The Dallas staff thought they could take advantage of the Steelers' weak link—their special teams. The "tricky" Cowboys lived up to their billing on the opening kickoff. Roy Gerela kick­ed off to Preston Pearson. The former Steeler took the ball at the three and started to run upfield. At the 10, he handed to Hollywood Henderson, who had sprinted back from the 30. The speedy linebacker raced across the field and up the left side untouched until Gerela knocked him out of bounds on the Pitt 44. Gerela suffered a broken rib making the tackle, and the constant pain hampered his kicking all afternoon.

Dallas couldn't take advantage of the good field position, but they did score the next time they got the ball. After the Steelers were forced to punt on their first possession, Bobby Wal­den dropped the snap and was smothered at the 29.

Dallas immediately capitalized on the break. Staubach faked a handoff to FB Robert New­house to the right behind a pulling guard, then fired down the middle to Drew Pearson run­ning free across the middle from the right because S Mike Wagner didn't hear the checkoff to change the coverage. Pearson continued into the end zone untouched. Toni Fritsch, "the bald Austrian import," added the extra point. Dallas 7 Pittsburgh 0 (10:24)

Sticking to the ground, the Steelers moved to the Dallas 48. Then Bradshaw threw his first pass, and what a completion it was. The high-arcing ball looked like it was sailing out of bounds. But WR Lynn Swann ran down the right side and made a leaping acrobatic catch over CB Mark Washington for a 32y gain to the 16.

Bradshaw: "At first it looked like a terrible play. The Dallas guy's all over Swannie. He's got him covered perfect. No way we're gonna complete that ball."

Swann had taken ballet lessons as a boy. "When I was in grammar school, I felt more com­fortable on the dance floor than the football field." Through his senior year of high school, he studied ballet, modern dance, and tap.

Lynn recalled: "When we took the field, I was questioning my own ability. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to perform because of that brutal week of practice." Lynn said to himself, "I have to catch the first pass that's thrown to me, no matter what the pattern or where it's thrown. ... That catch seemed to boost me. I never had a day in my life when I felt so loose."

Three plays later, the Steelers tied the game. Bleier got five at left tackle and Harris four over the right side. With Pittsburgh deploying a heavy three-tight end package on 3rd-and-one, the Cowboys expected a run. But Bradshaw crossed them up by rolling out to the right and throwing on the run to TE Randy Grossman, who had faked a block and angled diagon­ally to the right in the end zone. Gerela's wobbly kick made it through the uprights. Dallas 7 Pittsburgh 7 (5:57)

Dallas took the kickoff and, starting from their 35 after Preston Pearson's 24y return, drove deep enough into Pitt territory to kick a field goal. The big plays were a 14y connection from Staubach to TE Jean Fugett to the Steelers 43. Then Newhouse took a quick inside handoff for 16y. After two runs gained nine, the Cowboys went to a two tight end formation. Ernie Holmes stopped Newhouse just inches short a 1st down.

Landry kept the offense on the field. Dennison went over left tackle for 3y to move the chains to the 15. Then MLB Jack Lambert decided enough was enough and dropped Preston Pearson for no gain. Jack Ham closed the hole and stopped Newhouse for a gain of just one to end the first quarter.

After the Cowboys had a false start that made their task harder—3rd-and-14, Staubach threw toward Fugett, but Edwards broke in front of the tight end and almost intercepted it. So Fritsch booted a 36y field goal. Dallas 10 Pittsburgh 7 (14:45)

Neither team got close enough to try a field goal for the rest of the half.

The scoreless third quarter was a carbon copy of the second except that Gerela missed a 33y field goal midway through the period.

