NFL 1978 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Super Bowl XIII Championship Ring Gold

Specification

Size: 11
Material: zinc alloy + crystal stone
Features: exquisite deep carving and hand-set crystal gems
With Box: YES

Super Bowl XIII: Steelers vs. Cowboys

1978 Steelers Season

• Regular season record: 14–2
• Divisional playoff: Steelers 33, Broncos 10
• AFC championship: Steelers 34, Oilers 5
• Super Bowl: Steelers 35, Cowboys 31

The 1978 Cowboys

The Cowboys returned to the Super Bowl in 1977 and defeated the Broncos, and in 1978 they won another NFC championship. They had been dubbed “America’s Team” and were primed for their second straight Super Bowl appearance and another showdown with the Steelers.

Staubach and the Doomsday Defense were back, but the Cowboys had added some major offensive weapons since the 1975 season. Running back Tony Dorsett had won a Heisman Trophy at Pitt in 1976, and by his second year in the NFL, he had established himself as one of the best backs in the league. He was fast, elusive, and tougher than his size would suggest. By 1978, Staubach had another skilled receiver to complement Drew Pearson as well: Tony Hill hauled in 46 passes during the regular season and made the Pro Bowl.

While some of the names remained, this was not the same Cowboys team the Steelers had defeated in Super Bowl X. To win Super Bowl XIII, the Steelers were going to need to rely on more than their defense and running game. Fortunately, Pittsburgh had evolved as well.

Super Bowl XIII

By 1978, the Steelers had taken a huge step forward. Bradshaw, once a game manager who performed his best in the biggest games, had morphed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He threw for over 2,900 yards and 28 touchdowns during the regular season. In the 1978 season, he made his first and only All-Pro team, earned the NFL MVP award, and won the Bert Bell Award for NFL Player of the Year. Franco Harris still dominated on the ground, and the Steel Curtain defense ranked first in the NFL for points allowed.

Super Bowl XIII was a showdown of titans, and those expecting high drama were not disappointed. Bradshaw and Staubach both fired touchdown passes in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cowboys linebacker Mike Hegman scooped up a Bradshaw fumble and ran it back 37 yards for a touchdown. Bradshaw responded on the next series by hitting John Stallworth with a 75-yard scoring bomb. The teams staggered into the locker rooms at halftime with the Steelers ahead 21–14.

The pace slowed in the third quarter as the teams traded punts. The Cowboys got on the board once more with a 27-yard Rafael Septien field goal. The fourth quarter started with a successful Steelers drive that chewed up the clock and culminated in a Franco Harris touchdown run. Dallas fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Bradshaw hit Swann on the next play for an 18-yard touchdown pass.

The Steelers had scored two touchdowns in less than a minute and led the Cowboys 35–17 with 6:51 left in the game. But the Cowboys came storming back. Staubach marched his team downfield and scored with a seven-yard pass to tight end Billy Joe DuPree. Dallas recovered the onside kick, and again Staubach willed his team down the field as the clock ticked. Wide receiver Butch Johnson hauled in a touchdown pass with 22 seconds left in the game.

Another onside kick attempt failed, and the Steelers eked out one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played with a 35–31 win. Today, many Steelers fans regard this game as the greatest win in team history.

MVP and Notable Performers

• QB Terry Bradshaw won MVP after throwing for 318 yards and four touchdowns.
• Wide receiver Lynn Swann caught seven passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
• Receiver John Stallworth hauled in three passes for 115 years and two touchdowns.