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National Football League playoffs The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaki ...
for the 1979 season began on December 23, 1979. The postseason tournament concluded with the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
defeating the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in
Super Bowl XIV Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
, 31–19, on January 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
.


Participants


Bracket


Schedule

In the United States,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
broadcast the AFC playoff games, while
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
televised the
NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
games and
Super Bowl XIV Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
.


Wild Card playoffs


Sunday, December 23, 1979


NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Chicago Bears 17

In the first NFL postseason game played in Philadelphia since the
1960 NFL Championship Game The 1960 NFL Championship Game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on Monday, December 26, at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvan ...
, Eagles Quarterback
Ron Jaworski Partner owner , highlights= * Pro Bowl (1980) * Bert Bell Award (1980) * Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame ;NFL record * Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied) , statlabel1= TD– INT , statvalue1=179–164 , statlabel2=Yards , statvalue2=28,19 ...
threw for 204 yards and 3 touchdown passes as Philadelphia overcame a 17–10 Bears halftime lead. The Eagles scored first when Jaworski threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Harold Carmichael Lee Harold Carmichael (born September 22, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1971–1983) and one season for ...
. Chicago responded with an 82-yard drive to score on running back
Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...
's 2-yard rushing touchdown. Then after Philadelphia added a field goal from Tony Franklin, Payton scored again on a 1-yard touchdown run. Later in the second quarter, Bears lineman
Alan Page Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American retired judge and former professional football He gained national recognition as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during 15 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings an ...
recovered a fumble from Jaworski on the Eagles 16-yard line, leading to Bob Thomas' 30-yard field goal that gave Chicago a 17-10 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Payton ripped off an 84-yard run on his first carry, but it was called back by an illegal motion penalty against receiver
Brian Baschnagel Brian Dale Baschnagel (born January 8, 1954 in Kingston, New York) is a former American football player. He played wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. Early life Brian Baschnagel's family relocated often due to his father's professional respo ...
. Following a punt, The Eagles tied the game on Jaworski's 29-yard touchdown pass to Carmichael. Chicago responded with a drive to the Philadelphia 9-yard line, but defensive back Bob Howard ended the scoring threat by intercepting
Mike Phipps Michael Elston Phipps (born January 19, 1947) is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Phipps played college footbal ...
in the end zone. A few plays later, Jaworski threw a 63-yard touchdown to running back Billy Campfield to take the lead for good. Over 12 minutes remained in the game at this point, but the Bears would only manage one first down during this time. With 7:31 left, Philly defensive tackle
Jerry Robinson Sherrill David Robinson (January 1, 1922 – December 7, 2011), known as Jerry Robinson, was an American comic book artist known for his work on DC Comics' Batman line of comics during the 1940s. He is best known as the co-creator of Robin and ...
recovered a fumble from Bears receiver Dave Williams that set up Franklin's 34-yard field goal. Chicago got one last change to score when linebacker Gary Campbell recovered a fumble from Eagles running back
Wilbert Montgomery Wilbert Montgomery (born September 16, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. He was also the running ...
on the Philadelphia 28. But their ensuing drive ended with another turnover, this time an interception by defensive back
Herm Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
. Carmichael finished the game with 6 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Had the Bears won, they would have faced the number one seed Cowboys. Ineligible to play against Dallas, the Eagles instead played the number two seed Buccaneers in the Divisional Round while the Cowboys faced the Rams. The Eagles' wild card victory therefore ensured that a team other than the Cowboys, Rams or
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
would reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
' appearance in the 1972 title game. This was the first postseason meeting between the Bears and Eagles.


