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SAN ANTONIO – Plenty of pundits are touting the Seahawks’ 43-8 drubbing of the Broncos as one of the greatest defensive performances in Super Bowl history.
And they are absolutely correct, but what bothers me is that so many experts in listing the greatest defensive performances in Super Bowl history are forgetting about the Cowboys’ 24-3 pounding of the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI on Jan. 16, 1972.
An example: “I can remember,” wrote Peter King, “only three defensive performances that compare: the Bears’ stifling 46-10 rout of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, Baltimore’s 34-7 beat down of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, and the Giants shocking New England—at that point the highest-scoring team in any single season—17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.”
Those were great defensive performances, no doubt, but a case can be made that Dallas’ dismantling of Miami ranks right up there.
For starters, it’s the only Super Bowl in which a team has been held to just a field goal. The Cowboys’ “Doomsday Defense” limited the Dolphins to just 10 first downs and 185 total yards after Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield & Co. finished the season ranked fourth in the NFL in total offense (315.1 yards per game).
Csonka rushed for more than 1,000 yards during the regular season while averaging a league-best 5.4 yards per carry, but he managed just 40 yards on nine carries against Dallas. Griese led the NFL in passer rating (90.9) in the regular season and was a first-team All-Pro after throwing for 2,089 yards, 19 touchdowns and just nine interceptions, but he managed just 134 yards through the air against the Cowboys.
Dallas forced three turnovers, including two that resulted in points. In the first quarter, Csonka fumbled for the first time that season. Linebacker Chuck Howley recovered, and the Dallas went on to kick a field goal. Howley’s 41-yard interception return in the fourth quarter resulted in a TD.
But the most memorable defensive play was Bob “Mr. Cowboy” Lilly’s 29-yard sack of Griese in the first quarter.
“It was a big play because it made a statement,” the future Hall of Famer said after the game. “They were going to lose.”
And so they did. It was the first of five Super Bowl wins for the Cowboys, and it was the “Doomsday Defense” that paved the way.
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And they are absolutely correct, but what bothers me is that so many experts in listing the greatest defensive performances in Super Bowl history are forgetting about the Cowboys’ 24-3 pounding of the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI on Jan. 16, 1972.
An example: “I can remember,” wrote Peter King, “only three defensive performances that compare: the Bears’ stifling 46-10 rout of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, Baltimore’s 34-7 beat down of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, and the Giants shocking New England—at that point the highest-scoring team in any single season—17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.”
Those were great defensive performances, no doubt, but a case can be made that Dallas’ dismantling of Miami ranks right up there.
For starters, it’s the only Super Bowl in which a team has been held to just a field goal. The Cowboys’ “Doomsday Defense” limited the Dolphins to just 10 first downs and 185 total yards after Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield & Co. finished the season ranked fourth in the NFL in total offense (315.1 yards per game).
Csonka rushed for more than 1,000 yards during the regular season while averaging a league-best 5.4 yards per carry, but he managed just 40 yards on nine carries against Dallas. Griese led the NFL in passer rating (90.9) in the regular season and was a first-team All-Pro after throwing for 2,089 yards, 19 touchdowns and just nine interceptions, but he managed just 134 yards through the air against the Cowboys.
Dallas forced three turnovers, including two that resulted in points. In the first quarter, Csonka fumbled for the first time that season. Linebacker Chuck Howley recovered, and the Dallas went on to kick a field goal. Howley’s 41-yard interception return in the fourth quarter resulted in a TD.
But the most memorable defensive play was Bob “Mr. Cowboy” Lilly’s 29-yard sack of Griese in the first quarter.
“It was a big play because it made a statement,” the future Hall of Famer said after the game. “They were going to lose.”
And so they did. It was the first of five Super Bowl wins for the Cowboys, and it was the “Doomsday Defense” that paved the way.
Continue reading...