NFL playoffs, 1979-80
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1979 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl XIV
.
Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season
(notwithstanding the strike-shortened 1982 season
), the Dallas Cowboys (the NFC 1 seed) did not play the Philadelphia Eagles (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
'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
's 3-yard touchdown run. Although Campbell and starting quarterback Dan Pastorini
were both knocked out the game during the second half with injuries, the Oilers defense continued to dominate. In the fourth quarter, an interception by linebacker Gregg Bingham
set up Fritsch's 20-yard field goal to close out the scoring.
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
. Chicago responded with an 82-yard drive to score on running back Walter Payton
's 2-yard rushing touchdown. Then after Philadelphia added a field goal, Payton scored again on a 1-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 17-10 lead. In the third quarter, Carmichael's 29-yard touchdown reception tied the game. Then on their next drive, Chicago advanced deep into Philadelphia territory only to see Bobby Howard
intercept a pass 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. Carmichael finished the game with 6 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
, receiver Ken Burrough
, and running back Earl Campbell
, could only generate 259 yard compared to San Diego's 385. But they still won the game, largely due to the effort of rookie safety Vernon Perry
, 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
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 scored first on running back Clarence Williams' 1-yard rushing touchdown, but on the Chargers' next drive, 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's 26-yard field goal. Perry recorded another interception on the Chargers 38-yard line on the ensuing possession, and Boobie Clark
ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Oilers a 10-7 lead. In the third period, San Diego regained the lead with running back Lydell Mitchell
's 8-yard touchdown run. However, Houston defensive back J.C. Wilson
's interception later set up Mike Renfro
's 47-yard touchdown reception to take the lead for good. 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
. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/NFLplayoffperform.html
recorded 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Tampa Bay marched on an 18-play, 80-yard opening drive that took 9:34 off the clock to score on Bell's 4-yard touchdown run. Then after the Buccaneers added a field goal, defensive lineman Randy Crowder
recovered a fumble which led to Bell's 1-yard touchdown to give Tampa Bay a 17-0 advantage. The Eagles scored just before halftime with quarterback Ron Jaworski's 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith, then they added a field goal in the third quarter to make the score 17-10. However, quarterback Doug Williams
threw a 9-yard touchdown to Jimmie Giles
to increase Tampa Bay's lead, 24-10. Although Philadelphia scored a late touchdown, they could not overcome the deficit before time expired.
was held to just 20 rushing yards on 10 carries in the final game of his career, while Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw
threw for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the opening drive of the game, Pittsburgh marched 62 yards to score on running back Sidney Thornton
's 1-yard touchdown run. On their second possession, the Steelers advanced 62 yards again to score on wide receiver John Stallworth
's 17-yard touchdown reception (although the extra point was blocked). And on their third drive, wide receiver Lynn Swann
made a 20-yard touchdown reception. Miami finally scored in the third quarter after a muffed punt led to quarterback Bob Griese
's 7-yard touchdown pass to Duriel Harris
. However, the Steelers responded by advancing 69 yards to score on running back Rocky Bleier's 1-yard touchdown. Running back Franco Harris
' 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
Quarterback Vince Ferragamo
led the Rams to a victory by throwing for 3 touchdown passes, the last one with 2:06 left in the game. The Cowboys scored first when defensive tackle Randy White
sacked Ferragamo in the end zone for a safety. However, Ferragamo responded by throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to running back Wendell Tyler
. Dallas kicker Rafael Septien
kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left in the first half, but Ferragamo completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith before time expired to make it a 14-5 halftime lead. The Cowboys, led by quarterback Roger Staubach
in what proved to be his last NFL game of his hall of fame
career, then scored 2 unanswered touchdowns in the second half to take the lead, 19-14. With about 2 minutes left in the game and the Rams at midfield, Ferragamo found wide receiver Billy Waddy
on a short crossing route and Waddy sprinted the rest of the way for a game winning 50-yard touchdown. Staubach was unable to engineer a late fourth quarter comeback like the ones that made him famous throughout his career. The Rams defense forced a sack, and then pressured the Dallas quarterback to throw a pass illegally to an ineligible receiver, guard Herbert Scott
, on fourth down; the last pass of his career.
returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown. Then after the teams exchanged field goals, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw
completed two touchdown passes, a 16-yarder to tight end Bennie Cunningham
and a 20-yard one to wide receiver John Stallworth
.
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. Quarterback Dan Pastorini
threw a pass to Mike Renfro
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 conclusively confirmed a catch for a touchdown; however, the officials ruled the pass incomplete, saying that he did not have complete control of the ball before going out of bounds. The Houston 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 scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Steelers running back Franco Harris
rushed for 85 yards and caught 6 passes for 50 yards. Houston running back Earl Campbell
, the NFL's leading rusher during the season, finished the game with just 15 yards on 17 carries.
kicked 3 field goals to win the game. Los Angeles was able to record 369 yards of total offense, while running backs Cullen Bryant
and Wendell Tyler
rushed for 106 and 86 yards, respectively. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers only had 177 total offensive yards, including 92 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Most of Tampa Bay's passing yards came from a 42-yard halfback option pass from Jerry Eckwood
to wide receiver Larry Mucker
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
.