AFC: Houston Oilers 13, Denver Broncos 7

The Oilers managed to shut down the Broncos offense for most of the game en route to a 13–7 win, holding the Broncos to 216 yards and recording six sacks. Oilers quarterback
Dan Pastorini Dante Anthony Pastorini (born May 26, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Santa Clara University and wa ...
's 41-yard completion to running back Ron Coleman set up the game's first score on
Toni Fritsch Anton K. "Toni" Fritsch (10 July 1945 – 14 September 2005) was an Austrian footballer who later started a successful career in American football in the United States. He is distinguished as being the first Austrian to play in the National Footba ...
31-yard field goal. Denver then marched 80 yards in 13 plays to score on quarterback
Craig Morton Larry Craig Morton (born February 5, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football at California, ...
's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Dave Preston. From that point on, the Oilers controlled the rest of the game. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, Houston advanced 74 yards to score on running back
Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Kn ...
's 3-yard touchdown run. Although Campbell, Pastorini, and receiver
Ken Burrough Kenneth Othell Burrough (July 14, 1948 – February 24, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was a track star and played quarterback at Wil ...
all missed the second half with injuries, the Oilers defense continued to dominate. In the fourth quarter, a 15-yard interception return to the Broncos 20-yard line by linebacker
Gregg Bingham Gregory Raleigh Bingham (born March 13, 1951) is a former National Football League linebacker, who played from 1973 through 1985 for the Houston Oilers. He played football at Chicago's Gordon Tech High School as a tight end and linebacker and w ...
set up Fritsch's 20-yard field goal with 4:18 left in regulation. This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Oilers.


Divisional playoffs


Saturday, December 29, 1979


NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17

The Buccaneers won their first playoff game in team history by jumping to a 17–0 lead and holding the Eagles to 48 rushing yards, while running back Ricky Bell recorded 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. This would have been an incredible accomplishment by itself, but it was made historic by the fact that the Bucs had gone 0-26 in their first two seasons just two years ago. Tampa Bay marched on an 18-play, 80-yard opening drive that took 9:25 off the clock to score on Bell's 4-yard touchdown run. Philadelphia responded with a drive into scoring range, but their drive ended ugly. First they attempted a fake 47-yard field goal, but they failed to snap the ball before the play clock ran out. Then Tony Franklin's 52-yard field goal was no good. Tampa Bay took the ball back and drove to a 10–0 lead on Neil O'Donohue's 40-yard field goal. Then on the Eagles next drive, running back
Wilbert Montgomery Wilbert Montgomery (born September 16, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. He was also the running ...
lost a fumble that nose tackle
Randy Crowder Randolph Channing Crowder Sr. (born July 30, 1952) is a former American football defensive lineman in the NFL. He played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He attended Penn State University, where he was ...
recovered on the Philadelphia 5-yard line. Three plays later, Bell scored on a 1-yard fourth down run, increasing the Bucs lead to 17–0 with 5:12 left in the half. Later on, Eagles linebacker
Jerry Robinson Sherrill David Robinson (January 1, 1922 – December 7, 2011), known as Jerry Robinson, was an American comic book artist known for his work on DC Comics' Batman line of comics during the 1940s. He is best known as the co-creator of Robin and ...
intercepted a pass from Doug Williams and returned it 37 yards to set up
Ron Jaworski Partner owner , highlights= * Pro Bowl (1980) * Bert Bell Award (1980) * Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame ;NFL record * Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied) , statlabel1= TD– INT , statvalue1=179–164 , statlabel2=Yards , statvalue2=28,19 ...
's 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith, making the score 17–7 by halftime. Philadelphia took the second half kickoff and drove 45 yards to score on Franklin's 42-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17–10. This would be the last score until 7:08 remained in the game, when Williams threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to
Jimmie Giles Jimmie Giles, Jr. (born November 8, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alcorn State University and was selected by the Houston Oil ...
. Now down 24–10, Philadelphia made a desperate comeback attempt. First they drove 80 yards in 9 plays and scored on Jaworski's 37-yard bomb to
Harold Carmichael Lee Harold Carmichael (born September 22, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1971–1983) and one season for ...
. Their defense then forced a punt with 2:11 left in the game, giving them one last chance for a tying touchdown. Jaworski's completions to Carmichael and Smith for gains of 16 and 25 yards moved the ball to the Bucs 45-yard line. But his next four passes were incomplete, enabling Tampa Bay to take over and run out the clock. This was the first postseason meeting between the Eagles and Buccaneers.


