Staubach vs Pittsburgh Steelers

[Captain Late]

I think I remember Roger saying he was stunned that Smith was so wide open. Instead of throwing a bullet, he took something off of the throw to make the catch easier for Smith. When he did that, the ball kinda dipped and was at Smith's knees by the time it got there.

http://img694.*************/img694/6380/001311282.jpg

31 years later,that is still a tough picture to look at.That play was set up right after a timeout and there wasn't a Steeler within 10 yards of Jackie Smith.


"bless his heart,he's got to be the sickest man in America"

 

[Captain Late]

​

And I think the only reason that happened is because Jay Saldi got hurt, otherwise Smith wouldnt have been here.

One could then reason that Jay Saldi lost the Super Bowl for us despite not playing in the game.

Saldi broke his arm early in the 78 season against St.Louis,I think on a special teams play.He had gotten off to a good start as the 2nd TE,catching 2 TDS in the first 4 games.He was a versatile player for that team

 

[Captain Late]

We were better than them in 1978, nothing anyone says will ever change my opinion of that. We lost 1) because it was a pathetically officiated game 2) For one of the few times in his brilliant coaching career, Landry went brain dead. He trotted Randy White out on the kickoff return team, a ball was kicked right to him and yes, he fumbled and 3) and lastly, Jackie Smith sux.

(1)Have to agree with this,the Benny Barnes pass interference call has to go down as one of the worst calls in NFL history,a call so bad the league actually admitted it was wrong after the game.

(2) I think the biggest mistake Coach Landry made in that game was getting away from Dorsett,he was tearing them up,then after they fumbled the Flea Flicker never really gave him enough carries.Having Randy White on the return team with a broken thumb was a huge mistake for sure

(3)Of course everyone blames Jackie Smith's drop,but I really believe the bogus PI call on Benny Barnes was even more of a factor in that game

 

[KJJ]

Roger is such a class guy that he tried taking the blame for Smiths drop putting it on the throw but the ball was there and Smith a Hall Of Fame player should have caught it. That play wasn't the main reason the Cowboys lost that game but the momentum clearly shifted and the game started slipping away after that play. That pass would have tied the game 24 all and having to settle for a FG really deflated the Cowboys. I honestly think the bogus PI call on Benny Barnes was the play that really did in the Cowboys in that SB. Swann was slipping down and elbowed Barnes on the play. The Cowboys stopped the Steelers on third down and the call ended up being a 33 yard penalty that gave Pittsburgh a first down. Franco Harris then proceeded to bust one right up the middle for a 22 yard TD. Years later the NFL admitted they botched that call. Regardless everyone will always remember Super Bowl XIII for Smiths drop. It's amazing a player could have a HOF career and be remembered for only one play but that's the kind of impact the Super Bowl has. Here's the painful memory of that play and the class Staubach showed defending Smith.


[youtube]hbz89jkLq8k[/youtube]

 

[Doomsday101]

We were better than them in 1978, nothing anyone says will ever change my opinion of that. We lost 1) because it was a pathetically officiated game 2) For one of the few times in his brilliant coaching career, Landry went brain dead. He trotted Randy White out on the kickoff return team, a ball was kicked right to him and yes, he fumbled and 3) and lastly, Jackie Smith sux.

You are giving me reason why we lost and the fact is we lost. We may have been better but when it counted we came up short.

 

[Dodger]

We were better than them in 1978...

I've always believed that as well.

 

[burmafrd]

You want to be low if possible in the end zone- anything high is a big risk with so many hands and arms waving around in such a congested area. That was why smith was going to the ground on his back the way he was. It was a smart play by a HOF player. Roger just dumped the ball gently and I can still feel the pain in my gut when it hit his hands and just dribbled away.

 

[bbgun]

Roger is such a class guy that he tried taking the blame for Smiths drop putting it on the throw but the ball was there and Smith a Hall Of Fame player should have caught it. That play wasn't the main reason the Cowboys lost that game but the momentum clearly shifted and the game started slipping away after that play. That pass would have tied the game 24 all and having to settle for a FG really deflated the Cowboys. I honestly think the bogus PI call on Benny Barnes was the play that really did in the Cowboys in that SB. Swann was slipping down and elbowed Barnes on the play. The Cowboys stopped the Steelers on third down and the call ended up being a 33 yard penalty that gave Pittsburgh a first down. Franco Harris then proceeded to bust one right up the middle for a 22 yard TD. Years later the NFL admitted they botched that call. Regardless everyone will always remember Super Bowl XIII for Smiths drop. It's amazing a player could have a HOF career and be remembered for only one play but that's the kind of impact the Super Bowl has. Here's the painful memory of that play and the class Staubach showed defending Smith.


[youtube]hbz89jkLq8k[/youtube]

Still painful, all these years later. I wonder how many fans realize that this guy is a HOFer?

 

[LucaBrasi]

(1)Have to agree with this,the Benny Barnes pass interference call has to go down as one of the worst calls in NFL history,a call so bad the league actually admitted it was wrong after the game.