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
following the 1979 NFL season
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
led up to Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
.
Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
(notwithstanding the strike-shortened 1982 season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
), the Dallas Cowboys (the NFC 1 seed) did not play the Philadelphia Eagles (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.
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. After Toni Fritsch kicked a 31-yard field goal on Houston's first drive, Denver marched 80 yards in 13 plays to score on quarterback Craig MortonCraig Morton
Larry Craig Morton is a former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, 1965-82...
'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 Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
's 3-yard touchdown run. Although Campbell and starting quarterback Dan Pastorini
Dan Pastorini
Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
were both knocked out the game during the second half with injuries, the Oilers defense continued to dominate. In the fourth quarter, an interception by linebacker Gregg Bingham
Gregg Bingham
Gregg Bingham was a National Football League linebacker from 1973 through 1985 for the Houston Oilers.He played for Gordon Tech high school where is was a tight end and linebacker and was the teams leading tackler....
set up Fritsch's 20-yard field goal to close out the scoring.
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Chicago Bears 17
Eagles Quarterback Ron JaworskiRon Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
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
Harold Carmichael
Lee Harold Carmichael is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles , and one season for the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Southern University...
. Chicago responded with an 82-yard drive to score on running back Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
's 2-yard rushing touchdown. Then after Philadelphia added a field goal, Payton scored again on a 1-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 17-10 lead. In the third quarter, Carmichael's 29-yard touchdown reception tied the game. Then on their next drive, Chicago advanced deep into Philadelphia territory only to see Bobby Howard
Bobby Howard (football player)
Robert Lee "Bobby" Howard was a collegiate and professional football defensive back. He played in the American Football League for the San Diego Chargers, where he was a second-round selection in the 1967 Common Draft...
intercept a pass 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. Carmichael finished the game with 6 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
AFC: Houston Oilers 17, San Diego Chargers 14
The Oilers offense, playing without starting quarterback Dan PastoriniDan Pastorini
Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
, receiver Ken Burrough
Ken Burrough
Kenneth Othell Burrough is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft. A 6'4", wide receiver from William M...
, and running back Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, could only generate 259 yard compared to San Diego's 385. But they still won the game, largely due to the effort of rookie safety Vernon Perry
Vernon Perry
Vernon Perry is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for five seasons for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Previously he played with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL...
, 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
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
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 scored first on running back Clarence Williams' 1-yard rushing touchdown, but on the Chargers' next drive, 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's 26-yard field goal. Perry recorded another interception on the Chargers 38-yard line on the ensuing possession, and Boobie Clark
Boobie Clark
Charles Lee "Boobie" Clark was a professional American football running back who played in the National Football League for eight seasons and was named the UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year for 1973.-Early years:...
ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Oilers a 10-7 lead. In the third period, San Diego regained the lead with running back Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Douglas Mitchell , is a former professional American football player. He played running back in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams spanning 1972-1980....
's 8-yard touchdown run. However, Houston defensive back J.C. Wilson
J.C. Wilson
J. C. Wilson is a former cornerback in the NFL. He played his entire six year career for the Houston Oilers.He now Lives in the Washington DC area and works for the Smithsonian Institution. - References :...
's interception later set up Mike Renfro
Mike Renfro
Michael Ray Renfro is a former American professional football player.- NFL draft :Renfro was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 186-lb...
's 47-yard touchdown reception to take the lead for good. 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
Ed Biles
Ed Biles is a former American football coach whose most prominent position was as head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers from 1981 to 1983....
. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/NFLplayoffperform.html
NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
The Buccaneers won their first playoff game in team history by holding the Eagles to 48 rushing yards, while running back Ricky BellRicky Bell (running back)
Ricky Lynn Bell younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was an American professional football player who played running back in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982...
recorded 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Tampa Bay marched on an 18-play, 80-yard opening drive that took 9:34 off the clock to score on Bell's 4-yard touchdown run. Then after the Buccaneers added a field goal, defensive lineman Randy Crowder
Randy Crowder
Randolph Channing Crowder Sr. 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...
recovered a fumble which led to Bell's 1-yard touchdown to give Tampa Bay a 17-0 advantage. The Eagles scored just before halftime with quarterback Ron Jaworski's 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith, then they added a field goal in the third quarter to make the score 17-10. However, quarterback Doug Williams
Doug Williams (football player)
Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and head football coach of the Grambling State University Tigers...
threw a 9-yard touchdown to Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
to increase Tampa Bay's lead, 24-10. Although Philadelphia scored a late touchdown, they could not overcome the deficit before time expired.