AFC: Houston Oilers 17, San Diego Chargers 14

The Oilers offense, playing without starting quarterback
Dan Pastorini Dante Anthony Pastorini (born May 26, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Santa Clara University and wa ...
, receiver
Ken Burrough Kenneth Othell Burrough (July 14, 1948 – February 24, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was a track star and played quarterback at Wil ...
, and running back
Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Kn ...
due to injuries, could only generate 259 yards compared to San Diego's 385. But they still won the game, largely due to the effort of rookie safety
Vernon Perry Vernon Perry Jr. (born September 22, 1953 in Jackson, Mississippi) is a former professional American football player who played safety for five seasons. He played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Previously he played with the Montr ...
, who set a playoff record with 4 interceptions as the Oilers defeated the Chargers 17–14. In his first career playoff game, Chargers future hall of fame quarterback
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
threw for 333 yards, but was intercepted 5 times. The Chargers' high powered offense scored on their first possession of the game and of the second half but turnovers prevented further scoring. San Diego took the opening kickoff and started out strong, moving the ball 81 yards in 11 plays. Fouts completed a 34-yard pass to tight end Greg McCrary and a 17-yarder to
John Jefferson John Larry Jefferson (né Washington; born February 3, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, h ...
before Clarence Williams' 1-yard rushing touchdown finished the drive. The Chargers threatened to score again on their next drive, but Perry intercepted a pass at the Houston 18-yard line. In the second quarter, Perry blocked a field goal attempt and returned the ball 57 yards to the San Diego 28-yard line, setting up
Toni Fritsch Anton K. "Toni" Fritsch (10 July 1945 – 14 September 2005) was an Austrian footballer who later started a successful career in American football in the United States. He is distinguished as being the first Austrian to play in the National Footba ...
's 26-yard field goal. On San Diego's next drive, Perry recorded another interception and lateralled the ball to safety
Mike Reinfeldt Michael Ray Reinfeldt (born May 6, 1953) is a former American football player and executive. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and was the captain of the Panthers in their last season of varsity football in 1974. Reinfeldt pl ...
, who gained 7 yards to the Chargers 38. Three plays later, Oilers quarterback
Gifford Nielsen Stanley Gifford "Giff" Nielsen (born October 25, 1954) is a former American football quarterback who played professionally for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL). He was the sports director of KHOU in Houston from 1984 until ...
rushed 14 yards to the Chargers 4-yard line. San Diego's defense managed to keep them out of the end zone for three plays, but on Fritch's field goal attempt, they were penalized for having 12 men on the field, moving the ball just inches away from the goal line. On fourth and inches with 19 seconds left in the half, Houston coach
Bum Phillips Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips Jr. (September 29, 1923 – October 18, 2013) was an American football coach at the high school, college and professional levels. He served as head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers fro ...
decided to gamble and go for the touchdown, a gamble that paid off when
Boobie Clark Charles Lee "Boobie" Clark (November 8, 1949October 25, 1988) was a professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons and was named the UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year for 1973. Early ...
scored on a sweep left to give the Oilers a 10–7 first half lead. In the third period, Fouts connected with
Charlie Joiner Charles B. Joiner Jr. (born October 14, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He is best known for his career w ...
for 20 yards and hit tight end Bob Klein for 16, with a roughing the passer penalty turning it into a 31-yard gain.
Lydell Mitchell Lydell Douglas Mitchell (born May 30, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams from 1972 to 1980. ...
finished the 65-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to give the Chargers a 14–10 lead. However, Houston defensive back J.C. Wilson's interception later gave Houston the ball at the San Diego 44-yard line. Faced with 3rd and 13 two plays later, Nielsen threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to receiver
Mike Renfro Michael Ray Renfro (born June 19, 1955) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Texas Christian University. Early years Renfro a ...
, putting the Oilers back in front at 17–14. There were still more than 17 minutes left in regulation, but this would be the final score. Perry recorded two more interceptions as the Oilers defense shut down the Chargers offense for the rest of the game. After the game, it was revealed that the Oilers coaching staff was able to figure out the Chargers' coaches' signs as they signaled the play call from the sideline; this was one reason their defensive backs seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. "We pretty much knew ahead of time when they were going to pass, and where they were going to pass it." said Oilers defensive coordinator
Ed Biles Edward G. Biles (October 18, 1931 – April 5, 2020) was an American football coach whose most prominent position was as head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team ...
. It was a monumental upset against the heavily favored Chargers, who had scored at least 26 points in 10 games during the season and had defeated both eventual Super Bowl teams, the Rams and Steelers, by a combined scoring margin of 75-23. It was the first AFC playoff game that was a rematch of an earlier AFL championship game. This was the third postseason meeting between the Oilers and Chargers. Houston won both meetings when both teams were in the AFL.


