This Cowboys SB that had the most HOFers in it of any SB game ever

MichaelValentino

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Roger Staubach often said that it was also partly his own fault- Jackie Smith was so wide open Roger didn’t throw it as hard as he normally would have and slightly under threw Smith. Still should have been caught.

It was a beautifully executed play. Lambert blitzed and Scott Laidlaw stuck him and stood him up in his tracks. Staubach took something off the pass, but come on, nobody and I mean, nobody, in gold and black would have dropped that ball that night. Smith has to bring that in. Jay Saldi was injured during the season, or he'd have run that route and I'm sure would have brought it in.

If I recall correctly, on the previous play, Billy Joe DuPree blew up a Steelers DB (Donnie Shell, I think) and hit him so hard he knocked him into Dorsett - preventing a walk-in touchdown. It truly was an ugly and most unfortunate game - and it stands out as the most painful sports memory of my lifetime, a game I'll never get over.
 

tyke1doe

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Tyke, you're singing my tune.

On the first possession, the Cowboys handed off to Dorsett three times, who gained 37 yards. Donnie Shell made an ankle tackle that saved a long touchdown. Then Landry called the ill-fated double reverse. The Dallas O-line was blowing Pittsburgh off the ball. Even Rafferty was winning his battle vs. Joe Greene on that first drive, and Lambert was being neutralized by Fitzgerald.

Landry should have handed off to Dorsett 25 times and thrown to him more than the five times they did. And why have Newhouse run eight times (for 3 yards)? Those were eight carries Dorsett could have had. Easily the fastest player on the field, and a tough inside runner, TD should have been the focal point from the opening gun.

Randy White broke his thumb in the NFCCG on Pat Haden's helmet, and with that huge cast was at a disadvantage going up against Sam Davis and Mike Webster. Having him on the kick coverage team? I don't get it.

I love and respect Coach Landry, but it's true that Pittsburgh had Dallas's number in the 70s. I think there was a mental advantage that Steelers took into those games. I've wondered how those teams would have done, especially the 78 teams, if Johnson was coaching them.

Benny Barnes, not Blades. The 78 Cowboys were solid everywhere but corner. Barnes and Aaron Kyle were mediocre DBs. The 77 Cowboys had Mel Renfro and that D was more dominant than the 78 team.


I love and respect Coach Landry, but it's true that Pittsburgh had Dallas's number in the 70s. I think there was a mental advantage that Steelers took into those games. I've wondered how those teams would have done, especially the 78 teams, if Johnson was coaching them. :hammer:

(My thoughts EXACTLY! I don't think a coach the caliber of Johnson would have let the Cowboys lose. Love me some Landry (Glad I had a chance to interview him before he died), but he wasn't a go-for-the-jugular type of coach like Johnson.

Thanks for the correction on Benny BARNES. You can't tell I'm still mad at that bogus call.
 

MichaelValentino

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I have said this before, but the 70s were the best era of football.

You had six teams that could win the SB, Dallas, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh, or Oakland.

If you look at the rosters of these teams you will see that they are stacked with HOFers and the near HOFers of players. These six teams were led by the best of the best Landry, Grant, Knox, Shula, Noll, and Madden.

There is always this question about Dallas only winning 2 SBs during this time. But the answer is the competition. To win a championship each of these teams would have to usually win three games against this field. Pittsburgh won four only because it beat Dallas twice or the numbers would be reversed.

When today's posters talk about the 90s team I laugh. Imagine the 90s teams having to play a team of San Francisco's caliber(the only team on Dallas's level) for three games for a decade to win a championship.

You will never, ever have that amount of great teams for such a period of time. That is why it will always be the best era of football.

I agree. The 70s were special, and there was great competition. Dallas had to get past outstanding defensive teams (Vikings and Rams) to advance to the SB where twice they faced the great Steelers defensive teams as well as Denver's Orange Crush. And the 70 Colts and 71 Dolphins were no slouches defensively. Those were all hard fought playoffs.

The 92-95 Cowboys faced outstanding SF teams three years in a row, and a good team in Buffalo in the SB, But the 70s had more teams that were legitimate SB threats year in and year out than the 90s.
 

tyke1doe

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I agree. The 70s were special, and there was great competition. Dallas had to get past outstanding defensive teams (Vikings and Rams) to advance to the SB where twice they faced the great Steelers defensive teams as well as Denver's Orange Crush. And the 70 Colts and 71 Dolphins were no slouches defensively. Those were all hard fought playoffs.

The 92-95 Cowboys faced outstanding SF teams three years in a row, and a good team in Buffalo in the SB, But the 70s had more teams that were legitimate SB threats year in and year out than the 90s.

Green Bay and Philadelphia of the 90s weren't slouches either. ;)
 

MichaelValentino

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Green Bay and Philadelphia of the 90s weren't slouches either. ;)

I was going to say that but somehow it slipped my mind.

I do believe that 92 team would have beat any of the 70s Steelers teams - of which the 78 team was the best overall.

For us, SB XIII was the most devastating loss in Cowboys history — more than the Ice Bowl or the NFCCG losses to SF in 81 and 94. For Steelers fans, it’s seen as the greatest win in their history, the crown jewel of their greatest era.
 

mrmojo

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The Cowboys just didnt have the corners to stay with Stallworth, his 75 yard TD in 2nd qtr should have been a 15 yard pass, ugh Aaron Kyle. We had just scored a defensive TD and that just shifted the momentum.
 

Red Dragon

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Green Bay and Philadelphia of the 90s weren't slouches either. ;)

Yes, but the 1970s was even more intense. There was a three-way rivalry in the NFC of Cowboys-Vikings-Rams, with the trio regularly battling for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. And then the winner would go face Pittsburgh and its docile ref lapdogs.
 