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 CsonkaLarry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
was held to just 20 rushing yards on 10 carries in the final game of his career, while Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
threw for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the opening drive of the game, Pittsburgh marched 62 yards to score on running back Sidney Thornton
Sidney Thornton
Sidney Thornton is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . running back from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Thornton played in 6 NFL seasons from 1977-1982 for the Steelers....
's 1-yard touchdown run. On their second possession, the Steelers advanced 62 yards again to score on wide receiver John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
's 17-yard touchdown reception (although the extra point was blocked). And on their third drive, wide receiver Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
made a 20-yard touchdown reception. Miami finally scored in the third quarter after a muffed punt led to quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
's 7-yard touchdown pass to Duriel Harris
Duriel Harris
Duriel LaDon Harris, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys...
. However, the Steelers responded by advancing 69 yards to score on running back Rocky Bleier's 1-yard touchdown. Running back Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
' 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
NFC: Los Angeles Rams 21, Dallas Cowboys 19
Nobody gave the aging Rams much of a chance in this game, especially considering that the Cowboys had soundly defeated a injured L.A.Rams team during the regular season, 30-6, and had shut them out in last season's NFC title game, 28-0.Quarterback Vince Ferragamo
Vince Ferragamo
Vince Anthony Ferragamo is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.-College career:...
led the Rams to a victory by throwing for 3 touchdown passes, the last one with 2:06 left in the game. The Cowboys scored first when defensive tackle Randy White
Randy White (American football)
Randall Lee "Randy" White is a former American football defensive lineman and linebacker. He attended the University of Maryland from 1971 to 1974, and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys from 1975 to 1988. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
sacked Ferragamo in the end zone for a safety. However, Ferragamo responded by throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to running back Wendell Tyler
Wendell Tyler
Wendell Avery Tyler , 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...
. Dallas kicker Rafael Septien
Rafael Septien
Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left in the first half, but Ferragamo completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith before time expired to make it a 14-5 halftime lead. The Cowboys, led by quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
in what proved to be his last NFL game of his hall of fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
career, then scored 2 unanswered touchdowns in the second half to take the lead, 19-14. With about 2 minutes left in the game and the Rams at midfield, Ferragamo found wide receiver Billy Waddy
Billy Waddy
Billy Waddy is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings....
on a short crossing route and Waddy sprinted the rest of the way for a game winning 50-yard touchdown. Staubach was unable to engineer a late fourth quarter comeback like the ones that made him famous throughout his career. The Rams defense forced a sack, and then pressured the Dallas quarterback to throw a pass illegally to an ineligible receiver, guard Herbert Scott
Herbert Scott
Herbert Carnell Scott is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League...
, on fourth down; the last pass of his career.
AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Houston Oilers 13
The Steelers held the Oilers to only 24 rushing yards, but was 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 PerryVernon Perry
Vernon Perry is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for five seasons for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Previously he played with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL...
returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown. Then after the teams exchanged field goals, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
completed two touchdown passes, a 16-yarder to tight end Bennie Cunningham
Bennie Cunningham
Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. is a retired American football tight end.Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers his entire career...
and a 20-yard one to wide receiver John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
.
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. Quarterback Dan Pastorini
Dan Pastorini
Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
threw a pass to Mike Renfro
Mike Renfro
Michael Ray Renfro is a former American professional football player.- NFL draft :Renfro was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 186-lb...
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 conclusively confirmed a catch for a touchdown; however, the officials ruled the pass incomplete, saying that he did not have complete control of the ball before going out of bounds. The Houston 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 scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Steelers running back Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
rushed for 85 yards and caught 6 passes for 50 yards. Houston running back Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, the NFL's leading rusher during the season, finished the game with just 15 yards on 17 carries.
NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams 9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
In a defensive battle in which the Rams squandered numerous scoring opportunities, Rams kicker Frank CorralFrank Corral
Frank Corral is a former National Football League placekicker from 1978-1981. He attended Norte Vista High School in Riverside, California. He was a part of the Rams' Super Bowl XIV team...
kicked 3 field goals to win the game. Los Angeles was able to record 369 yards of total offense, while running backs Cullen Bryant
Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was a professional American football player who spent thirteen seasons in the National Football League as a running back and return specialist for the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks...
and Wendell Tyler
Wendell Tyler
Wendell Avery Tyler , 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...
rushed for 106 and 86 yards, respectively. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers only had 177 total offensive yards, including 92 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Most of Tampa Bay's passing yards came from a 42-yard halfback option pass from Jerry Eckwood
Jerry Eckwood
Jerry Eckwood 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...
to wide receiver Larry Mucker
Larry Mucker
Larry Donnell Mucker is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.-References:...
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
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
.