So, Was Super Bowl XIII The Best?

When fans think about where the Super Bowl started, they don’t necessarily go to Super Bowl I. It didn’t have the magnitude of today. It wasn’t overly compelling, as the NFL’s Green Bay Packers easily disposed of the AFL’sKansas City Chiefs.

Perhaps the best game-at least until that juncture-didn’t occur until 1979, in Super Bowl XIII.

Back in ‘79, President Jimmy Carter said America was having ”a crisis of confidence”. The turmoil aside, there was Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl in Miami. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys in a rematch of Super Bowl X where the Steelers took the trophy by a final of 21-17.

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At that point, rivalry between the Cowboys and Steelers was as fierce as any in the league. Both were trying to get a third Super Bowl, which was uncharted territory. Several records were broken in that game.

Super Bowl XIII featured perhaps the two best rosters ever assembled since the inception of the game, plus Hall of Fame coaches Tom Landry of the Cowboys and the Steelers’ Chuck Noll. There were 17 eventual Hall of Fame players. Ten were Steelers (Terry Bradshaw,Franco Harris, Donnie Shell, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount).

Super Bowl XLIII, Super Bowl XIII Named Second-And-Third Best Super Bowls In NFL History https://t.co/AOiNeHqdRR#Steelers#NFL#Pittsburghpic.twitter.com/NCTdRcqf1m

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) February 6, 2023

Seven were Cowboys (Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Cliff Harris, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Rayfield Wright and Jackie Smith). Dallas also had Hall of Famers general manager/team president Tex Schramm, assistant coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Ernie Stautner. Pittsburgh’s were owner Art Rooney Sr., his son, Dan, Rooney, and scout Bill Nunn.

Both teams entered the Super Bowl boasting the best defenses in the league, but it would be a day of the offenses.

So, on their first drive of the game, the Cowboys were able to push into Pittsburgh’s 38-yard line. Dorsett had 38 yards on three rushes. They lost the football (fumbled handoff on reverse), even though it was a play they had practiced.

Then, after defensive lineman John Banaszak recovered the fumble, Bradshaw threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Stallworth and a 7-0 Steeler lead.

In the second quarter, the floodgates opened. Both teams began being overly aggressive going after points. The Steelers took possession at the start of the second quarter, but Dallas linebackers Mike Hebgman, in tandem with Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, met Bradshaw on a blitz. Bradshaw collided with Franco Harris, Hegman then grabbed the gift, taking it 37 yards into the end zone.

Then, after the blistering first two quarters, the third quarter seemed rather mundane. However, the fourth quarter was where history was made. With two penalties early in the quarter led to 14 unanswered Steeler points. Harris had a 22-yard run, and Swann an 18-yard reception, both resulting in touchdowns. Now down, 35-17, Dallas then scored on Staubach-to-Billy Joe Dupree (seven yards) and Staubach-to-Butch Johnson (four yards) passing plays, but couldn’t get any closer.

Bradshaw was the MVP of the game, 17-of-30 (318 yards, four touchdowns, one interception). Yardage and touchdown passes were records.

Staubach ended 17-of-30 (228 yards, three touchdowns, one interception). Dorsett had 96 rushing yards, and Harris 69 to lead their teams, There were nine total sacks in the game.