0
Thomas 1 35 35 0
Wagner 1 19 19 0
Punting
Dallas No. Avg. LG Blk.
Hoopes 6 40.8 48 1
Pittsburgh No. Avg. LG Blk.
Walden 4 39.8 59 0
Punt Returns
Dallas No. FC Yds. LG TD
Richards 1 3 5 5 0
Pittsburgh No. FC Yds. LG TD
D. Brown 3 0 14 9 0
Edwards 2 0 17 10 0
Kickoff Returns
Dallas No. Yds. LG TD
P. Pearson 4 48 24 0
Henderson 0 48 48 0
Pittsburgh No. Yds. LG TD
Blount 3 64 27 0
Collier 1 25 25 0
Dallas Cowboys Pittsburgh Steelers
== Offense ==
Fitzgerald, John C Mansfield, Ray C
Lawless, Burton G Clack, Jim G
Nye, Blaine G Mullins, Gerry G
Neely, Ralph T Gravelle, Gordon T
Wright, Rayfield T Kolb, Jon T
Fugett, Jean TE Brown, Larry TE
Pearson, Drew WR Stallworth, John WR
Richards, Golden WR Swann, Lynn WR
Newhouse, Robert RB Bleier, Rocky RB
Pearson, Preston RB Harris, Franco RB
Staubach, Roger QB Bradshaw, Terry QB
== Defense ==
Cole, Larry DT Greene, Joe DT
Pugh, Jethro DT Holmes, Ernie DT
Jones, Too Tall DE Greenwood, L. C. DE
Martin, Harvey DE White, Dwight DE
Edwards, Dave OLB Ham, Jack OLB
Lewis, D. D. OLB Russell, Andy OLB
Jordan, Lee Roy MLB Lambert, Jack MLB
Renfro, Mel CB Blount, Mel CB
Washington, Mark CB Thomas, J.T. CB
Harris, Cliff FS Edwards, Glen FS
Waters, Charlie SS Wagner, Mike SS
== Substitute ==
Barnes, Benny Allen, Jimmy
Breunig, Bob Banaszak, John
Capone, Warren Bradley, Ed
Davis, Kyle Brown, Dave
Dennison, Doug Collier, Mike
Donovan, Pat Davis, Samuel
DuPree, Billy Joe Fuqua, John
Fritsch, Toni Furness, Steve
Gregory, Bill Garrett, Reggie
Henderson, Tom Gerela, Roy
Hoopes, Mitch Grossman, Randy
Howard, Percy Hanratty, Terry
Howard, Ron Harrison, Reggie
Hughes, Randy Kellum, Marv
Peterson, Cal Lewis, Frank
Scott, Herbert Reavis, Dave
White, Randy Shell, Donnie
Woolsey, Roland Toews, Loren
Young, Charles Walden, Bobby
Webster, Mike
== Did Not Play ==
Longley, Clint Gilliam, Joe
Walton, Bruce
Winner(Share): $15,000
Loser (Share): $ 7,500
Officials
Referee: Norm Schachter
Umpire: Joe Connell
Head Linesman: Leo Mills
Line Judge: Bill O'Brien
Back Judge: Stan Javie
Field Judge: Jack Fette
Coin Toss:
National Anthem: Tom Sullivan
Halftime Show: Up With People
Notes: - Lynn Swann is named MVP.
- Steelers stop late Dallas rally with an interception in the end
zone on the final play of the game, by Glen Edwards
- Swann sets Super Bowl record with 161 yards on 4 receptions.
The 10th annual Super Bowl, held Jan. 18 in Miami, was won by Pittsburgh 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys. With their victory, the Steelers joined the Green Bay Packers and the Miami Dolphins as the only other teams to win the event twice in a row.
Dallas scored in the first period after getting possession on the Steeler 29 when the Pittsburgh kicker was tackled after fumbling the snap from center. Roger Staubach, the Dallas quarterback, then hit on a touchdown pass but Pittsburgh tied up the game 7-7 after a long scoring drive that featured a 32-yard toss from Quarterback Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann, a wide receiver.
The Cowboys got the lead back on a field goal in the second quarter and were still ahead early in the fourth period 10-9 after one of their punts was blocked and bounced through the end zone for a Pittsburgh safety. The Steelers got two field goals, the second following interception of a Staubach pass, which made it 15-10. Pittsburgh's final score came on a 64-yard pass to Swann, who caught four altogether for 161 yards and was voted the game's outstanding player.
With less than two minutes to go, Staubach threw a touchdown to Percy Howard and reduced the Pittsburgh lead to five points but the Cowboys used all their time-outs in the following series of downs. The Steelers gave up possession with 88 seconds left, after failing on a fourth-down run in Dallas territory. But the Cowboys could not score. The Steelers intercepted a pass in their own end zone as time ran out.