Sunday, December 30, 1979


AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Miami Dolphins 14

The Steelers scored 20 points in the first quarter and held the Dolphins to 25 rushing yards. Miami future hall of fame running back
Larry Csonka Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is a former professional American football fullback who played for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years, and a short stint with the Mem ...
was held to just 20 rushing yards on 10 carries in the final game of his career, while Steelers quarterback
Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
threw for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the opening drive of the game, Pittsburgh marched 62 yards in 13 plays to score on running back
Sidney Thornton Sidney Thornton (September 2, 1954 – January 29, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round (48th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . running back fr ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. On their second possession, the Steelers advanced another 62 yards in 9 plays, 36 of them on carries by Thornton, to score on wide receiver
John Stallworth Johnny Lee Stallworth (born July 15, 1952) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is considered to be one of the best wide receivers in NFL history. He pl ...
's 17-yard touchdown reception (although the extra point was blocked). And on their third drive, they moved the ball 56 yards to score on wide receiver
Lynn Swann Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is an American former football player, broadcaster, politician, and athletic director, best known for his association with the University of Southern California and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He served on the ...
's 20-yard touchdown reception. In the second quarter, the Dolphins moved the ball 63 yards to the Pittsburgh 6-yard line, but then lost it when a safety blitz by J. T. Thomas forced quarterback
Bob Griese Robert Allen Griese (pronounced ; born February 3, 1945) is a former American football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Gries ...
to throw a rushed pass that was intercepted by linebacker Dennis Winston. Miami soon got another chance to score when
Larry Gordon Larry Gordon (July 8, 1954 – June 25, 1983) was an American football linebacker who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. A member of the Dolphins' Silver Anniversary team, he was in the starting lineup ...
recovered Thornton's fumble on the Steelers 5, but all this resulted in was a turnover on downs. Faced with 4th and 2, Griese tried to connect with tight end
Bruce Hardy Bruce Alan Hardy (born June 1, 1956 in Murray, Utah), is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 9th round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'5", 232 lbs. tight end from Arizona State University ...
in the end zone, but Hardy collided with receiver
Nat Moore Nat or NAT may refer to: Computing * Network address translation (NAT), in computer networking Organizations * National Actors Theatre, New York City, U.S. * National AIDS trust, a British charity * National Archives of Thailand * National As ...
and the pass fell incomplete. The Steelers had a chance to increase their lead even more right before halftime when they tackled Dolphins punter George Roberts on the Miami 21 before he could make a kick. But
Matt Bahr Matthew David Bahr (born July 6, 1956) is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League, and professional soccer player in the North American Soccer League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pe ...
's 30-yard field goal was eliminated by a Pittsburgh holding penalty, which ran off the final seconds of the half. In the second half, Pittsburgh primarily relied on their rushing game to protect their lead. Despite Miami having the second highest ranked run defense during the season, and an injury that sidelined Thornton in the second half, the Steelers ended up running the ball 40 times during the game, with
Franco Harris Franco Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection ...
gaining 83 yards on 21 carries. Miami finally scored in the third quarter after defensive back Don Bessillieu recovered a punt that bounced into the leg of Pittsburgh blocker Dwayne Woodruff on the Steelers 11-yard line, leading to Griese's 7-yard touchdown pass to
Duriel Harris Duriel LaDon Harris, Jr. (born November 27, 1954) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at New Mexico State Un ...
. However, the Steelers responded by advancing 69 yards to score on running back
Rocky Bleier Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier ( , born March 5, 1946) is a former professional American football player. He was a National Football League (NFL) halfback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 and from 1970 to 1980. Origin of nickname Nicknamed ...
's 1-yard touchdown. Harris' 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. This was the final NFL game for Csonka, as well as the final playoff game for Griese, who completed just 14 of 26 passes for 118 yards and was sacked 8 times before being replaced by
Don Strock Donald Joseph Strock (born November 27, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins (1973–1987), Cleveland Browns (1988), and Ind ...
with 8:55 left in the fourth quarter. Strock actually ended up with more passing yards, going 8/14 for 125 yards and leading the team 76 yards to their final score on a 1-yard Csonka run. This was the second postseason meeting between the Dolphins and Steelers. Miami won the only prior meeting.


