Saturday, March 22, 2014
Super Bowl XIII
Thank you, NFL Network, which at this moment is airing the original NBC telecast of Super Bowl XIII, which the defending champion Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers contested Jan. 21, 1979, at Miami's Orange Bowl.
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Though Pittsburgh leads, 7-0, early, it's pretty clear that the Steelers don't at all have the edge defenders to stop Tony Dorsett. As long as Tom Landry will relax and quit trying a bunch of trick plays--like the one that led to the opening-possession fumble and eventual Pittsburgh score--it looks pretty clear to me like Dallas is going to become the first team to win three Super Bowls.
ReplyDeleteDallas's second possession is marred by some kind of slow-developing screen where Roger Staubach eventually throws in the dirt and then a wide rollout where Staubach is sacked after holding the ball waiting for deep receivers to get open.
ReplyDeleteThen Merlin Olsen takes terrific delight in coming back from commercial to show Robin Cole obliterating Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson on punt coverage.
Pittsburgh's driving toward its second score, but Terry Bradshaw hits D.D. Lewis between the numbers.
ReplyDeleteJust give the ball to Dorsett, Landry. I know everybody's going nuts now about Earl Campbell, and he is really, really great. But Tony Dorsett won the national championship (at Pittsburgh!) as a senior; he won the Super Bowl and rushed for 1,000 yards as a rookie (even though Landry didn't make him a starter until the 10th game of last season); he ran for more than 1,300 yards this season, and he's clearly too fast for Pittsburgh's defensive ends and outside linebackers in this game.
Yeah, good idea, Landry--two handoffs to Robert Newhouse (including one outside; you traded for the pick for Dorsett precisely because Newhouse isn't fast enough to run outside on today's defenders) and then Staubach throws to no one on third down. Dallas punts again. Still 7-0, Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteOn the Cowboys' opening play, Dorsett had 38 yards on three handoffs on Dallas's opening possession, and Curt Gowdy said he thought Landry would go to Dorsett over and over again. I don't know what's going on.
ReplyDeleteOlsen just referred to Henderson as "the noisy one" among Dallas's linebackers.
ReplyDelete"Too Tall" Jones fumble recovery on Bradshaw ... at the Pittsburgh 41 ... handoff to NEWHOUSE! ... up the gut ... no gain ...
ReplyDeletePlay-action fake to Dorsett and Staubach underthrows double-covered Drew Pearson at the goal line ... incomplete ... third and long ...
ReplyDeleteThere you go ... Staubach recognizes that fleet wideout Tony Hill is covered by a safety, Donnie Shell ... Hill loses Shell with a hard cut to the sideline; Stabuach hits him, and then Hill sprints the remaining 25 yards or so for the tying score.
ReplyDeleteHere's why he's noisy. Henderson avoids one blocker on the right side of Dallas's offensive line, navigates his way to the left, hurdles another blocker and then separates the ball from Bradshaw. Mike Hegman scoops it up and races the 50 yards to the end zone.
ReplyDelete14-7, Dallas. Can't imagine we're not going to see a load of Dorsett the rest of the way now.
Wow ... this is turning into quite a game ... Pittsburgh's offensive line withstands Dallas's blitz on a third down ... Bradshaw hits John Stallworth standing upright ... he spins away from one tackle ... runs through another and then weaves through and away from the Cowboy secondary for a 75-yard catch and run ... 14-14!
ReplyDeleteJoe Marshall said in Sports Illustrated said this was going to be an unusually good Super Bowl, and he was right.
ReplyDeleteOh, sure ... delayed handoff to Newhouse ... loss of five ...
ReplyDeletePitch to Dorsett to weak side, and he's overwhelmed by Pittsburgh defenders ... loss of three ...
ReplyDeleteStaubach holds the ball for a long time on third-and-18 ... Joe Greene finally breaks through ... fumble ... Dallas lineman Tom Rafferty recovers ... punts ....
ReplyDeleteBradshaw, back from the smelling salts, hits Lynn Swann on a play-action comebacker ... and he runs for another 15 or so to the Dallas 22 ...
