DALLAS — In the Dallas Cowboys' quest to join the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers as the only teams to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they hit a speed bump along the road to Super Bowl XIII. In the 1978 NFC Divisional playoffs, the defending world champions hosted the wildcard Atlanta Falcons at Texas Stadium.
It was business as usual for the Cowboys. They posted a 12-4 record and won their final six games heading into the playoffs. Future Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning quarterback Roger Staubach made the Pro Bowl as did second-year running back Tony Dorsett. Receiver Tony Hill and tight end Billy Joe DuPree joined them. The defense was second-best in the NFL in yards and the third-best in terms of points with Doomsday II led by defensive tackle Randy White and defensive ends Harvey Martin and Ed "Too Tall" Jones.
The Falcons, coached by Leeman Bennett, qualified for the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Under the leadership of general manager Eddie Le Baron, a former Cowboys quarterback, the Falcons were starting to shed their expansion team label, unlike, say the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles 14-13 at Fulton County Stadium in the wildcard round and were now trying to upset Dallas with quarterback Steve Bartkowski under center.
Dallas got on the board first with a 34-yard Rafael Septien field goal to take the game's first lead. The Falcons responded with a 14-yard Bubba Bean touchdown run to go ahead 7-3. However, Dallas took a 10-3 lead when backup running back Scott Laidlaw ran 13 yards for a score.
In the second quarter, the Cowboys started having a little trouble with the Falcons. Kicker Tim Mazzetti tied the game with a 42-yard field goal, but Septien restored the Dallas lead with a 48-yarder of his own. However, Bartkowski hit receiver Wallace Francis for a 17-yard touchdown to take a four-point lead, and another Mazzetti field goal, this one of 22 yards away, gave Atlanta a 20-13 halftime lead.
There was no problem for Dallas. After all, they had Captain Comeback as their field general. There weren't going to be any issues with engineering a comeback.
But wait. On a blitz, linebacker Robert Pennywell smacked Staubach so hard he left the game with a concussion. Given that it was the late '70s and such hits were sometimes referred to as "getting your bell rung," no doubt the Super Bowl VI MVP took a heck of a hit.
Enter backup Dallas quarterback Danny White. To his name, he only had one start for the Cowboys at the end of that season when he led Dallas to a 30-7 win at the New York Jets. He completed 15-of-24 for 156 yards and an interception.
But that was a season finale against an 8-8 team that failed to make the playoffs. This was the postseason. This was the time that the Tom Landry Cowboys made a reputation for themselves that NFL Films would later acknowledge the next season as "America's Team."
The stage wasn't too big for White. He led the Cowboys on a 54-yard scoring drive that he capped off with a 2-yard touchdown pass to hired gun tight end Jackie Smith. No longer a pain in the spine as a St. Louis Cardinal, Smith signed up with the Cowboys to aid them in their playoff run. So far, he had helped them tie the game in the divisional playoffs with a crucial catch.
The Dallas defense was doing a masterful job against Bartkowski. They limited him to 8-of-23 for 95 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. Bean had 72 yards and a score on 17 carries, and Haskel Stanback carried nine times for 62 yards. The Falcons offense had trouble overcoming the Dallas defense.
Falcons punter John James had a busy afternoon as he punted the ball six times for 225 yards, a 37.5 yards per punt. However, his worst punt of the afternoon helped the Cowboys start first-and-10 in the fourth quarter at the Atlanta 30-yard line.
White carefully led Dallas down the field and capped off the drive with another Laidlaw touchdown run, this time from a yard out. The Cowboys would not relinquish their 27-20 lead and would punch their ticket to the NFC Championship game for the second straight season and seventh time since the game's 1970 inception.
Sunday won't be a playoff battle, but it will be a battle for the Cowboys and Falcons' playoff lives. Each at 4-5, a win will bring them at .500 on the season with two games to go in the regular season's penultimate month. No doubt a loss will have their goose cooked before Thanksgiving.
What do you remember most fondly about the late '70s Cowboys? Share your memories with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.