The scoring drought finally ended in the fourth quarter in an unusual way. The sequence of plays started when Walden boomed a 59y punt to the Dallas 19. The Steelers sacked Stau­bach twice around a 1y gain by RB Doug Dennison. On fourth down, Mitch Hoopes went into punt formation. He received the snap at the one but took a moment to get control of it before moving forward to kick. With the Steelers rushing ten men, Reggie "Boobie" Harri­son came up the middle and blocked it out of the end zone for a safety. Dallas 10 Pittsburgh 9 (11:28)

Less than three minutes later, the Steelers took the lead. Starting from the Dallas 45 after the free kick return, three runs moved the chains to the 29. After two more carries, Pitt faced 3rd-and-one. Mistiming on the handoff on the next snap caused Harris to be stopped a foot short of the first down. Despite Gerella missing two field goals earlier—as many as he had missed inside the 40 all season, Noll sent him in and, with the wind, Roy gritted his teeth against the pain and put the pigskin through the uprights from the 26 to give the Steelers their first lead. Pittsburgh 12 Dallas 10 (8:41)

Despite the poor field position, Staubach took to the air, calling the same play that pro­duced the touchdown to Drew Pearson in the first quarter. But Mike Wagner diagnosed it perfectly this time and intercepted on the run at the 26 and continued until T Ralph Neely dropped him at the seven.

Knowing a touchdown would ice the game, the Cowboy defense dug in. After two runs gained seven, Harris tried left tackle but lost the ball, putting the hearts of Steeler fans in their throats. But Franco pulled the pigskin back into his arms at the three. Gerella came on for an 18y field goal. Pittsburgh 15 Dallas 10 (6:37)

Dallas had plenty of time to score a touchdown and regain the lead. But the Steel Curtain defense would have none of that. A 9y sack forced the Cowboys to punt.

The Bradshaw-to-Swann combination struck again to seal the victory. Reading a blitz, Terry dropped back, sidestepped the rush by LB D.D. Lewis, and threw the ball as far as he could down the middle. Swann raced downfield from his right flanker spot, Washington chas­ing him with no safety help because Harris had blitzed. Swann slowed slightly to adjust to the flight of the ball, which gave the cornerback a chance to make up a step on him. The ball drop­ped into Lynn's hands at the six as the defender tried to grab him. But the receiver shed him and ran into the end zone for an electrifying 64y touchdown. Gerella bounced the PAT off the left upright—no good. Pittsburgh 21 Dallas 10 (3:02)

Needing two scores, Dallas had to pass, pass, pass and go for it on any fourth down. Stau­bach was called "Captain Comeback" for a reason. However, the Cowboys had not crossed midfield in the second half. After a touchback, Roger hit Young over the middle for seven. Then Staubach made a beautiful throw to Pearson on a slant to the sideline just be­fore Drew stepped out at the Pitt 43 for a gain of 30. Then Captain America went to the left side to Preston Pearson, who went out of bounds on the 32. Crowded by the rush, Staubach ran forward until White brought him down for a 2y loss at the two-minute warning. Roger then threw to rookie TE Percy Howard at the left edge of the end zone as Blount fell down at the goal line. Fritsch converted. Pittsburgh 21 Dallas 17 (1:48)

The Steelers recovered the onside kick at the Dallas 42. The Steelers ran the ball three times, forcing the Cowboys to use their three timeouts. Then came a decision that was vig­orously discussed after the game and that some rate one of the gutsiest calls in Super Bowl history. Coach Chuck Noll decided not to send in punter Walton but to run another play. After consulting with Noll, Hanratty handed to Bleier, who gained two at right tackle, at which point the clock stopped for the change of possession. The Cowboys took over at their 39 with 1:22 left.

Some members of the Steelers' offense couldn't belief what Noll called. But Walden had dropped the snap on his first punt and nearly had two others blocked.

Staubach led the Cowboys to the Pitt 38. On the last play, he threw to the end zone where Wagner jumped and tipped the ball away from Drew Pearson into the hands of Ed­wards. Instead of going down as his teammates ran onto the field, Glen started up the field until he fell down at the 33. FINAL SCORE: PITTSBURGH 21 DALLAS 17