(2) I think the biggest mistake Coach Landry made in that game was getting away from Dorsett,he was tearing them up,then after they fumbled the Flea Flicker never really gave him enough carries.Having Randy White on the return team with a broken thumb was a huge mistake for sure

(3)Of course everyone blames Jackie Smith's drop,but I really believe the bogus PI call on Benny Barnes was even more of a factor in that game

I agree. Dorsett was moving the ball on the first drive and it seemed they didn't get back to him until the 4th quarter for some unknown reason.

The Benny Barnes PI was a typical bogus call that always goes the rotten, stinking, Steelers way in these Super Bowls. That's a fact.

 

[bbgun]

The Benny Barnes PI was a typical bogus call that always goes the rotten, stinking, Steelers way in these Super Bowls. That's a fact.

too little, too late

http://img97.*************/img97/3787/fffffzm.jpg

 

[28 Joker]

I don't want to say it, but wouldn't this be just grand:


Pittsburgh VS Dallas

SUPER BOWL

In Jerry's Palace


It would be the highest rated TV event in the history of T.V.

 

[dbair1967]

You are giving me reason why we lost and the fact is we lost. We may have been better but when it counted we came up short.

and the refs were a big part of why we came up short, as you say

 

[KJJ]

Still painful, all these years later. I wonder how many fans realize that this guy is a HOFer?

Some probably don't realize it based off of just that one play. Every HOFer out there has botched at least one play unfortunately for Smith his came on the biggest stage there is where it will live infamy. Luckily they judge HOFers off their career and not one play. Take 4-5 SB catches off Swann's resume and he wouldn't be in the HOF. He didn't get elected off his regular season totals that's for sure. A botched play is always going to stick in the craw of fans especially if the play helps cost their team a big game. The name Jackie Smith will always make Cowboy fans cringe. I was watching NFL films one day and Steve Sable was interviewing Jim Hart who was the QB of the Cardinals during most of Jackie Smiths career. He said Smith had a tendency to not realize how wide open he was and would tense up as the ball was arriving bracing himself for a hit and would occasionally drop a pass as a result. They showed a play involving Smith that was almost IDENTICAL to the drop he had in the SB the only difference was this play didn't occur in the endzone. Smith was wide open and Hart threw the ball right to him and Smith dropped it and his reaction was exactly the same to the drop he had in the SB he hit the ground and kicked his legs out in disgust. I wish I could find the clip it's pretty amazing the similarity.

 

[big dog cowboy]

We were better than them in 1978, nothing anyone says will ever change my opinion of that. We lost 1) because it was a pathetically officiated game 2) For one of the few times in his brilliant coaching career, Landry went brain dead. He trotted Randy White out on the kickoff return team, a ball was kicked right to him and yes, he fumbled and 3) and lastly, Jackie Smith sux.

We were better than them. What is so frustrating is if we had won that game, so many things would be different. The HOF, the Lombardi count, the general view of the '70's Cowboys, even the ROH. It's amazing to think about how much was riding on that game.

 

[KJJ]

We were better than them. What is so frustrating is if we had won that game, so many things would be different. The HOF, the Lombardi count, the general view of the '70's Cowboys, even the ROH. It's amazing to think about how much was riding on that game.

How do you figure the Cowboys were better than the Steelers? Some of you talk too much with your heart. LOL Pitt won 4 SB's in a 6 year period with pretty much the same corp group of players. The Steelers dominated the first half of SB XIII statistically with over 250 yards compared to the Cowboys 102. Swann and Stallworth killed the Cowboys secondary in that game. Stallworth had 115 yards off of just 3 catches and Swann had 124 yards. Both players combined for 3 TD's. The Cowboys could never defend Swann in the 2 SB's they played. Swann combined for 11 catches for 285 yards and 2 TD's against the Cowboys in SB X and XIII. The Cowboys always made alot of mental mistakes in those games. When it came down to crunch time the Steelers made the plays and the Cowboys didn't. As much as I love the Cowboys I can objectively look back at those games and admit the Steelers were the better team. The fact they were 4-0 in SB's and beat the Cowboys in 2 of them is clear proof they were the better team. They were able to overcome some bad breaks such as Bradshaw getting stripped of the ball by Hegman and Henderson in SB XIII that resulted in a Cowboys TD. The Cowboys had a great drive going on the first series of that game then fumbled. Jackie Smith dropped a sure TD that would have tied the game in the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys simply couldn't make the plays in crunch time and the Steelers did.

 

[big dog cowboy]

How do you figure the Cowboys were better than the Steelers?

We were better than them in 1978, nothing anyone says will ever change my opinion of that. We lost 1) because it was a pathetically officiated game 2) For one of the few times in his brilliant coaching career, Landry went brain dead. He trotted Randy White out on the kickoff return team, a ball was kicked right to him and yes, he fumbled and 3) and lastly, Jackie Smith sux.

There you go........

 

[KJJ]

There you go........

