NFLN Program Alert: SB XIII Dallas vs Pitt replay

[SoCalCowboyFan]

I still haven't forgiven Jackie Smith for that drop. The guy broke a 9 y.o. boys heart (me) I still believe to this day if he would've caught that ball the outcome of that game would be different. And yes I tortured myself by staying up till 2:00 am PST to watch the whole thing again.

 

[halcyon]

I watched the game and could not help but notice, how much faster and athletic the lines on both teams were. If I am not wrong, I saw no lineman weighing above 260. I also noticed that from a technical point of view, the players on both lines had better technique than we see currently.

 

[lurkercowboy]

Did anyone record it who can get me a copy?

My freaking girlfriend canceled my recording for the later reair and I am pissed.

I know it ends badly, but I want every game from the '70s team that I can get.

Watching some of this game earlier makes me sick to see what the NFL is today. I love all the pre-snap shifts that make the defense actually have to think for second.

I also forget how much speed was out there on the field...I am just too used to people saying that today's athletes are faster and I honestly don't see it at all.

I watched some of the game last night (I couldn't stand to watch the whole thing) and I saw some serious speed out there. All over the field. Dorsett was an amazingly fast and fluid runner. Much better line play.

One thing that struck me also was the lack of graphics. I remember those days of course but it was still strange not to see the score, time, down and distance on every play. As fans we had to keep track of the game carefully to know those things.

The Cowboys pre-snap motions reminded me of Detroit this year.

 

[Bull Frog]

I still haven't forgiven Jackie Smith for that drop. The guy broke a 9 y.o. boys heart (me) I still believe to this day if he would've caught that ball the outcome of that game would be different. And yes I tortured myself by staying up till 2:00 am PST to watch the whole thing again.

The biggest blunder was the Manster trying to run a squib kick then fumbling. Two TD's in 11 seconds was the killer. I was 10 years old and the time and I loved Preston Pearson. Now I remember why. He played with an attitude.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I watched this and it made me sick all over again.

Missed opportunities and mistakes cost us a Lombardi Trophy. People look back at the '70s Steelers and act as if they were unbeatable. I looked at that game as a heavyweight fight in which both teams fought for 15 rounds and the Steelers came away with a split decision.

We were as physical as the Steelers and we put some serious hurt on their star players. Bradshaw got roughed up all day and Scott Laidlaw made Jack Lambert cry like a little girl with that punishing block he put on him when he tried to blitz on the Jackie Smith dropped TD.

It's like anything else though, to the victor goes all the spoils so years later the Steelers have most of the HOF players and the '70s Cowboys are viewed as good but not legendary.

 

[lurkercowboy]

I watched this and it made me sick all over again.

Missed opportunities and mistakes cost us a Lombardi Trophy. People look back at the '70s Steelers and act as if they were unbeatable. I looked at that game as a heavyweight fight in which both teams fought for 15 rounds and the Steelers came away with a split decision.

We were as physical as the Steelers and we put some serious hurt on their star players. Bradshaw got roughed up all day and Scott Laidlaw made Jack Lambert cry like a little girl with that punishing block he put on him when he tried to blitz on the Jackie Smith dropped TD.

It's like anything else though, to the victor goes all the spoils so years later the Steelers have most of the HOF players and the '70s Cowboys are viewed as good but not legendary.

Yeah, all anyone has to do is watch that game and they will see how evenly matched those teams were. It was a great game.

 

[Tricericon]

Yeah, all anyone has to do is watch that game and they will see how evenly matched those teams were. It was a great game.

I never got to see the 70's teams play, but looking at the records, schedules, and MoV it looks like '78 was the best team Pittsburgh ever fielded and less than the best year for Landry's Cowboys, compared to '77, '71 & '76 (What happened to kill our offense at the end of '76?). Since we played to a draw in '78, does that mean I can officially declare the 70s Cowboys were better than the 70s Steelers?