Red Dragon

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I love and respect Coach Landry, but it's true that Pittsburgh had Dallas's number in the 70s. I think there was a mental advantage that Steelers took into those games.

It was an unusual rivalry of streaks.

The Cowboys beat the Steelers 7 times in a row from 1965-1972.

Then the Steelers beat the Cowboys 5 times in a row from 1975-1982 (including those two abominable Super Bowls.)
 

Bobhaze

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The Cowboys just didnt have the corners to stay with Stallworth, his 75 yard TD in 2nd qtr should have been a 15 yard pass, ugh Aaron Kyle. We had just scored a defensive TD and that just shifted the momentum.
You’re right, but I can’t think of any team who had corners that could deal with those receivers. Stallworth and Swann were top shelf.
 

Skybox22

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Staubach was being classy as he always was. That ball was on the mark. Smith just blew it.
But we REALLY lost that game on strategy. The game plan should have centered around Tony Dorsett. The Steelers later said if we would have fed him the ball, they wouldn't have been able to stop him.
Also, whose bright idea was it to put Randy White with a cast on his hand on special teams.
And I won't mention the Bennie Blades phantom pass interference. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Bennie Blades? Geez
 

Skybox22

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It was an unusual rivalry of streaks.

The Cowboys beat the Steelers 7 times in a row from 1965-1972.

Then the Steelers beat the Cowboys 5 times in a row from 1975-1982 (including those two abominable Super Bowls.)
And Dallas has won the last what, last 4 or 5. I can't remember the last time Pitt beat Dallas. Has Ben defeated Dallas?
 

Red Dragon

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And Dallas has won the last what, last 4 or 5. I can't remember the last time Pitt beat Dallas. Has Ben defeated Dallas?

Pittsburgh last beat Dallas in 2008 (Roethlisberger was their quarterback for that one, yes). But the two teams don't play often, due to being in difference conferences - only once every four years.

Dallas won in 2012 and 2016.
 

plasticman

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I hate the Steelers. I hate every team that won a Super Bowl by 7 points or less.

What does that prove, that they were clearly dominant? No. It proves they were lucky,that's all. When a team loses by 3 or 4 points, which Dallas did in every case, there is always that one single play you can point to as a difference maker. The Steelers were one play better that day and it was a 15 year Cardinal that allowed it.

That was Super Bowl 13. Super Bowl Bowl 10? No way Benny Barnes interfered with Lynn Swan, it was the other way around. Swan flat ran over Benny Barnes.

Anyway, as far as the Hall of Fame, Steelers over represented, Cowboys underrepresented, nothing new there.

Cowboys that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame:

Chuck Howley

Cornell Green

Drew Pearson

Lee Roy Jordan

Harvey Banks Martin

Chuck Howley could have arguably been the MVP for Super Bowl 6 as well as Super Bowl 5. Cornell Green, a perennial pro Bowler atsat CB and then they switched him to safety and he continued to make the Pro Bowl, 5 time pro Bowl, 3 time 1st team All Pro. Drew Pearson, period. Lee Roy Jordan, the MLB and leader of one of the most dominant defenses in history. If they kept records at the time then Harvey Martin would have been the historic sack leader, he was chaos embodied.

The Steelers........until the creation of the New Orleans Saints, the Steelers were the ones that got slapped around for 4 decades like an unwanted stepchild. Their run in the 70's was just the Law of averages catching up. It literally took 40 years for them to record their first double digit winning season.
 

Bobhaze

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I hate the Steelers. I hate every team that won a Super Bowl by 7 points or less.

What does that prove, that they were clearly dominant? No. It proves they were lucky,that's all. When a team loses by 3 or 4 points, which Dallas did in every case, there is always that one single play you can point to as a difference maker. The Steelers were one play better that day and it was a 15 year Cardinal that allowed it.

That was Super Bowl 13. Super Bowl Bowl 10? No way Benny Barnes interfered with Lynn Swan, it was the other way around. Swan flat ran over Benny Barnes.

Anyway, as far as the Hall of Fame, Steelers over represented, Cowboys underrepresented, nothing new there.

Cowboys that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame:

Chuck Howley

Cornell Green

Drew Pearson

Lee Roy Jordan

Harvey Banks Martin

Chuck Howley could have arguably been the MVP for Super Bowl 6 as well as Super Bowl 5. Cornell Green, a perennial pro Bowler atsat CB and then they switched him to safety and he continued to make the Pro Bowl, 5 time pro Bowl, 3 time 1st team All Pro. Drew Pearson, period. Lee Roy Jordan, the MLB and leader of one of the most dominant defenses in history. If they kept records at the time then Harvey Martin would have been the historic sack leader, he was chaos embodied.

The Steelers........until the creation of the New Orleans Saints, the Steelers were the ones that got slapped around for 4 decades like an unwanted stepchild. Their run in the 70's was just the Law of averages catching up. It literally took 40 years for them to record their first double digit winning season.
The HOF snubs of Pearson, Green and Howley are particularly frustrating. Pearson is THE ONLY member of the ALL 70s decade team not in the Hall. Green and Howley weren’t just Pro Bowlers. They were multiple time ALL PROs.

When I think of Harvey Martin, I always think of what could have been. Had he not fallen into drug addiction and personal problems, he would have made the Hall.

Those Cowboys of the 70s- early 80s were so dominant, it’s hard for many of our younger fans to even imagine what it felt like to be in 10 NFC championship games over 13 seasons. Today, making the watered down playoffs seems like an accomplishment.
 
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