[Copyright 1976 Facts on File, Inc. - Facts on File World News Digest January 24, 1976 - Pg. 56 A1. Actual paper unknown.]
By Pete Axthelm
In last week's Super Bowl, Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw threw the football toward receiver Lynn Swann just as Dallas safety Cliff Harris was hurling himself toward Bradshaw's head. The game was over by the time Bradshaw regained his senses and uttered the first and most memorable of the million or so post-game locker-room questions: "Did he catch the pass?"
Swann had caught it for a touchdown and the Steelers had won the game, 21-17. But in the hours and morning after the most exciting Super Bowl, Bradshaw may not have been the only one who was foggy about the details. Before leaving the world of prevent defenses and muffed punts to rehabilitate ourselves from our seventeen-week trial by pig-skin, true football freaks may want to take a final look at some major forces behind the Steelers' second straight world championship.
Like Bradshaw, the graceful Swann provided a warning of future foes that it is not a good idea to hit a Steeler in the head. After being leveled two weeks earlier by Oakland's George Atkinson, Swann had been hospitalized with a concussion and treated for several days "the way cops check out a drunken driver." In pre-Super Bowl practices he had suffered headaches and dropped passes. Then he merely played the best game any receiver ever managed under such pressure conditions.
Swann's statistics alone - four receptions for a record 161 yards - might have earned him his Most Valuable Player award. But the esthetic beauty of the catches can scarely be measured. Only the game-breaking touchdown pass, a perfect strike from the falling Bradshaw, required slightly less than a miraculous catch. Swann's three other completions included a full-circle pirouette, a midair juggling feat and a sideline jack-knife of the body that turned a certain out-of-bounds incompletion into a key gain.
While the passing attack was finding time to score between concussions, Steeler middle linebacker Jack Lambert was doing his utmost to even up the injury toll. After two years in pro ball, Kent State graduate Lambert stands alone as the successor to former Chicago star Dick Butkus as the most feared and fearsome defender of all. Not only do opponents hesitate invade his area of the field, but teammates stay away from Lambert on the bench, where he can usually be observed twitching, scratching and generally psyching himself toward new levels of lonely rage.
"I like to sit alone to concentrate on what I'm doing," Lambert explains. "The guys don't care. They think I'm a little crazy anyway." Lambert, who once sprained an ankle while leaping about a roadside and terrorizing some teammates who were taking a quiet country hayride, spiced his intimidating effort against Dallas with two near fights, one narrow escape when an official considered throwing him out of the game - and even a fitting answer to the silliest of post-game questions.
"How does this Super Bowl compare with your Tangerine Bowl appearance in college?" he was asked.
"I remember that well," Jack smiled. "A fight broke out then, too."
A year ago Joe Greene loomed as the symbol and spirit of the mighty Steeler defense; last week he was so ineffective that he was benched in the second half. But if the symbol was tarnished, the spirit remained - and told a lot about the kind of people who win championships. After a season of injuries, Greene was well armed with excuses. He didn't use them. "I felt fine physically," he said softly. "But I guess I was our weak link. When Steve Furness went in for me, there was no weak link." But Greene's uncomplaining attitude went beyond the required good-of-the-team utterances. "I've had everything my own way for a long time," he added. "I'll be a better person for this experience.
Critics who berate Steeler coach Chuck Noll about his seemingly strange decision not to punt on a fourth down late in the game are missing a key factor in Pittsburgh's success. Certainly punting would have been the safe, logical thing for a coach to do according to the accepted percentages. But unlike many colleagues, Noll looked beyond the general rules to the special situation: the Cowboys were rushing punts extremely well and probably had a better chance to salvage victory with a blocked kick than with an offensive drive. So Noll exposed himself to second-guessing, turned over the ball to the Dallas offense in good field position - and held his breath until a final Steeler interception proved him right. Only a few coaches might have dared to use Noll's strategy. But then only one coach has won the Super Bowl in the last two years.
The try for three in a row will be fascinating to watch. Two-time winners as powerful as the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins fell short of that goal, and people close to both of those clubs say that the financial demands, distractions and vague restlessness of players who spend two years at the top are all but impossible to overcome. The Steelers don't face the age problem that hurt the Packers, or the World Football League competition that drained the Dolphins. But with expansion drafts for two new clubs, players'- association squabbling and a full off-season schedule of lawsuits facing the National Football League, there should be enough chaos ahead to affect any remotely susceptible athletes.
