As Dallas WR Drew Pearson was warming up before the NFC Divisional Round game at Metropolitan Stadium, he looked up at the big cutout cowboy on top of the scoreboard beyond the end zone.

"If I score one today, you get the ball, big guy," he thought to himself and then laughed.

At the same time, Cowboys QB Roger Staubach was trying to loosen up. The taped up ribs he bruised a week earlier were bothering him, and the 27° weather wasn't helping. He told teammates that his injury affected him "when I throw deep. That's when I can feel it. It's going to be hard to really uncork one today."

Minnesota, the number one seed, was heavily favored. Two of the Cowboys' longtime stal­warts, DT Bob Lilly and RB Walt Garrison, had retired before the season, and several other Cowboys were showing their age. Twelve rookies had made the team. However, they had earned a wild-card spot in the playoffs on the strength of their Doomsday Defense and Stau­bach's big-play magic. Also, the last time the Cowboys played in Minneapolis, they won and went on to win the Super Bowl. However, Dallas was a 7- to 8-point underdog this time.

"We can win," said Dallas coach Tom Landry. "It will take a great effort, but I think we have the type of team that can play well against Minnesota. We haven't beaten them in the past few year, but we've played them close."

Landry was asked if he planned any major changes against the fierce Viking defense or the offense led by Fran Tarkenton.

"We're going to use the things that brought us here. We're not going to do anything spectac­ularly new. That would be kind of foolish at this stage of the game."

The Vikings had moved to Tulsa OK during the week to prepare for the game in less frigid weather.

Tarkenton, like "Roger the Dodger," was often able to evade the rush with his feet and throw on the run.

Vikings coach Bud Grant said, "If any two quarterbacks resemble each other, it's Tarken­ton and Staubach. Their style is similar. Both are very mobile and their ability to move poses a lot of problems for the defense. Staubach might have a little stronger arm and has thrown the ball farther. But this may be because Dallas throws more to its wide receivers and goes for the bomb more than we do."

Grant didn't realize how prophetic his analysis would prove to be.

As most writers and fans expected, the defenses prevailed in the first half. The only score was set when a punt by Minnesota's Neil Clabo landed inside the Dallas five and caromed crazily. It either grazed or just missed Cowboy DB Cliff Harris. Viking LB Fred McNeill jumped on the ball at the four, and the officials gave the ball to Minnesota. That ignited a virulent protest from the Cowboys.

In the press box, Cowboys general manager Tex Stram bellowed, "One of the worst call I've ever seen in my life!"

Three plays later, RB Chuck Foreman plunged into the end zone from the one. Fred Cox's PAT made the score Vikings 7 Cowboys 0.

After the game, NFL assistant supervisor of officials Jack Reader explained, "The official who made the call was field judge Armen Terzian, and he said that he ruled the ball hit Cliff Harris of Dallas on the back of the leg."

Harris said the ball didn't touch him. A television replay showed it landed closest to Bennie Barnes, and the initial report from the field said it was touched by a Cowboy lineman who thought it had nicked one of his teammates.

Dallas G Blaine Nye summarized Coach Landry's offensive game plan this way: "Take it to them straight ahead, no fancy stuff. Just straightaway blocking." The objective was to avoid second-and-10. As a result, the Cowboys averaged 4y a crack on first down through the first three quarters.

Nye said afterwards: "It was tough. That Viking front four must all be able to run the 100 in 10 seconds. But I don't think they're used to being run at that way, right up the middle. That left Siemon (the middle linebacker) by himself much of the time."

The Cowboy offense finally got moving after halftime. On a crucial third-down play at the Dallas 35, Staubach threw to RB Preston Pearson for a 14y gain and a first down. Shortly thereafter, a 15y roughness penalty against Minnesota LB Wally Hilgenberg took Dallas to the Vikings' 36. Staubach then hit RE Billy Joe Dupree with a pass for a first down at the 19. Three straight runs put the ball on the four. With the Vikings expecting a pass, Staubach handed to reserve FB Doug Dennison, who rambled into the end zone to tie the game 7-7.

"We had to get onto the scoreboard to get some confidence," said Staubach. "We wanted the defense to know that they weren't just fighting out there for nothing."

The Cowboys took their first lead on their next possession when Staubach converted two third downs and one fourth down to put Tony Fritsch in range to kick a 24y field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. Cowboys 10 Vikings 7

Landry: "I really felt our defense was outplaying them. It wasn't a spectacular game to that point, but we were playing very well."

10-7 remained the score until Tarkenton directed Minnesota's only sustained drive midway through the final period to retake the lead. He converted three straight first downs passing, then sent Foreman and McClanahan up the middle for large gains. That set up McClana­han's one-yard TD burst with just 5:11 left. Vikings 14 Cowboys 10

Back in Georgia, Reverend Dallas Tarkenton, Fran's father, was watching the game with two of his sons. During the commercial after the Vikings touchdown, he suddenly gasped and lurched forward in his chair. An ambulance was called.

The Vikings appeared to be on their way to their third straight Super Bowl. "It looked pretty grim," admitted Tom Landry. "I was feeling sorry for our defense, for the team really, because everybody had played so well."

The Cowboys' prospects became bleaker when they went backwards on their next posses­sion and punted on fourth down.

The Dallas defense came through with a much-needed three-and-out, although they had to use up their timeouts doing so. That led to a fair catch at the Dallas 19 with 1:51 on the clock.