So you're basing it off of what dbair said? He's just using the excuse alot of the homers have been using for 30 plus years. Sure the Cowboys had some bad breaks in that game but so did the Steelers and they overcame them. The Cowboys and Rams gave the Steelers a battle in SB's and like great teams do Pittsburgh found a way to win in the end. Cowboy fans can go back through the years reviewing disappointing defeats saying the Cowboys were better than that team or this team but the fact is they lost those games. When a team starts making mistakes in critical situations in big games that's a sign of weakness. When the opponent capitalizes off those mistakes by going right for the jugular that's the mark of a great team. Everytime the Cowboys made a mistake or the Steelers got a break they turned it into a score. The Cowboys simply couldn't stop them. If they could have just held the Steelers to a FG on one of those plays things could have turned out different.

 

[dbair1967]

How do you figure the Cowboys were better than the Steelers? Some of you talk too much with your heart. LOL Pitt won 4 SB's in a 6 year period with pretty much the same corp group of players. The Steelers dominated the first half of SB XIII statistically with over 250 yards compared to the Cowboys 102. Swann and Stallworth killed the Cowboys secondary in that game. Stallworth had 115 yards off of just 3 catches and Swann had 124 yards. Both players combined for 3 TD's. The Cowboys could never defend Swann in the 2 SB's they played. Swann combined for 11 catches for 285 yards and 2 TD's against the Cowboys in SB X and XIII. The Cowboys always made alot of mental mistakes in those games. When it came down to crunch time the Steelers made the plays and the Cowboys didn't. As much as I love the Cowboys I can objectively look back at those games and admit the Steelers were the better team. The fact they were 4-0 in SB's and beat the Cowboys in 2 of them is clear proof they were the better team. They were able to overcome some bad breaks such as Bradshaw getting stripped of the ball by Hegman and Henderson in SB XIII that resulted in a Cowboys TD. The Cowboys had a great drive going on the first series of that game then fumbled. Jackie Smith dropped a sure TD that would have tied the game in the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys simply couldn't make the plays in crunch time and the Steelers did.

First off, put down your Stealer hanky.

What was the score of that game at halftime? 21-14. What was the score after 3 quarters? 21-17. The 3 biggest plays in that game had nothing to do with the Stealers being better than us, they were 1) atrocious PI call, giving the Stealers a 1st down when they would have had to punt, and then eventually a TD 2) Landry having a guy with a broken hand out on the kick team, which led to a fumble and a Stealer TD and 3) a HOF TE inexplicably dropping an easy gimmee TD with nobody near him in the endzone. Now what plays did the Stealers make there?

We all have our opinions, mine is the 78 Cowboys were a better team than the Stealers that yr. If we had played them 10 times, we'd have won 6 or 7 of them.

The best teams dont always win the Super Bowl, and 1978 was an example of that.

 

[KJJ]

First off, put down your Stealer hanky.

What was the score of that game at halftime? 21-14. What was the score after 3 quarters? 21-17. The 3 biggest plays in that game had nothing to do with the Stealers being better than us, they were 1) atrocious PI call, giving the Stealers a 1st down when they would have had to punt, and then eventually a TD 2) Landry having a guy with a broken hand out on the kick team, which led to a fumble and a Stealer TD and 3) a HOF TE inexplicably dropping an easy gimmee TD with nobody near him in the endzone. Now what plays did the Stealers make there?

We all have our opinions, mine is the 78 Cowboys were a better team than the Stealers that yr. If we had played them 10 times, we'd have won 6 or 7 of them.

The best teams dont always win the Super Bowl, and 1978 was an example of that.

Don't worry I'm not carrying a terrible towel I'm just an objective Cowboys fan who calls it like he sees it no matter how many feathers I ruffle from those who are bias. The Steelers had the best record in the NFL in 1978 going 14-2. The score may have been close at halftime of SB XIII but the Steelers had a decisive edge in yardage. Landry made a coaching mistake having Randy White out there with a casted hand on a kickoff and it cost the Cowboys. You can't beat great teams turning the ball over and dropping TD passes that are gift wrapped. Had it not been for the 2 late TD's by Dallas within 2 minutes the Steelers would have won going away. It was a disappointing loss but that corp group of Bradshaw, Swann, Stallworth, Harris, Bleier, Lambert, Ham, LC Greenwood, Joe Green and several others ended up with 4 SB wins compared to 1 SB win for that corp group of Cowboys. That Steelers team that beat the Cowboys in that SB went on to win the SB the following year. I've been a diehard Cowboys fan since the 71 season but I recognize how great those Steeler teams were.

 

[Draegerman]

I was doing some research and unless I am mistaken. Roger never beat the Steelers in a regular season or Playoff Game. The only time the Cowboys beat the steelers in the 70's was 1972 in Dallas Morton was QB. Can anyone else confirm?

Let's get your facts straight, mister. Staubach has never, I repeat...NEVER lost a game to the Armpitsburgh Aluminums. Those losses lay at the feet of Jackie Smith (game tying td dropped), his entire offensive line (sacks allowed), Randy White (for fumbling on the kickoff), Danny White (blocked punt for a safety), defensive linemen (failure to stop Ranko Harris) and the referee who mistakenly called a PI on Benny Barnes when he was covering Linda Swan-song, after Benny made a fantastic play. Those are the people that were responsible for the losses.

Staubach was FOOTBALL GOD!!!

You should be ashamed of yourself for even metioning Staubach and never beaten in the same sentence.

Ban him, Hos, ban him now!