Super Bowl XIII

Super Bowl XIII
Game name	Super Bowl XIII
Visitor	Pittsburgh Steelers
Home	Dallas Cowboys
Visitor abbr	PIT
Home abbr	DAL
Visitor conf	AFC
Home conf	NFC
Visitor score	35
Home score	31
Stadium	Miami Orange Bowl
City	Miami , Florida
Attendance	79,484
Odds	Cowboys by 3
MVP	Terry Bradshaw
Referee	Fred Silva
Halftime	Up with People
Network	NBC
Announcers	Don Criqui, Merle Harmon, Len Dawson
Coin toss	Mel Blount Lynn Swann
Anthem	Up with People
Commercials	Watergate scandal
Preceding	Super Bowl XII
Following	Super Bowl XIV

Super Bowl XIII Super Bowl XIII was an American football championship contested at the Miami Orange Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers of the AFC and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC. Played on January 21, 1979, it matched two dynasty-era franchises coached by Chuck Noll and Tom Landry, with quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach facing a premier rosters including Franco Harris, Craig Morton, Lynn Swann, and Tony Dorsett. The game produced high drama, multiple lead changes, and a narrow 35–31 victory that became a defining moment in Sports broadcasting in the United States and National Football League postseason lore.

Background and season summaries

The 1978 NFL season followed major rule changes instituted after the 1977 NFL season that emphasized the passing game and receiver protection; those changes affected strategies used by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers, coming off multiple AFC Championship Game appearances and victories under director-coach Chuck Noll and general manager Art Rooney Sr., finished with a 14–2 regular season marked by a dominant defense led by Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount, and an offense featuring Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth. The Cowboys, under coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm, finished 12–4 with an offense featuring Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, and a defense anchored by Randy White and Harvey Martin. Both teams advanced through divisional rounds and conference championships, defeating rivals such as the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and Minnesota Vikings en route to the title game.

Teams

Pittsburgh's roster blended the famed Steel Curtain defense and a creative offense using Bradshaw's arm and play-action to free receivers like Swann and Stallworth; special teams included returner L.C. Greenwood and kicker Roy Gerela. The coaching staff featured coordinators Marty Schottenheimer and assistants who emphasized gap control and blitz packages seen in prior AFC title games. Dallas relied on the prototypical Flex defense and Landry's game management, with Staubach's improvisational abilities complementing Dorsett's rushing, Pearson's receiving, and Chris Schultz's blocking; the Cowboys' staff included scout-turned-assistant Gil Brandt veterans and strength coaches from previous NFC Championship campaigns.

Game summary

The contest began with Dallas opening the scoring against a Steelers defense that had previously dominated the AFC in the 1970s, but Pittsburgh countered with precision passing and key plays. Bradshaw connected repeatedly with Swann and Stallworth while using play-action to exploit the Cowboys' mix of man and Zone coverage schemes implemented by Landry. Staubach answered with several clutch drives, utilizing the Cowboys' rushing tandem and quick passes to Pearson, creating multiple momentum swings. The fourth quarter featured dramatic special teams and turnover sequences, including interceptions and potentially game-altering penalties enforced by referee Fred Silva; both teams converted red-zone opportunities and settled for field goals by kickers Roy Gerela and Efren Herrera. A late Bradshaw touchdown drive, aided by a pivotal third-down conversion to Swann and balanced runs by Harris and Dorsett, sealed the Steelers' victory as time expired.

Scoring summary

First quarter - DAL — field goal by Efren Herrera, 36 yards, Drive: Cowboys 10-play, 45-yard, 6:32. - PIT — touchdown pass Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann, 8 yards; Kick by Roy Gerela good.

Second quarter - DAL — touchdown pass Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson, 26 yards; Herrera kick good. - PIT — touchdown pass Bradshaw to John Stallworth, 40 yards; Gerela kick good. - PIT — field goal Gerela, 33 yards.

Third quarter - DAL — touchdown run Tony Dorsett, 1 yard; Herrera kick good. - PIT — touchdown pass Bradshaw to Swann, 22 yards; Gerela kick good.

Fourth quarter - DAL — touchdown pass Staubach to Golden Richards, 6 yards; Herrera kick good. - PIT — touchdown pass Bradshaw to Franco Harris (reception on a broken play), 5 yards; Gerela kick good. - DAL — touchdown pass Staubach to Pearson, 32 yards; two-point conversion failed.

Final score: Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31.

Statistics and records

Bradshaw was named MVP after completing 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, breaking postseason passing yardage marks held by previous quarterbacks such as Fran Tarkenton and Joe Namath. The game set or tied multiple records: most combined passing yards in a championship game, most touchdown passes by a single player in a Super Bowl-era title game, and highest-scoring Super Bowl through three quarters to that date. Individual defensive statistics included multiple tackles and sacks by Jack Lambert and pressures by Mean Joe Greene, while Randy White registered significant tackles for Dallas. Attendance of 79,484 at the Miami Orange Bowl and national television ratings on NBC reflected peak interest in the NFL, influencing subsequent broadcasting contracts with networks such as CBS, ABC, and later Fox.

Aftermath and legacy

The victory cemented the Steelers' status as the NFL's first modern-era dynasty, joining teams like the Green Bay Packers of the Vince Lombardi era and the Cowboys dynasty under Landry and owner Jerry Jones's later stewardship narrative. Bradshaw's performance enhanced his legacy relative to contemporaries Roger Staubach and later Hall of Famers, leading to subsequent inductions into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for multiple players and coaches including Noll, Staubach, and Greene. The game influenced coaching philosophies, passing-game emphasis seen in the West Coast offense evolution under coaches like Bill Walsh, and officiating standards later codified in NFL rule changes for player safety and pass interference enforcement. Super Bowl XIII remains a frequent reference in analyses by ESPN, NFL Films, and sports historians examining dynasty-building, postseason strategy, and the cultural impact of televised sporting events in late 20th-century American popular culture.

Category:National Football League championship games