As the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers await this coming Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch we continue our look back at the Dallas Cowboys’ eight Super Bowl appearances.
Today, we look at Super Bowl VI, played on Jan. 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Cowboys (13-3) were coming off a bitter loss in Super Bowl V just a year before. They had a new starting quarterback this time around.
The Miami Dolphins (12-3-1) had dethroned the reigning champion Baltimore Colts the week before, 21-0, in the AFC Championship game.
The Dolphins were still a year away from their perfect season. First though, they had to face Doomsday.
A Tight Opening Quarter
This time, Dallas kicked off to start the game and forced a quick three-and-out. But the Cowboys’ offense was also forced to punt after just five plays.
The Doomsday Defense took over from there.
On the second play of the Dolphins second drive, Larry Csonka fumbled. Chuck Howley was there to recover, picking up right where he’d left off in Super Bowl V.
Roger Staubach drove Dallas to the Dolphins’ two. But the Cowboys settled for a nine yard field goal by Mike Clark and a 3-0 lead with 2:12 left in the first quarter.
The quarter would end in an iconic play that is still shown as a main highlight of the game.
On third and nine from the Dolphins’ 38, Bob Griese dropped back to pass. He was immediately hounded by the Cowboys’ defensive line.
Bob Lilly finally sacked Griese well over 20 seconds later — at the Dolphins nine yard line. The play went for a 29-yard loss.
Sluggish Second Quarter
The first two possessions of the second quarter for both teams were unproductive.
The Cowboys had to punt both times. The Dolphins had a missed 49-yard field goal attempt by Garo Yepremian and a punt.
Dallas’ third possession of the quarter began with 6:15 left in the half and a first down at its own 24.
Two Staubach passes and three runs each by Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill set Dallas up at the Dolphins’ seven.
Staubach then hit Lance Alworth for a scoring pass. Clark made it 10-0 with 1:20 to go in the half.
Griese finally got Miami’s offense in gear, leading a quick five-play, 44-yard drive.
With just four seconds left, Yepremian hit a 31-yard field goal to make it 10-3 in Dallas’ favor at halftime.
Huge Second Half Start
Dallas took the opening kick of the second half and marched straight downfield. Staubach threw only one pass in the eight-play, 71-yard drive.
He hit Hill for eight yards on the pass. Walt Garrison had two runs for three yards each while Bob Hayes added a 16-yard run on the drive.
Thomas carried the ball four times for 37 yards, including a three-yard run for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead.
The drive took 5:17 off the clock.
The two teams exchanged punts for the rest of the quarter.
Griese’s Fatal Mistakes
With 13 minutes left in the game, and trailing by two touchdowns, the Dolphins moved to midfield.
Griese dropped back and threw a pass toward Jim Kiick. Only, there was that man again.
Howley collected his third career Super Bowl interception and returned it 41 yards to the Miami nine yard line.
Three plays later, Staubach hit tight end Mike Ditka for a seven-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead with 12 minutes to play.
Griese tried one last time to rally, driving the Dolphins to the Cowboys’ 16. But he fumbled the ball and Larry Cole recovered it at the 20 with nine minutes to play.
Dallas would go on a clock-killing, 12-play drive of 79 yards to the Miami one yard line with 1:53 to play.
Hill fumbled the ball and Manny Fernandez recovered it to deny Dallas an even-wider margin of victory.
Miami would run four running plays to run out the clock and get out of the Cowboys’ way to celebrate the franchise’s first championship.
The Final Numbers
Although Howley easily could have won his second-straight MVP award with another two-turnover, two-tackle game, Staubach was named MVP.
Staubach was 12-of-19 for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Unlike Morton the year before, Staubach did not turn the ball over.
He also added 18 rushing yards on five carries.
Thomas led Dallas with 95 yards rushing on 19 carries and his touchdown while Garrison added 74 yards on 14 carries.
Ditka and Alworth had 28 yards receiving each on two catches and both scored touchdowns. Hayes had two catches for 23 yards.
Griese finished 12-of-23 for 134 yards, an interception, and a fumble to go along with his 29-yard losing sack.
Both Kiick and Csonka had 40 yards rushing on 10 and nine carries respectively. Paul Warfield was Miami’s leading receiver with 39 yards on four catches.
The Cowboys and head coach Tom Landry had finally broken through. They had captured their first championship.
They would get three more cracks at repeating before the 1970s came to an end.
Cowboys Starters
Player Pos
Offense
- Roger Staubach QB
- Duane Thomas RB
- Walt Garrison FB
- Lance Alworth WR
- Bob Hayes WR
- Mike Ditka TE
- Tony Liscio LT
- John Niland LG
- Dave Manders C
- Blaine Nye RG
- Rayfield Wright RT
Defense
- Larry Cole LDE
- Jethro Pugh LDT
- Bob Lilly RDT
- George Andrie RDE
- Dave Edwards LLB
- Lee Roy Jordan MLB
- Chuck Howley RLB
- Herb Adderley LCB
- Mel Renfro RCB
- Cornell Green SS
- Cliff Harris FS
Special Teams
- Mike Clark PK
- Ron Widby P
