In 1979, the Dallas Cowboys were given the title of “America’s Team” by NFL Films. But if a few more things went their way in two Super Bowls against the Steelers, Dallas would have also earned the title of “Team of the Decade,” a label that was instead given to Pittsburgh.
The ’70s Cowboys won two Super Bowls, but lost three others by a combined 11 points. Two of those losses came against the Steelers, including a 35-31 thriller in Super Bowl XIII that gave Pittsburgh its dynasty. That game followed Pittsburgh’s 21-17 victory over Dallas in Super Bowl X.
Ed “Too Too” Jones, the Cowboys’ standout defensive end back then, recently shared what he feels was the biggest difference between the two super powers of that era.
“That Pittsburgh team had nothing but veterans on both sides of the ball,” Jones told CBS Sports. “Nothing but veterans. We were a very young team both times, when they beat us in ’75 and when they beat us in ’78, even though we only lost by four points both games and [Roger] Staubach had the ball driving [late] in those games.”
Jones is right, and his theory has often been overlooked by many (me included) who figured that the Cowboys were just as experienced as those Steelers teams. But that wasn’t the case.
The Cowboys were a veteran-laden team at the start of the 1970s, when they played in their first two Super Bowls (a loss to the Colts that was followed by a blowout win over the Dolphins). But by 1975, the Cowboys were a team in transition, as former stars like defensive tackle Bob Lilly, linebacker Chuck Howley, cornerback Cornell Green and wideout Bob Hayes (among others) were no longer there.
Dallas still had some veterans, like quarterback Roger Staubach, defensive backs Cliff Harris, Charlie Watters, Mel Renfro and linebacker Lee Roy Jordan. But overall, the ’75 Cowboys were a young team, especially on offense. They actaully reached Cinderella status upon reaching Super Bowl X on the strength of the first-ever “Hail Mary” pass in a last-second playoff win over the Vikings.
Conversely, the Steelers largely kept the same nucleus of players throughout the ’70s. Nearly two dozen players who were on Pittsburgh’s first Super Bowl team in 1974 were still on the team when the Steelers won their fourth Super Bowl at the end of the 1979 season. They did have some turnover, but the Steelers were largely the same team during their two Super Bowl matchups with the Cowboys, a team that boasted 10 future Hall of Famers.
In Super Bowl X, the Cowboys hung tough against the defending champion Steelers and actually had the lead for the majority of the game. Pittsburgh, though, tallied four unanswered scores in the fourth quarter that was punctuated by Lynn Swann’s 64-yard catch that proved to be the game-winner. The Cowboys responded with a score of their own, but lost the game when Staubach’s final pass was picked off in the end zone as time expired.
Dallas was a more seasoned team for its rematch with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIII. In fact, the Cowboys were the defending Super Bowl champions after mauling the Broncos in Super Bowl XII. A year later, Super Bowl XIII would mark the first big game between two teams that had each won multiple Super Bowls.
In the years following Super Bowl X, the Cowboys had put the finishing touches on their “Doomsday II” defense and also added several significant pieces on offense, especially running back Tony Dorsett, the top pick in the 1977 draft.
The Cowboys were older, but they still weren’t quite as seasoned as the Steelers, who, by 1978, had reached the peak of their powers under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. That year, the NFL made rule changes that were supposed to hinder Pittsburgh’s effectiveness, especially on defense. But the rules made life easier for Pittsburgh’s offense and quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who that year became the first and last Steelers player to win league MVP.
Similarly to Super Bowl X, the Cowboys took a lead in the first half, but quickly lost it following a Steelers scoring spree. Pittsburgh, on the strength of Bradshaw’s right arm, scored two touchdowns in the second quarter take a 21-14 lead at intermission. The lead was 21-17 midway through the fourth quarter when the Steelers essentially put the game away after scoring two touchdowns in 11 seconds.
The Cowboys were on the wrong side of two bad breaks in the second half. The first occurred when tight end Jackie Smith — a veteran who carved out a Hall of Fame career with the Cardinals before signing with Dallas that offseason — dropped a sure touchdown pass, which forced the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. Moments later, Cowboys cornerback Benny Barnes tripped over Swann downfield and was assessed a pass interference penalty, which contributed to Franco Harris’ backbreaking touchdown run that made the score 28-17 in Pittsburgh’s favor.
“You mention Benny Barnes and those calls,” Jones said, “I’m not one to complain, because that’s just one play. Even though every controversial call went against Dallas, but throw that to the side. The difference was experience.”
As he did in Super Bowl X, Staubach refused to quit despite facing a double-digit deficit. He engineered two scoring drives in the game’s final minutes to set up an onside kick attempt. The Steelers recovered the attempt, however, sealing the win in what was one of the best Super Bowls ever.
While they came up short against the Steelers, Jones is able to take away something positive from those games.
“I was proud of the way we hung in there against a veteran team,” he said, “because experience in big games is very important. Very important.”
Jones, who recorded 106 sacks over his 15-year career, continues to follow the Cowboys. He’s also partnered with Sportcane, a newly imagined walking aid developed by leading engineers and orthopedic surgeons. Jones is eager to promote Sportcane after it exponentially improved his quality of life by allowing him to continue to live life on his terms.
“Just my daily activities, it makes all the difference in the world,” Jones said. “I don’t know what I would do if it wasn’t for the Sportcane as far as being able to get around and still not letting anything hinder what I do in life.”
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
July 17, 2024 | 2:55 pm
