Terry Bradshaw passed for a record four touchdowns to lead the Steelers to victory. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls, mostly because of Bradshaw's accurate arm.
Bradshaw, voted the game's most valuable player, completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards, a personal high. Four of those passes went for touchdowns – two to John Stallworth and the third, with 26 seconds remaining in the second period, to Rocky Bleier for a 21-14 halftime lead.
The Cowboys scored twice before intermission on Roger Staubach's 39-yard pass to Tony Hill and a 37-yard fumble return by linebacker Mike Hegman, who stole the ball from Bradshaw.
The Steelers broke open the contest with two touchdowns in a span of 19 seconds midway through the final period.
Franco Harris rambled 22 yards up the middle to give the Steelers a 28-17 lead with 7:10 left. Pittsburgh got the ball right back when Randy White fumbled the kickoff and Dennis Winston recovered for the Steelers. On first down, Bradshaw fired his fourth touchdown pass, an 18-yard pass to Lynn Swann to boost the Steelers' lead to 35-17 with 6:51 to play.
The Cowboys refused to let the Steelers run away with the contest. Staubach connected with Billy Joe DuPree on a 7-yard scoring pass with 2:23 left.
Then the Cowboys recovered an onside kick and Staubach took them in for another score, passing four yards to Butch Johnson with 22 seconds remaining.
Bleier recovered another onside kick with 17 seconds left to seal the victory for the Steelers.
SCORING
Pittsburgh
7 14 0 14 -- 35
Dallas
7 7 3 14 -- 31
PIT- Stallworth 28 pass from Bradshaw
(Gerela kick), 5:13 1st
DAL- Hill 39 pass from Staubach (Septien kick),
15:00 1st
DAL- Hegman 37 def. fumble rec. (Septien kick),
2:52 2nd
PIT- Stallworth 75 pass from Bradshaw
(Gerela kick), 4:35 2nd
PIT- Bleier 7 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick),
14:34 2nd
DAL- FG Septien 27, 12:24 3rd
PIT- Harris 22 run (Gerela kick), 7:50 4th
PIT- Swann 18 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick),
8:09 4th
DAL- DuPree 7 pass from Staubach (Septien kick),
12:33 4th
DAL- Johnson 4 pass from Staubach (Septien kick),
14:38 4th
TEAM STATISTICS
Pitt. Dal.
Total First Downs
19 20
Rushing
2
6
Passing
15 13
Penalty
2
1
Total Net Yardage
357 330
Total Offensive Plays
58 67
Avg. Gain per Offensive Play 6.2
4.9
Rushes
24 32
Yards Gained Rushing (Net) 66
154
Average Yards per Rush 2.8
4.8
Passes Attempted
30 30
Passes Completed
17 17
Had Intercepted
1
1
Tackled Attempting to Pass 4
5
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass 27
52
Yards Gained Passing (Net) 291
176
Punts
3
5
Average Distance
43.0 39.6
Punt Returns
4
2
Punt Return Yardage
27 33
Kickoff Returns
3
6
Kickoff Return Yardage 45
104
Interception Return Yardage 13
21
Fumbles
2
3
Own Fumbles Recovered
0
1
Opponent Fumbles Recovered 2
2
Penalties
5
9
Yards Penalized
35 89
Total Points Scored
35 31
Touchdowns
5
4
Rushing
1
0
Passing
4
3
Returns
0
1
Extra Points
5
4
Field Goals
0
1
Field Goals Attempted
1
1
Safeties
0
0
Third-Down Efficiency
9/15 8/16
Fourth-Down Efficiency
0/0 1/1
Time of Possession
26:18 33:42
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Pittsburgh
No. Yds. LG
TD
Harris
20 68
22t 1
Bleier
2 3
2 0
Bradshaw
2 -5
2 0
Dallas
No. Yds. LG
TD
Dorsett
16 96
29 0
Staubach
4 37 18
0
Laidlaw
3 12
7 0
P. Pearson
1 6
6 0
Newhouse
8 3
5 0
Passing
Pittsburgh Att.