ReplyDeleteNBC just showed some hand-printed poster in the Orange Bowl stands that was too many words to read for the time it was shown, but it was all based on the lyrics of C.W. McCall's "Convoy."
ReplyDeleteNBC's John Brodie: "We thought this was going to be a slam-bam affair, brother, and it is."
ReplyDeleteHenderson--whom Gowdy refers to as "the Muhammad Ali of football"--bursts through for a sack of achy Bradshaw.
ReplyDeleteRoy Gerela is short on a field-goal attempt. Still 14-14.
ReplyDeleteWell, what do you know? Dorsett gets five yards out of nothing on first down. He has 47 yards on seven carries in the game. "I don't think I've ever seen a young back use his blocking better than Dorsett does," says Olsen.
ReplyDeleteHandoff to Newhouse. No gain.
ReplyDeleteOut of the shotgun, Staubach hits a diving Preston Pearson, whom Pittsburgh released, for a first down.
ReplyDeletePlay-action fake handoff to Dorsett ... Staubach to Hill for 10 ...
ReplyDeleteBlitz on ... Staubach lobs a screen out to Dorsett ... another first down ...
ReplyDeleteFirst-down dropback ... Staubach throws over the middle into coverage ... Mel Blount interception ...
ReplyDeleteDallas possessions thus far ...
ReplyDeleteDallas (15:00)
Gerela kick to D 5, B. Johnson 23 return (Winston).
D 28 1–10 Dorsett 9 sweep left (Shell).
D 37 2–1 Dorsett 16 run middle (Shell).
P 47 1–10 Newhouse run middle, no gain (Greenwood).
P 47 2–10 Dorsett 13 sweep right (Ham).
P 34 1–10 D. Pearson fumbled handoff from Dorsett on double reverse, Banaszak recovered for Pittsburgh at P 47.
D 28 1–10 Staubach pass to Newhouse underthrown, incomplete.
DeleteD 28 2–10 Dorsett 4 run off right tackle (Ham).
D 32 3–6 Staubach 26 pass to B. Johnson middle (R. Johnson).
P 42 1–10 Dorsett 3 run left (Blount).
P 39 2–7 Staubach sacked, loss of 12 (Furness).
D 49 3–19 Staubach sacked, loss of 10 (D. White).
D 39 4–29 D. White 43 punt, Bell 12 return (Hughes).
Dallas (4:18)
DeleteD 36 1–10 Newhouse 3 run middle (Greenwood).
D 39 2–7 Newhouse sweep left, loss of 1 (Lambert).
D 38 3–8 Staubach pass to P. Pearson overthrown, incomplete.
D 38 4–8 D. White 24 punt out of bounds.
Dallas (1:00)
ReplyDeleteP 41 1–10 Newhouse 2 run middle (Greenwood).
P 39 2–8 Staubach pass to D. Pearson broken up (Shell), incomplete.
P 39 3–8 Staubach 39 pass to Hill left sideline (caught at P 16), touchdown (:00). Septien kicked extra point.
D 31 1–10 Newhouse sweep left, loss of 4 (Banaszak).
ReplyDeleteD 27 2–14 Dorsett sweep right, loss of 3 (Ham).
D 24 3–17 Staubach sacked, loss of 11 (Greene), fumbled, Rafferty recovered for Dallas at D 13.
D 13 4–28 D. White 38 punt, Bell 3 return (Henderson).
Dallas (4:55)
ReplyDeleteD 34 1–10 Dorsett 5 run left (Furness).
D 39 2–5 Newhouse sweep left, no gain (R. Cole).
D 39 3–5 Staubach 7 pass to P. Pearson right (Ham).
D 46 1–10 Staubach 10 pass to Hill right (Wagner). Two–Minute Warning.
P 44 1–10 Staubach 12 screen pass to Dorsett (R. Johnson). Unsportsmanlike conduct fouls against Dallas (Dorsett) and Pittsburgh (R. Johnson) offset.
P 32 1–10 Staubach pass to D. Pearson middle intercepted at P 16, Blount 13 return (D. Pearson). Dallas penalized 15 for personal foul (DuPree).
