Super Bowl XII

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII. This game was the first ever Super Bowl played in an indoor arena at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Cowboys were appearing in the Super Bowl for a then record 4th time, while this was the first major league championship game in Denver sports history. The Cowboys chances for the 1977 season were bolstered by the addition of rookie Tony Dorsett, the 1976 Heisman Trophy winner.

The game was the first ever broadcast in prime time on the East Coast, with a start time of 6:00 PM. Denver committed 7 first half turnovers as Dallas built up a lead they would not relinquish. Dallas defensive linemen Randy White and Harvey Martin were named as co-MVP's, the only time in Super Bowl history more than one player won the award. The 1977 season was the last in which the regular season was 14 games in length per team.

The surprising Broncos reached the Super Bowl thanks to the famed "Orange Crush" defense, led by linebackers Tom Jackson and Randy Gradishar, defensive linemen Lyle Alzado and Rubin Carter, and defensive backs Louis Wright and Steve Foley. On offense, ageless wide receiver Haven Moses and running backs Otis Armstrong and Rob Lytle paced the club. Their frenzied fans earned the nickname "Broncomaniacs", and after winning the AFC West with a 12-2 record, Denver defeated both Pittsburgh and Oakland to advance to their first Super Bowl.

The Cowboys rolled to a 12-2 regular season mark, easily winning the NFC East. Then after dispatching the Chicago Bears 37-7 in the division round, they clobbered the Minnesota Vikings 23-6 in the NFC Title game. The Cowboys defense was as dominating as any in franchise history. Their front line was led by Martin, White, veteran Jethro Pugh and Ed Too Tall Jones.

One of the back stories for the Super Bowl involved the match-up of the two quarterbacks. Roger Staubach was starting for Dallas, while former Cowboy signal caller Craig Morton started for Denver. Morton had been traded by Dallas to New York in 1974, where he struggled with bad Giants teams. Then he resurrected his career and was named Comeback Player of the Year. But the Dallas defense limited him to just 4 completions, and he was replaced during the second half by back-up Norris Weese.

• FIRST QUARTER

• DAL - Tony Dorsett 3-yard RUN (Efren Herrera kick)

• DAL - Efren Herrera 35-yard FG

• SECOND QUARTER

• DAL - Efren Herrera 43-yard FG

• THIRD QUARTER

• DEN - Jim Turner 47-yard FG

• DAL - Butch Johnson 45-yard PASS from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick)

• DEN - Rob Lytle 1-yard RUN (Jim Turner kick)

• FOURTH QUARTER

• DAL - Golden Richards 29-yard PASS from Robert Newhouse (Efren Herrera kick)

• NFL.com: Super Bowl XII Box Score & Statistics