___
| Super Bowl XII |
|---|
| Jan. 15, 1978 |
At New Orleans_75,583
| Dallas | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7—27 |
| Denver | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0—10 |
The first indoor Super Bowl — played in the New Orleans Superdome — was all about defense. Dallas’ Doomsday Defense faced Denver and the Orange Crush.
The Cowboys evened their Super Bowl record at 2-2 by taking advantage of eight Broncos turnovers. Dallas converted two interceptions into 10 points, and Efren Herrera added a 35-yard field goal for a 13-0 halftime advantage.
After Denver’s Jim Turner kicked a 47-yard field goal, Dallas wide receiver Butch Johnson made a sensational diving catch in the end zone on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to put the Cowboys ahead 20-3.
Denver again cut the lead to 10, this time on a 1-yard run by Rob Lytle. But with 7:04 to play fullback Robert Newhouse tossed a 29-yard option pass to Golden Richards for the final score of the game.
Staubach completed 17 of 25 passes for 183 yards with no interceptions. For the first time, there were co-MVPs of the Super Bowl: The award was shared by defensive linemen Randy White and Harvey Martin of Dallas.
___
| Super Bowl XI |
|---|
| Jan. 9, 1977 |
At Pasadena, Calif._103,438
| Oakland | 0 | 16 | 3 | 13—32 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7—14 |
The Raiders won their first NFL championship and the Vikings dropped their fourth Super Bowl in as many tries.
After a scoreless first quarter, Oakland scored 16 second-quarter points behind the running of Clarence Davis, who finished with 137 yards on 16 carries, and the pinpoint passing of Ken Stabler.
Trailing 19-0 in the third quarter, the Vikings got on the board with an 8-yard Fran Tarkenton pass to Sammy White. But on the ensuing drive Stabler hit Fred Biletnikoff for 48 yards to set up a 2-yard plunge by Pete Banaszak.
Defensive back Willie Brown iced the game in the fourth quarter with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
In each of its four Super Bowl losses, Minnesota failed to score in the first half. The Vikes were outscored in the four games 95-34 and managed a total of 227 yards rushing (55.4 yards per outing) on 90 carries for a 2.5-yard average.
Biletnikoff caught four passes for 79 yards to earn MVP honors.
___
| Super Bowl X |
|---|
| Jan. 18, 1976 |
At Miami_80,187
| Dallas | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7—17 |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14—21 |
The Steelers won the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year on Terry Bradshaw’s 64-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann and an aggressive defense that snuffed out a late rally by the Cowboys.
Leading 15-10 in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw withstood a ferocious Cowboys rush to unleash his scoring strike to Swann. Swann, known for his spectacular catches, made four receptions for 161 yards, and was voted the game’s MVP.
Dallas came back on a Roger Staubach-to-Percy Howard 34-yard TD pass to close within four points. Then with 1:22 to go, Pittsburgh gave up the ball on downs. Staubach picked up a couple of first downs, but his desperation pass on the last play of the game was picked off by Glen Edwards in the end zone.
___
| Super Bowl IX |
|---|
| Jan. 12, 1975 |
At New Orleans_80,997
| Pittsburgh | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7—16 | |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6— | 6 |
Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain totally shut down Minnesota’s offense to hand the Vikings their third Super Bowl defeat.
In beating Oakland for the AFC title, Pittsburgh held the Raiders to 29 yards rushing. The Vikings didn’t reach that total. On 21 rushing plays, Minnesota managed a net of 17 yards.
Yet, Minnesota trailed only 2-0 at the half, the result of a safety when Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton botched a pitchout deep in his territory. Tarkenton fell on the ball in the end zone and was pounced upon by Steelers defensive end Dwight White.
The Steelers got another break at the start of the second half when Vikings running back Bill Brown fumbled the kickoff and Pittsburgh’s Marv Kellum recovered on the Vikings 30. Four plays later, Franco Harris scored from 12 yards and Pittsburgh led 9-0.
Minnesota narrowed the margin to three points at 4:27 of the fourth quarter when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden’s punt and Terry Brown recovered in the end zone. But the Steelers came right back on a 66-yard march culminating in a 4-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw to Larry Brown.