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 21, Dallas Cowboys 19

The Cowboys had handled the Rams in the last two meetings between the teams, soundly defeating an injured Los Angeles team during the regular season 30–6 after shutting them out in last season's NFC title game 28–0. Dallas came into this game after an impressive win against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the last game of the regular season in which quarterback
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
, already famous for his fourth quarter comebacks, added one more to his resume by rallying the Cowboys back from a 34–21 fourth quarter deficit to a 35–34 win. But this day belonged to the Rams as quarterback
Vince Ferragamo Vince Anthony Ferragamo (born April 24, 1954) is an American former gridiron football player. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). Early years Born in Torrance, ...
led them to a victory by throwing for three touchdown passes, the last one with 2:06 left in the game. The game started out as a defensive struggle with Dallas punting on their first three drives and Los Angeles punting on their first two. On the Rams third possession, they started out on their own 12-yard line and a penalty pushed them back 5 yards to the 7. On second, Ferragamo dropped back into the end zone, scrambled forward, then tripped and fell over his own feet still in the end zone, where Randy White fell on him for a safety, giving Dallas a 2–0 lead. The Cowboys started their next drive with great field position on their own 46-yard line after the free kick, but two plays later, quarterback Staubach's pass was intercepted by defensive back Eddie Brown and returned 21 yards to the Dallas 32. The Rams also proved unable to take advantage of good field position, as their ensuing drive ended with a missed 44-yard field goal attempt by
Frank Corral Juan Francisco Corrales Rodríguez (born June 16, 1955), better known as Frank Corral, is a Mexican-American former NFL placekicker who played from 1978 to 1981. He attended Norte Vista High School in Riverside, California and played college foo ...
. The second quarter began with more punting from both teams, but eventually the Rams offense managed to get on track, driving 93 yards to score on Ferragamo's 32-yard touchdown pass to running back
Wendell Tyler Wendell Avery Tyler (born May 20, 1955) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 3rd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 198 lbs. running back from UCLA, Tyler played in 10 NFL seaso ...
, making the score 7–2. Dallas struck back with Staubach completing a 17-yard pass to Drew Pearson and a 16-yarder to tight end
Billy Joe Dupree Billy Joe DuPree (born March 7, 1950) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University. Early years DuPree was born and raised in Monro ...
, moving the ball close enough for Rafael Septién to kick a 33-yard field goal and cut the score to 7–5. As time was running out in the half, Ferragamo managed to get the Rams to the Cowboys 43-yard line. Just 11 seconds before halftime he fired a pass to Ron Smith in the end zone just before being leveled by White. Smith made a leaping catch between two defenders for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 14–5 lead going into halftime. Cowboys DB
Dennis Thurman Dennis Lee Thurman (born April 13, 1956) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the former Defensive coordinator on Deion Sanders' inaugural staff at Jackson State University. He is a former coach in the National Football Lea ...
gave his team an early second half scoring opportunity, intercepting Ferragamo on the Rams opening drive and returning the ball 18 yards to the Los Angeles 32-yard line. But their offense could not move the ball and ended up with a punt. Once again the "
Doomsday Defense The Doomsday Defense was the defense of the Dallas Cowboys American football team during the dynasty years of the late 1960s - 1970s. This defense was the backbone of the Cowboys' dynasty, which won two Super Bowls ( VI, XII) and played in three mo ...
" kept the Rams in check, and after a Los Angeles punt, Dallas took the ball back on their own 46. On the next play, Staubach threw to Pearson for a 29-yard gain. Then from the Los Angeles 25, they tried a
halfback option play The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key t ...
. It seemed to work at first, with running back
Ron Springs Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...
throwing a touchdown pass to Tony Hill, but officials ruled he didn't have both feet in bounds before stepping out of the back of the end zone. Then Staubach missed on a pass to
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
in the end zone. However, the Rams were flagged for pass interference, moving the ball to the 1-yard line, and Springs ran the ball in for a score on the next play, cutting the score to 14–12. Dallas' situation got even better from there as safety
Cliff Harris Clifford Allen Harris (born November 12, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Sup ...
intercepted a pass from Ferragamo and returned it 22 yards to his 43-yard line. After the turnover, Dallas scored on Staubach's 2-yard touchdown toss to tight end
Jay Saldi John Jay Saldi, IV (born October 8, 1954) is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He played college football at the University of South Carolina. Early year ...
, giving the team a 19–14 lead with 12:46 left in regulation. Both teams had some success moving on the ball on the next few drives, but failed to score on each one. The Rams responded with a drive to the Cowboys 32-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs while trying to convert a 4th and 8. On Dallas' first play after that,
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
ran the ball 26 yards to the Rams 42. But Dallas could go no further and ended up punting. Then Ferragamo connected with
Billy Waddy Billy Waddy (February 19, 1954 – January 21, 2022) was an American professional football player who played wide receiver for seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. Waddy was a legitimate deep threat, who averaged 16 ...
for a 36-yard completion on the Cowboys 44, only to have a holding penalty two plays later push them back into their own territory and end punting again. Dallas took the ball back on their own 21 with 2:45 left, needing only to run out the clock to win the game. On first down,
Robert Newhouse Robert Fulton Newhouse (January 9, 1950 – July 22, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys for twelve seasons. He played college football for the Hou ...
was dropped for a 1-yard loss. Then they tried a screen pass to Hill, but only gained 1-yard. On a third down pass play, Staubach tried to scramble, but was stuffed for no gain and a punt followed. The Rams had used all their timeouts on the possession, but got the ball back at midfield with 2:16 left in the game. On their first play, Ferragamo threw a pass over the middle to Waddy, who caught the ball at the 28 and took off to the end zone to give the Rams a 21–19 lead. Although Dorsett rushed for 12 yards on the first play of the Cowboys' ensuing possession, Staubach was unable to engineer a late fourth-quarter comeback like the ones that made him famous throughout his career. After two incompletions, the Rams defense pressured the Dallas quarterback to throw a pass illegally to an ineligible receiver, guard
Herbert Scott Herbert Carnell Scott (born January 18, 1953) is a former American football guard and offensive tackle in the National Football League. He attended Floyd E. Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, and went on to star at the Virginia Union Unive ...
, on third down, the last pass of his career to be caught. On fourth down, he overthrew Drew Pearson. The Rams got the ball back on the Cowboys 33 with 1:07 left. Dallas had enough timeouts left to force the Rams into a fourth down situation with just 13 seconds left to go. However, Rams defensive back
Nolan Cromwell Nolan Neil Cromwell (born January 30, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he earned ...
, who was the holder on special teams, ran 7 yards for a first down on a fake field goal play as time expired in the game. Ferragamo completed only 9 of 21 passes and was intercepted twice, but still threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Staubach fared no better, finishing his final game 12/28 for 124 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Tyler rushed for 82 yards and caught two passes for 40. Waddy caught 3 passes for 97 yards and a score, and had a 3-yard carry. Dorsett rushed for 87 yards. This was the fifth postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Rams, and second consecutive. Dallas previously won three of the previous four meetings.


