Over the next two weeks Philguard will be counting down the top 10 moments in the past 42 years in the big game. Today…
#9 – Swann’s Dive
Defense wins championships, but offense lives in highlight films forever.
When: Super Bowl X – January 18, 1976
Where: The Orange Bowl
The 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers were the definition of a great football team. The vaulted “Steel Curtin” Defense anchored by L.C. Greenwood and ‘Mean’ Joe Green on the Defensive Line with the offense led by Terry Bradshaw, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Franco Harris created a powerhouse team that would finish the season at 12-2 and enter the playoffs with the #1 seed. The Steelers would take on the Baltimore Colts in the Divisional Round and the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship and allow a combined 20 points on their way to Miami for their second straight Super Bowl appearance and, eventually, win.
The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Tom Landry had been to the Super Bowl twice in the nine previous games, one win against the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI after a loss to the Colts in the previous year. The 1975 season would provide the Cowboys lost the NFC East race to the Don Coryell coached St. Louis Cardinals but the 10-4 record would be enough to secure the only wild card spot in the NFC. Dallas would begin the playoffs in Minnesota. Down 14-10, Cowboys Quarterback Roger Staubach had only 24 seconds left to score from the 50 yard line. The play that would later become known as the “Hail Mary” would give the Cowboys the lead and the win. The Cowboys would go on to dismantle the Los Angeles Rams 37-7 to secure the NFC Championship, the first ever won by a wildcard team.
The Steelers workmen style of play and the Dallas Cowboys flashy offensive play along with Landry’s tricky flex defense set a great stage for the game. The Cowboys scored first, but the Steelers responded with their own touchdown to tie the score. The Steelers got the ball back on the 6 yard line and attempted to break the tie. During the drive Bradshaw let go a 53 yard pass to Lynn Swann. As Swann located the ball he stumbled over the Cowboys coverage man falling forward with hands outstretched and made the catch. The Steelers would not be able to score on that particular drive but Swann would catch 4 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers would top the Cowboys 21-17.
Before the game there was much doubt whether Swann would be able to play since he had spent 2 nights in the hospital with a concussion suffered in the AFC Championship. Instead of playing only as a decoy to draw coverage(the most that was expected by most experts), Swann secured a Super Bowl MVP award and a moment that would live on in Super Bowl lore.