Harris, the game’s MVP, set a Super Bowl rushing record with 158 yards on 34 carries and led the Steelers’ offense that outgained Minnesota 333-119.
___
| Super Bowl VIII |
|---|
| Jan. 13, 1974 |
At Houston_71,882
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7— | 7 |
| Miami | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0—24 |
The 12-2 Dolphins weren’t unbeaten this time, but Miami made it two Super Bowl wins in a row and became the first team with three straight Super Bowl appearances.
Miami marched 62 and 56 yards for scores in the first 15 minutes. Larry Csonka, the game’s most valuable player, scored on a 5-yard run and Jim Kiick blasted over from 1 yard.
Trailing 17-0 near the end of the half, Minnesota faced a fourth-and-1 from the Miami 6. Electing to go for the first down, Minnesota came up short when running back Oscar Reed fumbled.
Csonka gained 145 yards on 33 carries and Bob Griese threw only seven passes in the game, a Super Bowl low, completing six for 73 yards.
___
| Super Bowl VII |
|---|
| Jan. 14, 1973 |
At Los Angeles_90,182
| Miami | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0—14 | |
| Washington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7— | 7 |
Miami went 14-0 in the regular season, but struggled in its two playoff wins over Cleveland (20-14) and Pittsburgh (21-17). Washington was 11-3 during the regular season and posted impressive playoff wins over Green Bay (16-3) and Dallas (26-3).
So the Dolphins were a slight underdog in seeking the first perfect season in NFL history. They played virtually flawless football in the first half, and late in the first quarter Bob Griese directed Miami on a 63-yard drive capped by a 28-yard pass to Howard Twilley. Then, just before the half, Jim Kiick went over from the 1-yard line to give Miami a 14-0 lead.
Washington was apparently going to be shut out when, with about two minutes remaining in the game, Miami’s Garo Yepremian attempted a 42-yard field goal. It was blocked. Yepremian then picked up the ball and attempted to pass, only to have the ball slip out of his hands right to Mike Bass of the Redskins. Bass ran 49 yards for the score.
But the Dolphins held on. Miami safety Jake Scott picked off two passes in the game and was voted MVP.
___
| Super Bowl VI |
|---|
| Jan. 16, 1972 |
At New Orleans_81,023
| Dallas | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7—24 | |
| Miami | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0— | 3 |
After a near-miss in Super Bowl 5, the Cowboys thoroughly dominated the Dolphins. Led by the enigmatic Duane Thomas, the Cowboys used a punishing ground attack in setting a Super Bowl record of 252 yards rushing.
Leading only 10-3 at the half, the Cowboys went 71 yards to start the third quarter and scored on a 3-yard run by Thomas, who finished the game with 95 yards on 19 carries.
Chuck Howley’s interception of Bob Griese’s pass set up Dallas’ final score, a 7-yard pass from Roger Staubach to Mike Ditka.
Dallas controlled the ball most of the game, running off 69 offensive plays to the Miami 44.
Miami became the first team to not score a touchdown in a Super Bowl. Staubach, voted the game’s most valuable player in part because the NFL feared Thomas would not appear to accept the award, completed 12 of 19 passes for 119 yards and two TDs.
___
| Super Bowl V |
|---|
| Jan. 17, 1971 |
At Miami_79,204
| Baltimore | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10—16 |
| Dallas | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0—13 |
The first Super Bowl under the merger ended in high drama, but only after both teams struggled through 60 minutes of turnovers. The Colts fumbled five times (losing three) and threw three interceptions. The Cowboys lost one fumble and also threw three interceptions.
With Dallas leading 6-0 in the second quarter, Johnny Unitas threw a pass off the fingertips of receiver Eddie Hinton and defensive back Mel Renfro and into the waiting arms of tight end John Mackey, who sped for a 75-yard score.
Dallas regained the lead before the half on a 7-yard pass from Craig Morton to Duane Thomas. The lead stood until the fourth quarter, when Rich Volk picked off Morton’s pass, setting up the tying touchdown scored by Tom Nowatzke.