OK--breaking the time machine for a bit here--you remember how great Jerry Rice was in terms of being able to either elude or run through tacklers, to make great catches and then to run away from people? You know who else was that good? John Stallworth--in this game, at least. You know who else was that good? Lynn Swann--in this game, at least. Pittsburgh had two Jerry Rices.
ReplyDeleteSwann with the greatest catch and run you've ever seen gets Pittsburgh deep into Dallas territory, and then Rocky Bleier makes a terrific jump catch in the end zone ... 21-14.
ReplyDeleteWith 26 seconds left in the great first half, Dallas takes over at its own 34. Staubach picks up one running away from blitzers; Staubach draws to Steeler-reject Pearson for six yards, and Staubach overthrows Pearson about 15 yards downfield. Halftime.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can't imagine any option that could've possibly yielded as many as 66 yards in just 26 seconds.
You're right, Dick Enberg in the halftime studio--this upcoming Bob Hope program with Sammy Davis Jr., Debbie Reynolds, Pat Boone and Debby Boone does sound "super special."
ReplyDeleteIn January 1979, things are really starting to happen for two aspiring-comedian friends in New York, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld ...
DeleteDusk and the Orange Bowl stadium lights for a really, really big football game is one of the truly beautiful sights of this world that humanity has deprived itself of.
ReplyDeletePittsburgh gets nothing on its opening possession of the second half.
ReplyDeleteDallas opens with a handoff to Newhouse for a two-yard loss and then tries another screen to Dorsett. The ball is high, and Dorsett does not get his hands up in time. But the incomplete pass is nullified for a defensive holding away from the play. Landry calls Newhouse's number again, and this time it works! The five-yard pickup gives Newhouse a net total of three yards rushing on his seven carries (same as Dorsett, who has 47 yards) so far today.
Dorsett's eighth run is again to the weak side off tackle ... one yard.
ReplyDeleteStaubach sprints for his life out of a heavily covered, crazy double screen formation where both Dorsett and another runner, Scott Laidlaw, dash out to the flats. Goes for seven.
Third-and-two ... handoff to Laidlaw, running behind Dorsett's blocking ... no gain.
ReplyDelete"They've really bottled up Dorsett since the first quarter," says Gowdy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, "they" really have.
On Jan. 21, 1979, 36-year-old Jerry Jones has a booming oil-and-gas-exploration business in Arkansas. He had a chance to buy the San Diego Chargers in 1967. His old college assistant coach, Barry Switzer, is winning Big Eight championship after Big Eight championship at the University of Oklahoma, and he just got done coaching the Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Sims, in 1978. Heck, Jones's old University of Arkansas teammate, Jimmy Johnson, is even doing pretty well for himself; Johnson was the defensive coach on those great Pitt teams that Dorsett himself played for, and now he's about to take over as head coach at Oklahoma State.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Jones is watching this on KARK NBC Channel 7 in Little Rock ... hmm ...?
First down, Dallas ... handoff to Dorsett, who pitches back to Staubach for a flea-flicker attempt deep to Hill in the end zone ... incomplete ...
ReplyDeleteSecond down … Dorsett for four … Staubach to Pearson for eight … Dorsett for one … Laidlaw for seven … third-and-two … Dorsett--"diving, wriggling … got there," says Gowdy--for five to the Pittsburgh 17 … Staubach incomplete … second-and-10 … Dorsett quick handoff through the safety blitz for seven … Donnie Shell with the saving tackle at the Pittsburgh 10 … timeout, Dallas ...
ReplyDeleteNBC shows Henderson on the sideline, lathering his hands in "stick 'em" adhesive.
ReplyDeleteOlsen: "I wonder if he can actually hold on to anyone with that stuff. Sticky kid stuff."
Brodie: "He's stuck on something."
Olsen: "I think he's stuck on himself."
Landry sends in an interesting play choice from the timeout, but it is, indeed, open. Play-action fake to Laidlaw into the middle of the line ... Staubach throws over the middle for the backup tight end ... Jackie Smith is wide open in the end zone--but drops the ball.
