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The Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida played host to Super Bowl XIII which was the third Super Bowl in four years to feature the Dallas Cowboys. This Super Bowl was a rematch of Super Bowl X between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cowboys, with the Steelers favored by 3.5 points.
Dallas became the first team in league history to appear in five Super Bowls. The defending champion Cowboys were once again led by quarterback Roger Staubach, who finished the season as the top-rated passer in the NFL with 3,190 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes. Staubach's strong play in the passing game along with Tony Dorsett's play in the backfield led to the Cowboys leading the league in scoring with 384 points on the year.
Finishing as the second highest rated passer in the NFL was Terry Bradshaw, who passed for a league-high 28 touchdowns and won the NFL MVP Award this season. Fullback Franco Harris and wideout Lynn Swann were part of Bradshaw's outstanding supporting cast. Pittsburgh also had the “Steel Curtain” defense, which allowed the fewest points in the league with only 195 points against on the season.
The storylines surrounding this game made it one of the most highly anticipated Super Bowls to date. Both teams were going for their third Super Bowl championship. Terry Bradshaw vs. Roger Staubach, the “Steel Curtain” vs. the “Doomsday Defense”, this game had it all. And for the most part, the game ended up living up to its hype.
Pittsburgh took the early 7-0 lead, fell behind 14-7, then took the lead back with two touchdowns to go into the half with a 21-14 lead. The Steelers held on to that lead in the second half, finishing the game with a 35-31 win. Bradshaw won Super Bowl MVP with Super Bowl records of 318 passing yards and four passing touchdowns.
The total soared OVER the posted total of 37 points. This game became known as “Black Sunday” in Las Vegas; bettors that bet the Steelers at -3.5 moved the line to -4.5, where Cowboys +4.5 backers moved it back down. The four-point win for the Steelers meant that bookmakers paid a lot of wagers on both sides.