Then, with 1:09 to play, linebacker Mike Curtis picked off another Morton pass on the Cowboys 28. Three plays later, rookie kicker Jim O’Brien, who had an extra point blocked earlier, booted a 32-yard field goal to give the Colts the win.
Dallas linebacker Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named MVP.
___
| Super Bowl IV |
|---|
| Jan. 11, 1970 |
At New Orleans_80,562
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0— | 7 |
| Kansas City | 3 | 13 | 7 | 0—23 |
The AFL squared the Super Bowl series with the NFL at two games apiece before the full merger took place. The Chiefs built a 16-0 halftime lead behind Len Dawson’s superb quarterbacking and Jan Stenerud’s three field goals.
The Vikings, who gained 222 yards rushing in the NFL championship Game against Cleveland, managed just 67 yards on the ground against Kansas City.
Despite committing five turnovers, Minnesota got back in the game on Dave Osborn’s short TD plunge in the third quarter to make it 16-7. But the Chiefs answered as Dawson hit Otis Taylor for 46 yards for the final score of the game.
Dawson, the fourth consecutive quarterback to be voted the game’s most valuable player, completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards. He had been the subject of rumors about a gambling connection in the buildup to the game, but was completely exonerated.
___
| Super Bowl III |
|---|
| Jan. 12, 1969 |
At Miami_75,377
| New York Jets | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3—16 | |
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7— | 7 |
The first title game dubbed Super Bowl the idea came from Kansas City owner Lamar Hunt featured the biggest upset in pro football history.
Despite the fact that the Colts were coming into the game as anything from 17 to 18 1/2 point favorites, Jets quarterback Joe Namath “guaranteed” victory on the Thursday before the game. That enraged the Colts, but Namath went out and led the AFL to its first Super Bowl victory over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games all season.
Namath, chosen the game’s most valuable player, completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards. The Jets intercepted Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times in the first half, each deep in New York territory. Jim Turner kicked three field goals.
The Jets finished the game with 337 total yards, including 121 on 30 carries by fullback Matt Snell, who scored their touchdown.
An iconic image of the game: Namath jogging off the Orange Bowl field with his index finger extended in a No. 1 salute.
___
| Super Bowl II |
|---|
| Jan. 14, 1968 |
At Miami_75,546
| Green Bay | 3 | 13 | 10 | 7—33 |
| Oakland | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7—14 |
After winning a record third consecutive NFL championship, Green Bay captured its second straight Super Bowl in a game that drew the first $3 million gate in football history. Bart Starr was again chosen the game’s most valuable player as he completed 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards.
The Packers were coming off the Ice Bowl victory over Dallas to win the NFL title.
Starr’s 62-yard pass to a wide-open Boyd Dowler gave the Packers a 13-0 second-quarter lead. Don Chandler kicked four field goals and Herb Adderley capped the Green Bay scoring with a 60-yard interception return. The Raiders’ two touchdowns came on a pair of 23-yard passes from Daryle Lamonica to Bill Miller.
The game marked the last for Vince Lombardi as Packers coach, ending nine years at Green Bay in which he won six Western Conference crowns, five NFL championships and two Super Bowls. —
___
| Super Bowl I |
|---|
| Jan. 15, 1967 |
At Los Angeles_61,946
| Kansas City | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0—10 |
| Green Bay | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7—35 |
Behind the passing of Bart Starr, the receiving of Max McGee and a key interception by safety Willie Wood, Green Bay broke open a tight game with three second-half touchdowns.
With Green Bay leading 14-10 early in the third quarter, Wood’s 40-yard interception return to the Chiefs 5-yard line set up Elijah Pitts’ touchdown run that gave Green Bay an 11-point lead.
McGee had broken curfew the night before not expecting to play in the game. Instead, he came in when Boyd Dowler was injured early in the game and caught seven passes from Starr for 138 yards and two touchdowns. McGee had caught only three passes during the 1966 season.
Pitts ran for two scores and Jim Taylor, who led all rushers with 53 yards, scored the Packers’ other touchdown.
Starr completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and was chosen the most valuable player. The Packers collected $15,000 per man and the Chiefs $7,500 the largest single-game shares in the history of team sports.
The game, called the AFL-NFL Championship, was not sold out at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
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