"They'd better do it again," said roving sports raconteur and Pittsburgh backer Robert Drum. "Some of us around Pittsburgh aren't very bright, and it's taken us about eleven years to learn the words to the chant 'We're Number One.' It would be hell if they take that away from us now."
[Copyright 1976 Newsweek - February 2, 1976, United States Edition by PETE AXTHELM; Pg. 55 - Ed.]
It was a heckuva time for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw to call "69 Maximum Flanker Post."
With 3:02 remaining in Super Bowl X and the Steelers nursing a 15-10 lead, Bradshaw knelt down in the huddle. Facing third-and-four from his own 36-yard line, Bradshaw figured that all 80,197 fans in the Orange Bowl plus a certain eleven Dallas Cowboys expected him to go for the first down. Reasonable. Logical. Prudent.
Instead Bradshaw took the biggest gamble of his six-year NFL career. The play was essentially a "Go" route to his favorite wideout, Lynn Swann, whose play thus far in the contest had been even more graceful than his name.
Swannie, who had suffered a concussion in Pittsburgh's 16-10 AFC Championship Game win over the Oakland Raiders two Sundays earlier, made the decision to play only minutes before kickoff. Already he had made three balletic catches for 97 yards, including a diving 53-yarder at the end of the first half which should be hanging on a museum wall.
Bradshaw rolled the dice. And so did Dallas. Thinking that the Steelers would attempt a short pass, the Cowboys blitzed both linebacker D.D. Lewis and safety Cliff Harris. That decision left rookie cornerback Mark Washington in solo coverage on Swann. Lewis stormed into the Pittsburgh backfield untouched and looked as if he was about to behead Bradshaw when the QB, sensing danger, ducked. The defender sailed harmlessly past.
Righting himself, Bradshaw heaved the pigskin with all of his might as Harris, playing the role of the second blade in one of those Gillette twin blade ads, tattooed Bradshaw directly on his left cheek. Down went Bradshaw. Up went Swann. Outleaping Washington, Swann hauled the pass in on the Dallas five and skipped into the end zone untouched. Seventy yards upfield the man who called the daring play was flat on his back, unconscious.
"I got hit from the blind side, and I heard bells ringing," Bradshaw would say in the locker room in the wake of Pittsburgh's 21-17 victory. "I wanted to go deep all day, and the play was my call all the way. I barely got the ball off."
But he did. What else matters?
Franco Harris (AP Photo) Franco Harris (AP Photo) Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann (88) making a highlight catch over Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mark Washington (46) in the Steelers 21-17 victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl X on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images) Lynn Swann (AP Photo) Lynn Swann (AP Photo) Terry Bradshaw (AP Photo) Pittsburgh Steelers Lynn Swann (88) is lifted into the air by teammate Jack Lambert (58) after Swann caught a touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL., in this Jan. 18, 1976 photo. Reacting on the field are, from left, Jim Clack (50), Reggie Garrett (86), and Mike Collier (44). The Steelers won 21-17. (AP Photo) Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry on the sidelines during Super Bowl X on January 18, 1976 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Steelers beat the Cowboys, 21-17. (Photo by Getty Images) Dallas Cowboys linebacker Thomas Henderson carries on a reverse on the opening kickoff. Teammate Ralph Neely (73) and Pittsburgh's Mike Collier (44) watches him race upfield in the Steelers 21-17 win over the Cowboys in Super Bowl X at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida on January 18, 1976. (Photo by Getty Images) Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach rolls out to pass in the Cowboys 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images) Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (12) with Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Wagner (23) and Jack Lambert (58) looking in. (Photo by Getty Images) Pittsburgh Steelers huddle during Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl on January 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys 21-17. (Photo by Getty Images) Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth (82) with Dallas Cowboys free safety Cliff Harris (43) on the coverage. (Photo by Getty Images) Super Bowl X Pittsburgh Steelers Team Photo (AP Photo) The ring for Super Bowl X was produced by Balfour. Photograph by: Image from 1990 Pro Set Football card
"For the Steelers second straight championship, Rooney worked with Shorrock
to create what is perhaps the most unusual of all the Super Bowl rings to date.
It is 14k yellow gold and features a complex cushion antique shape with
dramatically raised wording. Two 50-point diamonds were set in paladium, a
precious alloy of the platinum family. The paladium was sculpted to display
the Vince Lombardi trophy on the face. The trophy is flanked on both sides by
the diamonds. The shanks are incised in the same manner as the previous year.
The ring weighs 23 pennyweight. On one side is the official seal from
America's bicentennial celebration."
[From the Super Bowl XIV Program, p 41]
Lynn Swann's Touchdown Catch
Super Bowl X Photos
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