Conference Championships


Sunday, January 6, 1980


AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Houston Oilers 13

The Steelers held the Oilers to only 24 rushing yards, but were also aided by a controversial non-touchdown call to come away with a 27–13 win. Houston jumped to a 7–0 lead with just 2:30 into the game when
Vernon Perry Vernon Perry Jr. (born September 22, 1953 in Jackson, Mississippi) is a former professional American football player who played safety for five seasons. He played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Previously he played with the Montr ...
returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown. Then after the teams exchanged field goals, Pittsburgh quarterback
Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
completed two touchdown passes, a 16-yarder to tight end
Bennie Cunningham Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. (December 23, 1954 – April 23, 2018 Matt Connolly ''The State'', April 23, 2018 ) was an American football tight end. Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh ...
and a 20-yard one to wide receiver
John Stallworth Johnny Lee Stallworth (born July 15, 1952) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is considered to be one of the best wide receivers in NFL history. He pl ...
. With the Steelers leading 17–10, the controversial play occurred during the last seconds of the third quarter after the Oilers advanced to the Pittsburgh 6-yard line. With a chance to tie the game, Quarterback
Dan Pastorini Dante Anthony Pastorini (born May 26, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Santa Clara University and wa ...
threw a pass to
Mike Renfro Michael Ray Renfro (born June 19, 1955) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Texas Christian University. Early years Renfro a ...
at the back of the end zone, and Renfro appeared to have caught it for a touchdown with both feet in bounds before he fell out of the end zone. TV replays suggested a catch for a touchdown. Despite this, the officials ruled the pass incomplete, saying that Renfro did not have complete control of the ball before going out of bounds. The Oilers then had to settle for a 23-yard field goal. The Steelers would then score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. A 78-yard drive ended with a field goal and running back
Rocky Bleier Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier ( , born March 5, 1946) is a former professional American football player. He was a National Football League (NFL) halfback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 and from 1970 to 1980. Origin of nickname Nicknamed ...
scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Steelers running back
Franco Harris Franco Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection ...
rushed for 85 yards and caught 6 passes for 50 yards. Houston running back
Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Kn ...
, the NFL's leading rusher during the season, finished the game with just 15 yards on 17 carries. This was the second postseason meeting between the Oilers and Steelers. Pittsburgh won the only previous meeting last season.