The Cowboys had to go 81y and score a touchdown with no timeouts left. Here's the play-by-play of arguably the most famous—if not the greatest—winning drive in NFL history.

Staubach tosses to Pearson, his favorite receiver in clutch situations, who steps out of bounds at the 24. 1:45 left.

Incomplete pass to Richards, broken up by Bryant. 1:40

Roger scrambles and tosses to Richards for a first down at the 31.

Third straight low pass from center forces Staubach to fall on the ball for a loss of five. C John Fitzgerald explained: "My elbow's messed up still. Maybe it'll work itself out. But sometimes it's stiff, and I can'tmake it work. Other times it's okay. I'll have to see."

Staubach moves left to escape the rush and throws too high to TE Jean Fugett. 0:52

Escaping to the left again, Roger hurls the ball out of bounds to stop the clock at 0:44.

Rookie Kyle Davis replaces Fitzgerald at center.

With the season on the line on fourth down and no plays coming from the sideline, Staubach asks Pearson, "Got any ideas?"

"I think I can beat my man on a corner pattern."

"Which side of the field of the field do you want?"

"To the right."

Roger tells the new center, "I need a good snap and some blocking."

Staubach throws to the right sideline to Pearson who jumps to catch it as Nate Wright pushes him out of bounds. By rule, if the receiver doesn't get both feet in bounds because he was pushed across the line, the pass is complete. 1st down at midfield with 0:37 on the clock.

Pearson is gasping for breath as he goes to the huddle.

"Can you run the same pattern" (as the previous play), Roger asks. "Only go deep?"

Pearson says he's too tired. Call something else.

Roger fires a fast ball that sails between Pearson and Minnesota 48 with 0:32 left.

"I'm ready now," Pearson tells Staubach in the huddle.

Pearson lines up to the right. From the shotgun, Roger rares back and, ignoring his sore ribs, throws a long pass down the right sideline.

Pearson lines up on the right. "I made a little fake to the middle at about 15 yards. It's the same route, the same move I'd made the year before when Clint Longley hit me with a long pass to beat the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day. Only that time, the defender took the fake. This time he didn't."

Wright didn't take the fake because he knew he had help from S Paul Krause over the middle. When Pearson put on a burst, Wright turned to run with him.

Staubach: "When I saw Wright turn like that, I felt we had a chance. When they take their eyes off the ball, strange things can happen."

Roger rares back and, ignoring his sore ribs, throws a long pass down the right sidelines that Pearson turns and catches at the five as the defender, Nate Wright, falls down behind him, and Krause comes over too late. Pearson steps into the end zone to put the Cowboys ahead 16-14.

The entire Dallas sideline team rushes onto the field to celebrate while the Minnesota sideline goes berserk, insisting that Pearson commited offensive interference. The closest official isn't buying it because Pearson backed into Wright while catching the ball.

Something flew by Pearson in the end zone.

"I thought it was a penalty flag," he said. "It could have been. There probably was inter­ference; I'm not sure. It could have been called on either one of us."

It was an orange that someone in the stands had hurled onto the field.

Pearson turned around after the catch, took a running start, and aimed the ball at the Marlboro Man, trying to hit him in the hat, but instead the ball bounced off the scoreboard.

Staubach hadn't seen the catch. "I didn't think I could throw it that far, to the end zone. Figure I'm ten yards behind the line, which was the fifty. One time I threw a ball 65y, but I just didn't think I could reach all the way to the end zone."

One of the reporters told Roger that Pearson caught the ball on the five.

"You mean he caught the ball and ran in for the touchdown? It was ... a very, very lucky play."

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Vikings' Alan Page was assessed on the kickoff. The kick was foolishly returned to the 15 to waste precious seconds.

Before being sacked by Too Tall Jones, Tarkenton yelled at the official who failed to call the offensive interference. As the Vikings lined up for second down, field judge Armen Terzian dropped to the ground after being hit in the head by an empty bottle thrown from the stands.

After Terzian was carried off minutes later, Tarkenton interrupted his jawing at the officials to toss a pass to Foreman who was tackled at the 15 with 0:07 left. After a timeout, Tarken­ton was sacked for a loss of four.

FINAL SCORE: DALLAS 17 MINNESOTA 14

Shortly after the spectacular touchdown pass, Reverend Tarkenton died of a massive heart attack in the hospital in Savannah GA. His son Fran received the news after the game and left immediately.

All the Vikings wanted to talk about was the winning pass play.

"A lot of basketball was played out there," Coach Grant said. "You go up for a ball, push off and grab the rebound. Pearson made a great play. I think he realized he had nothing to lose when he want after the ball. It was clear as day and night that Wright was pushed. It was a 100-to-1 shot that Pearson would get the ball. But if he does, that's the ball game. What else is there?"

"Very coincidentally, the play happened to Mr. Bergman. Quite a coincidence."

Grant was referring to linesman Jerry Bergman whose call in the fourth quarter of the Miami-Buffalo game three weeks earlier provoked Bills owner Ralph Wilson to complain so bitterly that he was fined $5,000. Grant refused to comment any further on the officiating.

However, he was clearly disturbed by the injury to Terzian. "That was a terrible, terrible thing to happen. I apologize to him and the entire nation for this happening in our ball park."

In the Cowboys locker room, Pearson said both he and Wright did some pushing, and it could have gone either way.

When asked about his game-winning pass, Staubach (a devout Catholic) replied, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary." Ever since, any desperation pass at the end of a half or game has been called a "Hail Mary."