Steelers denied Cowboys’ championship defense bid in Super Bowl XIII

With Super Bowl LVIII now just four days away, we continue our look back at the Dallas Cowboys’ eight Super Bowl appearances.

Today we focus on Super Bowl XIII. Played on Jan. 21, 1979, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, it would be the first time the same two teams met in a Super Bowl.

The last time the Cowboys had faced the Steelers for the championship had been three years earlier.

In that game, Super Bowl X, the Steelers were the defending champions. The Cowboys would fail to deny Pittsburgh back-to-back titles.

In Super Bowl XIII, the Cowboys (13-5) entered as the defending champions, looking to defend their crown and avenge the earlier loss to the Steelers (16-2).

Their first meeting – also at the Orange Bowl — had been a defensive battle. This time around the offenses would put on a show.

An Ominous Beginning

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and drove 38 yards in six plays. But a Drew Pearson fumble turned the ball over.

The Steelers pounced on the opening as Terry Bradshaw capped a seven-play, 53-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth.

Down 7-0 just five minutes into the game, Dallas again drove into Steelers’ territory. But Roger Staubach was sacked on back-to-back plays and the Cowboys punted.

Dallas Gets Defensive

D.D. Lewis got the ball back for the Cowboys five plays later, intercepting a Bradshaw pass, only to see the offense punt the ball back three plays later.

Ed “Too Tall” Jones recovered a Bradshaw fumble just three plays later, setting Dallas up at the Steelers’ 41.

On third down, as the first quarter ended, Staubach hit Tony Hill for a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game, 7-7.

The Cowboys’ defense then put Dallas up 14-7 less than three minutes later. Bradshaw was sacked and fumbled the ball at his own 39.

Mike Hegman scooped up the ball and raced for the endzone for the score.

Bradshaw answered right back just three plays later, hitting Stallworth again, this time for a 75-yard, game-tying score with 10:53 left in the half.

Another Crucial Turnover

The Cowboys were forced to punt after a three-and-out. Roy Gerela missed a 51-yard field goal three minutes later.

The Cowboys looked to be driving for another score when Staubach was intercepted by Mel Blount with 1:52 left in the half.

Bradshaw moved the Steelers downfield and hit Rocky Bleier for a seven-yard score with 26 seconds left and a 21-14 halftime lead.

Both defenses throttled the opposing offenses for most of the third quarter, with the exception of one Cowboys drive.

The conclusion of that drive has haunted one player – a future Hall of Famer playing in his last NFL game that night – ever since.

The Drop

Jackie Smith had been a tight end for the St. Louis Cardinals for 15 seasons. In 1978, he joined the Cowboys looking for that elusive Super Bowl ring.

With 7:31 remaining in the third quarter, the Cowboys began a nine-play, 32-yard drive that got them to the Steelers’ 10 with 2:41 left.

Staubach dropped back and found a wide-open Smith in the end zone.

Smith dropped to the ground to catch the low pass, sliding on his backside, but with both hands in front of him as the ball approached.

Somehow, the ball went through his hands, hit him in the chest, and bounced away to hit the turf. Rafael Septien would convert a 27-yard field goal on the next play.

The pass could have been higher, but it was still catchable. And no one anywhere else on the planet felt worse about it than Smith.

Another Killer Turnover

Franco Harris would run for a 22-yard touchdown with 7:47 left in the game for a 28-17 Steelers lead.

Gerela’s ensuing kickoff was only 41 yards and Randy White tried to handle it. He wound up fumbling the ball away to the Steelers.

On the next play, Bradshaw hit Lynn Swann for an 18-yard score and a 35-17 lead with 6:51 to play.

The Cowboys rallied for 14 points in just 6:31 of game time. Staubach hit Billy Joe DuPree for a seven-yard score with 2:59 left.

Septien then pulled off an onside kick. Nine plays later Staubach hit Butch Johnson for a four-yard score to cut the lead to 35-31 with 26 seconds to play.

But the Cowboys ran out of time and miracles as Septien’s next onside kick was recovered by the Steelers.

Pittsburgh held on to win, 35-31, defeating Dallas for the second time in a Super Bowl.

The Final Numbers

It was the third time the Cowboys had played in a Super Bowl in the Orange Bowl. They lost all three games.

Dallas’ two Super Bowl wins in the 1970s both came in New Orleans.

The first (Super Bowl VI) was at Tulane Stadium and the other (Super Bowl XII) was at the Superdome for the first-ever indoor Super Bowl.

Staubach finished 17-of-30 for 228 yards with three touchdowns and and interceptions. He ran four times for 37 yards and was sacked five times.

Tony Dorsett had 96 yards on 16 carries and another 44 yards on five receptions.

Drew Pearson had 73 yards on four catches.

But Dallas’ three turnovers were all converted into Steelers’ touchdowns. The offense could not over the 21 points it had given away.

Bradshaw also went 17-of-30 but had 318 yards and four touchdowns along with his interception. He was sacked four times.

Harris led the Steelers with 68 yards on 20 carries.

Swann had 124 yards on seven receptions while Stallworth finished with 115 yards on three catches.

Cowboys Starters

Offense

Roger Staubach QB

Tony Dorsett RB

Robert Newhouse FB

Drew Pearson WR

Tony Hill WR

Billy Joe DuPree TE

Pat Donovan LT

Herbert Scott LG

John Fitzgerald C

Tom Rafferty RG

Rayfield Wright RT

Defense

Too Tall Jones LDE

Larry Cole DE

Randy White RDT

Harvey Martin RDE

Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson LLB

Bob Breunig MLB

D.D. Lewis RLB

Benny Barnes LCB

Aaron Kyle RCB

Charlie Waters SS

Cliff Harris FS

Special Teams

Rafael Septien PK

Danny White P