1970s Rivalry (Pittsburgh Steelers v. Dallas Cowboys)

The Pittsburgh Steelers, then known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, joined the NFL in 1933. From 1933 to 1959, they had only six winning seasons. The Dallas Cowboys joined the NFL in 1960. From 1960 to 1965, the Steelers and Cowboys met eleven times, with the Steelers winning seven. From 1966 to 1969, the Cowboys went 5–0 against Pittsburgh. The Steelers had only two winning seasons in the 1960s, while the Cowboys had only four.

LISTEN ON YOUR PODCAST APP OF CHOICE

POST-NFL MERGER

Following the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, the Steelers joined the AFC, while Dallas played in the NFC. The Cowboys reached the Super Bowl in 1970 and 1971, while Pittsburgh remained a bad team. The two teams met in Week 4 of the 1972 season. The Cowboys were without their starting quarterback, Roger Staubach, who had injured his shoulder in a preseason game and would miss most of the season.

With Pittsburgh leading 6–3 in the second quarter, cornerback Mel Blount recovered a fumble and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys answered with a touchdown of their own, and the first half ended with Pittsburgh holding a 13–10 lead. In the third quarter, running back Calvin Hill connected with receiver Ron Sellers on a 55-yard touchdown pass. The final score was Dallas 17, Pittsburgh 13.

Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw struggled, completing just 12 of 39 passes for 166 yards and an interception. Rookie running back Franco Harris carried the ball only three times for 16 yards. The key to the Cowboys’ victory was their running game.

Walt Garrison had 12 carries for 76 yards and added 30 yards receiving. Calvin Hill gained 108 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown. He added another 27 yards receiving and showcased his passing skills with a 55-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys’ offensive line did an excellent job of run-blocking against the Steel Curtain Defense.

The Cowboys went on to play in their third consecutive NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Redskins. The loss to Dallas dropped the Steelers’ record to 2–2. No one at the time could have imagined they would win 10 of their next 11 games before losing to the Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game. The Cowboys and Steelers would not play each other again until January 18, 1976, in Super Bowl X.

DEFENDING NFL CHAMPIONS

The Steelers were the defending NFL Champions, having won their first-ever title in Super Bowl IX. The Cowboys were rebuilding and not expected even to reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. But here they were, appearing in their third Super Bowl.

The Steelers were heavy favorites, but entering the fourth quarter, Dallas led 10–7, and it looked like they might pull off the upset. The tide shifted when the Steelers blocked a punt and scored two points on a safety. With 8:41 left, Roy Gerela kicked a field goal, giving the Steelers their first lead of the game. The Steelers went on to win 21–17.

The Steel Curtain Defense pressured Roger Staubach all day and recorded seven sacks. The Cowboys’ Doomsday Defense did a good job of shutting down Franco Harris, holding him to 82 yards on 27 carries, but it had a tough time containing the Steelers’ passing attack. Terry Bradshaw passed for 209 yards on 19 attempts, with two touchdowns, earning a 122.5 passer rating. MVP Lynn Swann caught four passes for 161 yards, including a touchdown.

1977 SEASON

They would play again in week ten of the 1977 season. Dallas entered the game with an 8–1 record, while the Steelers were struggling at 5–4. The Cowboys led 13–7 in the second quarter, but the Steelers scored three unanswered touchdowns to win 28–13.

The Cowboys’ offense didn’t play poorly and actually outgained Pittsburgh in total yardage, 337 to 320. But the Steelers’ defense forced two interceptions and held the Cowboys to just two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a 13-yard run by rookie sensation Tony Dorsett, who gained 73 yards on 17 carries. The offensive star of the game for Pittsburgh was Franco Harris, who ran for 179 yards on 29 carries and scored two touchdowns. Harris and the offensive line were so effective that Terry Bradshaw threw the ball only twelve times.

FIRST SUPER BOWL REMATCH

On Jan. 21, 1979, the Cowboys and Steelers met for the fourth time in the decade. It was the first-ever Super Bowl rematch. The winner would become the first team to win three Super Bowls. Most expected another defensive battle, similar to their Super Bowl X meeting three years earlier. Instead, they saw big plays, controversial plays, and a high-scoring game. The Steelers led 21–14 at halftime and held on to win 35–31.

Tony Dorsett had a big day for the Cowboys, rushing for 96 yards on 16 carries and adding 44 yards receiving. One can only wonder why he wasn’t used more. The Cowboys’ defense shut down the Steelers’ running game, holding them to 66 yards on 24 carries. But they could not stop the Steelers’ potent passing game.

Before being knocked out of the game with an injury, John Stallworth caught 3 passes for 115 yards and scored two touchdowns. Lynn Swann caught 7 passes for 124 yards and scored one touchdown. Both Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach had big games. Each threw 30 passes, completed 17, and threw only one interception.

Bradshaw threw four touchdown passes and was sacked four times, while Staubach threw three touchdowns and was sacked five times. The big difference was in yardage. Bradshaw threw for 318 yards, while Staubach threw for 228 yards. Bradshaw won the Super Bowl MVP award.

LAST MEETING OF THE 70s

Nine months later, the teams met again in week nine of the regular season. This game was a defensive battle, with Dallas gaining 278 yards to the Steelers’ 288. Franco Harris had a big day, rushing for 108 yards on 18 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The final score was Pittsburgh 14, Dallas 3.

Just how intense was the rivalry? Not nearly as intense as the Redskins vs. the Cowboys or the Raiders vs. the Steelers. Maybe the only reason it was considered a rivalry at all was that only three of the ten Super Bowls played in the 1970s didn’t include the Steelers or Cowboys. The Cowboys were the dominant team in the NFC, while the Steelers were the dominant team in the AFC. Up to that point, they were the only two teams to play each other twice in the Super Bowl.

By the 1980s, the rivalry had lost its luster, as many of the players had retired and neither team returned to the Super Bowl. The two teams met only three times in the 1980s, with Pittsburgh winning two and Dallas winning one.

The Steelers and Cowboys met four times in the 1990s, with Dallas winning all four. The most significant of those games was Super Bowl XXX, played on Jan. 28, 1996. Neither team ran the ball effectively. The Steelers held Emmitt Smith to 49 yards on 18 carries and outgained the Cowboys in total yardage, 310 to 254.

Receiver Andre Hastings had a big day for the Steelers, catching ten passes for 98 yards, but the game came down to the quarterbacks. Neil O’Donnell struggled, throwing three interceptions and getting sacked four times. Troy Aikman played a solid game, completing 15 of 23 pass attempts for 209 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. The final score was Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17.

The teams have played each other only six times in the 2000s, with each team winning three. Overall, the Steelers and Cowboys have played 34 times, with the Cowboys winning 18. They are the only two teams to have faced each other in three Super Bowls.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)