ReplyDeleteRafael Septien's 27-yard field goal reduces Pittsburgh's lead to 21-17 with 4:55 to play in the third quarter.
ReplyDeletePittsburgh (2:36)
ReplyDeleteSeptien kick out of bounds. Dallas penalized 5 for illegal procedure (Septien). Septien kick to P 9, L. Anderson 20 return (Thurman).
P 29 1–10 F. Harris 3 run middle (Breunig).
P 32 2–7 Bradshaw pass to Bell middle overthrown, incomplete.
P 32 3–7 Bradshaw rushed, 12 pass to Bell right (Kyle).
P 44 1–10 Bradshaw pass to Swann right underthrown, incomplete.
P 44 2–10 Bradshaw pass to Swann right broken up (Barnes), incomplete.
P 44 3–10 Bradshaw sacked, loss of 3 (R. White).
P 41 4–13 Colquitt 52 punt, B. Johnson 21 return.
Bradshaw appears to be playing hurt. Dallas's defense has beaten on him all day long.
DeleteDorsett sweeps for two yards. That's the last play of the third quarter. Pittsburgh leads, 21-17, and Dallas will have the ball and a second-and-eight at its own 30. We're 15 minutes from one of these teams becoming the first three-time Super Bowl winner.
ReplyDeleteStaubach incomplete to the sidelines ... third-and-eight ... screen toward Dorsett ... "the ball is not thrown very well ... way ahead of him," says Olsen ... Dorsett shoestring grab ... 13-yard gain, finally tackled by Tony Dungy ... "one of the things great running backs will do is make plays that no one else can," says Olsen.
ReplyDeleteDorsett right ... the Steelers are in the backfield ... no gain ...
ReplyDeleteDraw to Laidlaw for five ...
ReplyDelete"I think they're using Dorsett as a decoy for Laidlaw," says Olsen.
Third-and-five ... empty backfield ... incomplete ... batted at the line ...
ReplyDeleteDanny White 50-yard punt ... Thomas Henderson avoids a blocker and races down for a dead stop of returned of Theo Bell after a pickup of eight.
ReplyDelete"That's one of the best open-field tackles I've seen all day," relents Olsen. "Tackle by Tom Henderson."
From John Jeansomme's Newsday article, reprinted in the Jan. 16, 1979, Toledo Blade: "Don't call me 'Tom.' I don't want my nieces or nephews calling me 'Uncle Tom.' You can call me 'Hollywood.'"
ReplyDeleteP 15 1–10 F. Harris 2 run off right tackle (Jones).
P 17 2–8 Bradshaw rushed, pass to Bell underthrown, incomplete.
P 17 3–8 Bradshaw 9 pass to Grossman left (C. Harris).
P 26 1–10 Bradshaw 13 pass to Swann right (Barnes).
Both Swann and Stallworth now have more than 100 yards receiving. Bradshaw, who has never thrown for 300 or more yards in any game, has 296.
ReplyDeleteDeep attempt for Swann ... tripped ... penalty ... 33-yard pickup to Dallas 23 ...
Wide-receiver screen to Swann ... finds four yards among more than a half-dozen Dallas defenders ... stood upright and bent backwards ...
ReplyDeleteHarris not much sweep left ... delay of game, Steelers ... will be third-and-nine from the Dallas 22 ... 7:17 to go ...
ReplyDeleteHarris up the middle through trap blocking and into a mostly empty Dallas secondary ... accelerates beyond diving defenders ... Charlie Waters picked by an official ... TOUCHDOWN!
ReplyDeleteRandy White fumbles the Pittsburgh squib kick.
ReplyDeleteDungy forces the fumble, and Dennis "Dirt" Winston recovers.
Delete"The pressure is squarely on the shoulders of the Dallas defense," says Olsen. "What they need right here is a turnover."
ReplyDeleteBradshaw zings a bullet, and Swann makes a leaping-and-then-sliding catch at the back of the end zone. 35-17, Steelers.