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0

This was the first postseason meeting between the Rams and Buccaneers. In a defensive battle in which the Rams squandered numerous scoring opportunities, Rams kicker
Frank Corral Juan Francisco Corrales Rodríguez (born June 16, 1955), better known as Frank Corral, is a Mexican-American former NFL placekicker who played from 1978 to 1981. He attended Norte Vista High School in Riverside, California and played college foo ...
kicked 3 field goals to win the game. Los Angeles was able to record 369 yards of total offense, while running backs
Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (May 20, 1951 – October 13, 2009) was a professional American football player who spent thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back and return specialist for the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Sea ...
and
Wendell Tyler Wendell Avery Tyler (born May 20, 1955) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 3rd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 198 lbs. running back from UCLA, Tyler played in 10 NFL seaso ...
rushed for 106 and 86 yards, respectively. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers only had 177 total offensive yards, including 92 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Tampa Bay starting quarterback Doug Williams completed just 2 of 13 passes before suffering a game-ending torn bicep injury. Most of Tampa Bay's passing yards came from a 42-yard
halfback option pass The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key to ...
from
Jerry Eckwood Jerry Eckwood (born December 26, 1954) is a former NFL running back. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1979–1981, and was a key member of the Buccaneers team that made the first playoff appearance in franchise history in 1979. Eckwoo ...
to wide receiver
Larry Mucker Larry Donnell Mucker (born December 15, 1954) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ar ...
in the fourth quarter. During the game, two touchdowns were nullified by penalties, one by each team: a four-yard run by Bryant and a 27-yard reception by Buccaneers' tight end
Jimmie Giles Jimmie Giles, Jr. (born November 8, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alcorn State University and was selected by the Houston Oil ...
. On their second drive of the game, LA drove to the Bucs 18-yard line, but Tyler lost a fumble due to a hit by
Wally Chambers Wallace Hashim Chambers (May 15, 1951September 22, 2019) was an American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears and defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Bears in th ...
and linebacker Richard Wood recovered it. On their next drive, they drove 68 yards, including a 35-yard completion from
Vince Ferragamo Vince Anthony Ferragamo (born April 24, 1954) is an American former gridiron football player. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). Early years Born in Torrance, ...
to
Preston Dennard Preston Jackson Dennard (born November 28, 1955, in Cordele, Georgia) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at the University ...
, to the Buccaneers 1-yard line where Corral made a 19-yard field goal. In the second quarter, they drove 58 yards and scored another short Corral field goal to take a 6–0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the Rams appeared to score on a 20-yard pass, but the reception was ruled incomplete and Corral missed a 37-yard field goal on the next play. In the fourth quarter, Rams safety Eddie Brown's 16-yard punt return to midfield set up a 23-yard field goal from Corral for the final score of the game. This was the first conference championship game in NFL history without a touchdown from either team. This would also stand as the last playoff game overall in which neither team scored a touchdown until the 2006 AFC Divisional playoffs between the Colts and Ravens.


Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19

This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Rams and Steelers.


References

*''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' () *''The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995'' () {{DEFAULTSORT:1979-80 NFL Playoffs National Football League playoffs
Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
Los Angeles Rams postseason