 

[chargrove]

My gawd, I watched much of this game last night and was in AWE of just how ferocious both of these teams were. They were TOTALLY GOING AFTER EACH OTHER on both sides of the ball. They were all playing with fire and energy...it literally was crackling all around them.

Is it just me, or do we not see players in this day and age with that kind of pride and ferocity?

I do not think so...sadly, now it's just about the money and the next contract.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yeah, all anyone has to do is watch that game and they will see how evenly matched those teams were. It was a great game.

Actually, imo, the difference was Bradshaw. In January, '79 Staubach was getting old and was under a relentless rush all day. Bradshaw was so big and had such a strong arm that he made throws that only guys like him, Elway and Favre could make.

Landry shackled Staubach to the point that he had only a dozen or so attempts as late as the end of the 3rd quarter, but Staubach battled and battled all the way until the end and almost pulled it out.

 

[Viper]

I never got to see the 70's teams play, but looking at the records, schedules, and MoV it looks like '78 was the best team Pittsburgh ever fielded and less than the best year for Landry's Cowboys, compared to '77, '71 & '76 (What happened to kill our offense at the end of '76?). Since we played to a draw in '78, does that mean I can officially declare the 70s Cowboys were better than the 70s Steelers?

No, as much as it pains me. The 70's steelers was a better team. They were the one team that had our number. They beat us everytime we met, reg season and post season. The year we went and won the superbowl, we lost two games all year, one loss was to the steelers.

75
Pitt-21
Dal-17
77
Pitt-28
Dal-13
78
Pitt-35
Dal-31
79
Pitt-14
Dal-3

 

[brucem78]

I'll still probably yell at the stupid refs.

One put a pretty good block to spring Franco Harris for his TD run...then another made a crappy PI against Benny Barnes.

What about the bogus personal foul call against Billy Joe Dupree on Mel Blount. I still don't understand that one. What, you're not aloud to put a hard hit on a DB after an INT? Gimme a break. That 15 yards really helped set up their last TD before the half.:bang2:

 

[kingwhicker]

I watched that mess again on NFL Network- good Lord, and we thought the refs were bad in XL. That first Stallworth TD would be overturned today he only had one foot in. Then they threw a flag on Dupree for tackling Mel Blount too hard after an interception. And the Stealer punk safeties were all up in our players faces and smacking them around after plays and the refs just looked at them (not as bad as Super Bowl X, where they criminally and sexually assaulted our receivers and backs). Then, the satan Fred Swearingen, the Stealers favorite Immaculate Reception ref throwing that TOTALLY bogus PI flag on Benny Barnes who was tripped from behind by golden boy Swann!!! Jeez, what a cluster game. :steelers: :steelers: :steelers: :bang2:

 

[mmillman]

I am not sure, but I also seem to remember that Pittsburgh was among the most penalized that year and didn't get one penalty that game.

 

[kingwhicker]

I am not sure, but I also seem to remember that Pittsburgh was among the most penalized that year and didn't get one penalty that game.

That was the debacle in Super Bowl X- good Lord- they nearly killed Golden Richards and that no class Lambert vampire punched Preston Pearson right in the crotch in full view of the world! That and the thug threw Cliff Harris to the ground right in front of the ref!

 

[ilovejerry]

I dont care what anyine says I will go down to my dying day "we were the better team and we lost " we didnt get beaten we could have run on them all day long I shouldnt have watched it again, Poor Harvey Martin wouldnt talk about this loss, He knew He knew!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AdamJT13]

I am not sure, but I also seem to remember that Pittsburgh was among the most penalized that year and didn't get one penalty that game.

The Steelers had five penalties for 35 yards in that game. We had nine for 89. (It was Super Bowl X when the Steelers had no penalties.)

Watching the replay of that game, I could just imagine the comments if this message board had existed back then. It just goes to show that even the greatest Hall of Famers (and near-Hall of Famers) looked terrible and did dumb things sometimes.

 

[kingwhicker]

(What happened to kill our offense at the end of '76?)

Staubach messed his thumb or hand up pretty badly, I think.