Comp. Yds. TD Int.
Bradshaw 30
17 318 4
1
Dallas
Att. Comp. Yds. TD Int.
Staubach 30
17 228 3
1
Receiving
Pittsburgh
No. Yds. LG
TD
Swann
7 124 29
1
Stallworth
3 115 75t
2
Grossman
3 29 10
0
Bell
2 21 12
0
Harris
1 22 22
0
Bleier
1 7
7t 1
Dallas
No. Yds. LG
TD
Dorsett
5 44 13
0
D. Pearson
4 73 25
0
Hill
2 49
39t 1
Johnson
2 30 26
1
DuPree
2 17 10
1
P. Pearson
2 15
8 0
Interceptions
Pittsburgh
No. Yds. LG
TD
Blount
1 13 13
0
Dallas
No. Yds. LG
TD
Lewis
1 21 21
0
Punting
Pittsburgh
No. Avg. LG
Blk.
C. Colquitt
3 43.0 52
0
Dallas
No. Avg. LG
Blk.
D. White
5 39.6 50
0
Punt Returns
Pittsburgh
No. FC Yds. LG TD
Bell
4 0 27
12 0
Dallas
No. FC Yds. LG TD
Johnson
2 1 33
21 0
Kickoff Returns
Pittsburgh
No. Yds. LG
TD
L. Anderson
3 45 24
0
Dallas
No. Yds. LG
TD
Johnson
3 63 23
0
Brinson
2 41 25
0
R. White
1 0
0 0
Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
== Offense ==
Webster, Mike C
Fitzgerald, John C
Davis, Samuel G
Rafferty, Tom G
Mullins, Gerry G Scott,
Herbert G
Kolb, Jon T
Donovan, Pat T
Pinney, Ray T
Wright, Rayfield T
Grossman, Randy TE DuPree, Billy Joe
TE
Stallworth, John WR Hill, Tony
WR
Swann, Lynn WR
Pearson, Drew WR
Bleier, Rocky RB Dorsett,
Tony RB
Harris, Franco RB Newhouse,
Robert FB
Bradshaw, Terry QB Staubach, Roger
QB
== Defense ==
Furness, Steve DT Cole, Larry
DT
Greene, Joe DT
White, Randy DT
Banaszak, John DE Jones, Too
Tall DE
Greenwood, L. C. DE Martin, Harvey
DE
Ham, Jack OLB
Henderson, Tom OLB
Toews, Loren OLB Lewis,
D. D. OLB
Lambert, Jack MLB Breunig, Bob
MLB
Blount, Mel CB
Barnes, Benny CB
Johnson, Ronald CB Kyle, Aaron
CB
Wagner, Mike FS
Harris, Cliff FS
Shell, Donnie SS Waters,
Charlie SS
== Substitute ==
Anderson, Fred
Bethea, Larry
Anderson, Larry
Blackwell, Alois
Beasley, Tom
Brinson, Larry
Bell, Theo
Brown, Guy
Brown, Larry
Frederick, Andy
Cole, Robin
Hegman, Mike
Colquitt, Craig
Hughes, Randy
Courson, Steve
Huther, Bruce
Deloplaine, Jack
Johnson, Butch
Dungy, Tony
Laidlaw, Scott
Dunn, Gary
Lawless, Burton
Gerela, Roy
Pearson, Preston
Mandich, Jim
Randall, Tom
Moser, Rick
Septien, Rafael
Oldham, Ray
Smith, Jackie
Petersen, Ted
Stalls, Dave
Smith, Jim A.
Steele, Robert
Thornton, Sidney
Thurman, Dennis
White, Dwight
White, Danny
Winston, Dennis
== Did Not Play ==
Cunningham, Bennie
Carano, Glenn
Kruczek, Mike
Cooper, Jim
Stoudt, Cliff
Pugh, Jethro
Washington, Mark