Super Bowl XIII — 1978 Season

Result

Super Bowl MVP

Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Starting lineups

Starting offense

Starting defense

Note: Pittsburgh's usual starting tight end, Bennie Cunningham, did NOT start this specific game - Randy Grossman started instead, confirmed directly by the game-book box score, not a data error.

Box score

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Game context

Super Bowl XIII was the first Super Bowl rematch in history, pitting the two-time-champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the two-time-champion Dallas Cowboys, who had split their prior Super Bowl meeting (Dallas won Super Bowl VI, Pittsburgh won Super Bowl X). Widely regarded as one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played and featuring, by some counts, 26 future or eventual Hall of Famers on the two rosters, the game lived up to its billing as Pittsburgh outlasted Dallas 35-31 in a shootout that saw the lead change repeatedly. The Steelers scored first on a 28-yard John Stallworth touchdown catch, but Dallas answered to tie it 7-7 on a Roger Staubach scoring pass. A Cowboys fumble-return touchdown put Dallas ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter, but Pittsburgh responded with a spectacular 75-yard touchdown reception by Stallworth and a Terry Bradshaw touchdown pass to Rocky Bleier, taking a 21-14 lead into halftime. Dallas cut the deficit to 21-17 with a third-quarter field goal, but the fourth quarter turned decisively toward Pittsburgh: two controversial penalty calls -- a pass-interference flag on Dallas cornerback Benny Barnes and a disputed delay-of-game ruling against linebacker Thomas Henderson after what looked like a clean sack -- fueled a Steelers drive that produced a Franco Harris touchdown run and a Lynn Swann touchdown catch, extending the lead to 35-17. Dallas mounted a furious late rally with two more touchdowns, but ran out of time, falling 35-31. Terry Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP after throwing for a then-Super Bowl-record 318 yards and four touchdowns (also a record) on 17-of-30 passing, including a Super Bowl-record 253 yards in the first half alone. Both Steelers receivers had monster days: Swann caught seven passes for 124 yards and a score, while Stallworth's three catches went for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Roger Staubach nearly matched Bradshaw statistically, completing the same 17-of-30 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, and Tony Dorsett led all rushers with 96 yards, but Dallas's turnovers and the two disputed penalty calls in the fourth quarter proved costly. The game's most memorable pregame subplot involved Dallas linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, who mocked Bradshaw in the media, claiming the Pittsburgh quarterback "couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the c and the a." Bradshaw's response after the game -- "ask him if he can spell M.V.P." -- became one of the era's most quoted lines. Beyond the theatrics, the contest is frequently cited by historians as the moment the Super Bowl fully crossed over into mainstream American cultural consciousness, elevating the game toward its eventual status as an unofficial national holiday, while Pittsburgh's third title in five years further cemented the Steelers' dynasty as the decade's defining NFL team.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Super Bowl XIII
• Pro-Football-Reference: Super Bowl Game Summaries