ReplyDelete6:51 to go … Dallas at its 11 …
ReplyDeleteSwing pass to Dorsett in the backfield … ambles for seven …
Staubach sacked … John Banaszak's second sack …
Everybody's covered … Staubach runs for 18 … under five minutes …
Staubach for 17 to Drew Pearson on the sideline … first and 10 at the Dallas 45 ...
Dorsett draw … cuts right … cuyts left … breaks one tackle … accelerates … breaks second … three tacklers … Ron Johnson goes high and finally wrestles him down after 29 yards … first and 10 at the Pittsburgh 26 …
Staubach incomplete ...
ReplyDeleteBradshaw has already received the unanimous vote for MVP ... "Dallas isn't conceding," Brodie says ...
Staubach to Drew Pearson over the middle ... Staubach to Billy Joe DuPree for seven and the score.
2:27 ... 35-24, Steelers ...
Curt Gowdy wants us to know that the preview of NBC's new Brothers and Sisters will be seen in its entirety after today's game. "We know you're going to enjoy it. I'm told it's going to really be a big hit."
ReplyDeleteOnside kick goes through the hands of Dungy, and Dallas recovers!
ReplyDeleteIncomplete toward DuPree …
ReplyDeleteSecond and 10 … own 48 … complete deep to Drew Pearson in triple coverage … to Pittsburgh 30 …
Staubach sacked … under one minute …
Overthrows Tony Hill in end zone ...
Fourth and 18 … Pittsburgh 38 … Staubach …
ReplyDeleteOlsen: "Curt, I just want to take a second to thank you and John for making me feel so comfortable in the booth. After working together these years, the last thing you needed was one more voice in the booth, but you made me feel welcome."
Complete to Drew Pearson over the middle to the Pittsburgh 13. Mike Wagner hits him high and then tries to carry Pearson backward without letting his feet hit the ground. Pearson's hurt. Injury timeout at 41 seconds. Pearson's out.
First-and-10 from the 13 ...
Staubach outlets to Dorsett who runs out of bounds at the Pittsburgh 4 ...
ReplyDeleteIncomplete ...
Gowdy: "We want to thank Joe Costanza for his work in the booth."
ReplyDeleteTouchdown pass to Butch Johnson ... "These babies are never over when you play with great people at every position!" rejoices Brodie.
ReplyDelete22 seconds to play, and it's 35-31, Steelers ...
ReplyDelete"Good, old Rocky Bleier to the Steeler fans," says Gowdy, recovers the onside kick.
ReplyDeleteBrothers and Sisters pilot, per Wikipedia: "Accepting a wager from snooty Pi Nu president Harlan, Zipper unwisely bets his entire tuition that he can lure beautiful sorority girl Suzi Cooper into his bedroom by midnight. As the deadline approaches, Zipper's buddy Checko devises a plan to help his friend win the bet."
ReplyDeleteYup, looks great.
DeleteMore Wikipedia:
DeleteOn January 21, NBC debuted Brothers and Sisters as a follow-up to their telecast of Super Bowl XIII, three days after ABC aired the first episode of its Animal House-inspired series (which was, in fact, the official series in everything but name). Two weeks later (February 4), Co-Ed Fever made its debut on CBS after a broadcast of the motion picture Rocky, but all three "frat-house" series were off the air by the end of April (with Co-Ed Fever having only one episode broadcast) after all of them ran into trouble with the networks' Standards and Practices departments because of their content. Brothers and Sisters made its last appearance on April 6, 1979; Delta House followed suit on April 21, 1979.
Of the three (if CBS' series was picked), Brothers and Sisters was arguably the least successful of them (mainly because of the fact from having three similar shows, not to mention NBC's own woes at the time), with the show's lack of success became apparent when series regular Mary Crosby turned up as a celebrity on NBC's Hollywood Squares for a week in March 1979; host Peter Marshall mentioned Brothers and Sisters as airing "on another network", only to be informed by Crosby that they were, in fact, on the same network.
John Brodie comes to the defense of Jackie Smith, his old NFL Pro Bowl teammate.
ReplyDeleteBradshaw and Staubach meet at midfield and shake hands. Bradshaw taps Staubach on the head with the football.
THANK YOU, NFL NETWORK! That was fantastic.
ReplyDelete