With the kickoff of Super Bowl LVIII set for tomorrow we conclude our recap of the eight Super Bowl games played by the Dallas Cowboys.
It would be the second time Dallas would face a previous opponent in the Super Bowl. And the third time overall for the Cowboys to play Pittsburgh for the title.
It was the first time the same two teams met in a third Super Bowl showdown.
The first two contests had gone to the Steelers – Super Bowl X and XIII – and both had been four-point losses.
But this time around, the teams would battle for the Lombardi trophy at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on January 28, 1996.
The first two meetings in the 1970s had taken place at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
The Cowboys (14-4) were a team embroiled in turmoil. Following their win in Super Bowl XXVIII, head coach Jimmy Johnson was shown the door.
Barry Switzer had taken over for the 1994 season and Dallas promptly lost to the 49ers in that year’s conference championship game.
In 1995 they rebounded and dispatched the Packers in the NFC title game to advance to the teams’ eighth Super Bowl in 26 seasons.
The Steelers (13-5) had just barely escaped with the AFC crown with a last-minute win over the Colts two weeks earlier.
Cowboys Jump Out Early
Dallas looked like a team that had recently played in – and won – championship games.
A Chris Boniol 42 yard field goal and a Troy Aikman three-yard pass to Jay Novacek put the Cowboys up 10-0 with six minutes to play in the opening quarter.
The Steelers were playing in their first Super Bowl since beating the Rams, 31-19, in Super Bowl XIV. They looked like an inexperienced team.
Pittsburgh punted the ball on its first three possessions.
Boniol’s 35 yard field goal gave Dallas a 13-0 lead with less than seven minutes left in the first half.
Pittsburgh Rallies Back
With 3:52 left, Neil O’Donnell drove the Steelers 54 yards – despite losing 21 yards on two sacks. His six-yard pass to Yancey Thigpen with 17 seconds left made it a 13-7 Dallas lead.
The teams exchanged punts to open the second half before Larry Brown picked off O’Donnell and returned it to the Steelers’ 18.
Aikman hit Michael Irvin on a 17-yard pass. Emmitt Smith made it a 20-7 lead with a one-yard run with seven minutes left in the third quarter.
The Steelers made it 20-10 with just under 12 minutes to play on a 46 yard field goal by Norm Johnson.
Less than a minute later, they got the ball back and drove 52 yards on nine plays.
Bam Morris punched it in from a yard out to cap the drive. The Cowboys lead was down to 20-17 with 6:36 to play.
Were the Steelers about to beat the Cowboys for a third time in heartbreaking fashion?
Brown Slams The Door Shut
After another Cowboys’ possession ended in a John Jett punt, Pittsburgh took over at its own 32. O’Donnell’s first pass of the drive fell incomplete.
His second pass hit Brown right between the 2 and the 4 in his uniform.
Brown returned the gift to the Steelers’ six. Two plays later, Smith scored from four yards out to give the Cowboys a 27-17 lead with 3:43 to play.
The Steelers next drive died at the Cowboys’ 40 with 1:47 to play. Dallas ran the clock down to 15 seconds before punting.
In a fitting finale, O’Donnell’s final pass was picked off by Brock Marion.
The Cowboys had won Super Bowl XXX 27-17 and managed to give the Cowboys’ teams of the 1970s a small measure of revenge.
The Final Numbers
Brown was named Super Bowl MVP almost by default.
Aikman would go 15-for-23 for 209 yards and the one touchdown. Smith would have 49 yards on 18 carries with his two touchdowns.
Irvin led the receivers with 76 yards on five catches and Novacek would finish with 50 yards on five receptions.
Deion Sanders did not have an interception, but he did manage a 47-yard catch on offense.
O’Donnell ended the game 29-of-49 for 239 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He was also sacked four times.
Morris had 73 yards on 19 carries with his touchdown. Andre Hastings had 98 yards on 10 catches.
The victory improved Dallas’ Super Bowl record to 5-3 overall.
They are currently tied with the Steelers, Denver and San Francisco for second in all-time Super Bowl appearance at eight games. New England has played in 11 Super Bowls.
At five wins, they are tied for third with the 49ers in all-time wins.
The Steelers and Patriots have six each.
Cowboys Starters
Player Pos
Offense
- Troy Aikman QB
- Emmitt Smith RB
- Daryl Johnston FB
- Kevin Williams WR
- Michael Irvin WR
- Jay Novacek TE
- Mark Tuinei LT
- Nate Newton LG
- Derek Kennard C
- Larry Allen RG
- Erik Williams RT
Defense
- Tony Tolbert LDE
- Russell Maryland LDT
- Leon Lett RDT
- Charles Haley RDE
- Dixon Edwards LLB
- Robert Jones MLB
- Darrin Smith RLB
- Deion Sanders LCB
- Larry Brown RCB
- Darren Woodson SS
- Brock Marion FS
Special Teams
- Chris Boniol PK
- John Jett P