Video: Danny White and Jackie Smith in 1977 game

[Skybox22]

Real shame as Smith, along with John Mackey, were the forerunners of the TE as a receiver and Jackie Smith had great hands at St; Louis. That one play, at least for Cowboys fans, shaded his entire career.

The crime is he gets blamed for that loss. That's like the Dez catch/no catch, can't point to that as the reason they lost. Hell, the Cowboys gave up 35 to the Steelers in that game.

But that drop changed momentum completely. Dallas had momentum. After that drop Pitt went nuts and Staubach tried his damnest but not enough. That drop was huge. Pitt was probably better but Dallas could have beaten them if that catch was made.

 

[RS12]

But that drop changed momentum completely. Dallas had momentum. After that drop Pitt went nuts and Staubach tried his damnest but not enough. That drop was huge. Pitt was probably better but Dallas could have beaten them if that catch was made.

The losses to Pittsburgh in the 70s SBs never bothered me much because I always thought they had the better team. The loss in SB 5 to the Colts still passes me off this day. Almost as much as the loss to the Egirls in the 1980 NFCCG.

 

[Flamma]

You know what I find absolutely insane about the playoffs that year? I was 11 years old, just about to turn 12. I remember being in a car listening to the AFC Championship on the radio. Father was driving, mother in the passenger seat. He was a lifelong Steelers fan. What the hell did my mother have us doing? That I don't remember. Why was my father not home watching the game? It's not like he was some panzy, dude was an X inmate! My mother always had him by the testes. There's zero chance I'm listening to the NFC Championship game over the radio if the Cowboys are in it.

 

[fivetwos]

The losses to Pittsburgh in the 70s SBs never bothered me much because I always thought they had the better team. The loss in SB 5 to the Colts still passes me off this day. Almost as much as the loss to the Egirls in the 1980 NFCCG.

I agree with that Pittsburgh thing.

I feel the opposite about the Rams losses in 79 and 83. We were better.

We were equal to or better than PHI, SF and Wash in 80-82, but playing on the road sunk us. Losing the QB in the last one didnt help.

 

[Established1971]

Who the heck was Laidlaw? Must be getting old, because I don't remember him at all. He was pretty good in that game.

he was one of the Dirty Dozen, when the 75 team had 12 rookies and they made the Super Bowl

 

[acr731]

Yep, you're right. The Pittsburgh Super Bowl year when Jackie Smith went from being one of the greatest of all time to that dude who dropped a TD right in his gut.

Its a bit sad that Jackie is still getting bashed for that drop - it was 43 years ago. I would understand still being a little upset about if it cost Dallas the game, but it didn't. The drop came about mid point in the 3rd quarter and Dallas was only down by 1 after the field goal if I remember correctly. The Dallas D kind of stunk that day - that's what really cost them the game. Pitt torched them bad.

 

[CooterBrown]

Thank you for posting that! I was in the Army in Germany at the time and this is the first time I got to watch that gams.

 

[Captain-Crash]

I remember that game too. great memories.

 

[goshann]

Sloppy game. could have easily lost

 

[erod]

But that drop changed momentum completely. Dallas had momentum. After that drop Pitt went nuts and Staubach tried his damnest but not enough. That drop was huge. Pitt was probably better but Dallas could have beaten them if that catch was made.

Pittsburgh was NOT better than Dallas, which is why that game drives those players nuts.

That was the best team Roger every played on. He's said as much, and that game haunts him.