Background
Pittsburgh Steelers
Main article: 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The Steelers won the AFC Central with a 124 regular season record, and advanced to their second consecutive Super Bowl and their fourth appearance in the last six seasons. Pittsburgh appeared to be even better than what they were in their three previous Super Bowl victories. They led the league with 6,258 yards in total offense, an average of 391 yards per game and just 31 yards short of an NFL record. The team also led the league in scoring with 412 points.
Pittsburgh Quarterback Terry Bradshaw had another fine season as the leader of the Steelers offense, throwing for 3,724 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season (but he did throw 25 interceptions). Wide receiver John Stallworth was his top target with 70 receptions for 1,183 yards and 8 touchdowns, while wide receiver Lynn Swann caught 41 passes for 808 yards, an average of 19.7 yards per catch. Steelers starting tight end Bennie Cunningham, who missed most of the previous season due to injuries, was also a big contributor with 36 receptions for 512 yards.
Running back Franco Harris was the Steelers leading rusher for the 8th consecutive season with 1,186 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also recorded his 7th consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards, tying an NFL record set by Jim Brown. Harris also had his best year as a receiver out of the backfield, catching a career high 36 passes for a career high 291 yards and another touchdown. Fullback Rocky Bleier also had another superb season, providing Harris with excellent blocking while also contributing 711 combined rushing and receiving yards. And Running back Sidney Thornton also emerged as a big threat with 816 total yards and averaging 5 yards per carry. Pittsburgh also had a solid offensive line, led by center Mike Webster.
The Steelers “Steel Curtain” defense finished the regular season as the top rated defense in the AFC, limiting opponents to only 4,621 offensive yards. Up front, linemen Joe Greene and L.C. Greenwood terrorized opposing quarterbacks and rushers. And linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham excelled at run stopping and pass coverage, combining for 8 interceptions. The Steelers also had a fine secondary, led by defensive backs Mel Blount, who recorded 3 interceptions, and Donnie Shell, who had 5. In a game against the Seahawks during the regular season, Pittsburgh’s defensive unit allowed an NFL record negative 7 yards total offense and only one first down in their 24-0 victory.
Los Angeles Rams
Main article: 1979 Los Angeles Rams season
Adversity hovered over the Rams long before the season began. During the off-season, in a mysterious accident, owner Carroll Rosenbloom drowned, and a power struggle ensued between Carroll’s son, Steve Rosenbloom, and his second wife, Georgia Frontiere. Georgia eventually gained control of the team and fired her stepson. Prior to Carroll Rosenbloom’s death, the Rams had already announced their intentions to leave the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and move to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County for the 1980 season.
The Rams barely outscored their opponents in total points, 323 to 309, and finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, the worst ever by a team who advanced to the Super Bowl (that record was later tied by the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII). The team was plagued with injuries during the regular season, including the loss of their starting quarterback Pat Haden. His replacement, Vince Ferragamo, completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (5). But he still led the Rams to victory in 6 of their last 7 games.
The Rams gained 6,006 total yards of offense during the regular season, ranking second in the league. The team’s main offensive weapon was running back Wendell Tyler, who rushed for 1,109 yards, caught 32 passes for 308 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns. Tyler’s rushing yards came off just 218 rushing attempts, giving him a league leading 5.1 yards per carry average. Fullback Cullen Bryant provided Tyler with excellent blocking while also gaining 846 total yards and scoring 5 touchdowns. Wide receiver Preston Dennard was the team’s main deep threat, catching 43 passes for 766 yards and 4 touchdowns. The offensive line, led by tackle Doug France, Jackie Slater and guard Dennis Harrah, paved the Rams running attack to 4th in the NFC during the season despite injuries. They also gave up only 29 sacks.
But the Rams main strength was their defense which featured defensive end Jack Youngblood, who made the Pro Bowl for the 7th year in a row and was playing with a broken leg, and lightning-quick Fred Dryer on the opposite end. Behind them, the Rams had 2 outstanding linebackers: Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, and Jim Youngblood (no relation to Jack), who had recorded 5 interceptions and returned 2 for touchdowns. The Rams also had a solid secondary, led by free safety Nolan Cromwell who also grabbed 5 interceptions.
Playoffs
For more details on this topic, see NFL playoffs, 1979-80.
In the playoffs, the Rams avenged the previous year’s NFC Championship Game shutout loss to the Dallas Cowboys by beating them 2119. Then they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, 90, scoring only three field goals.
Meanwhile, the Steelers went on to defeat the Miami Dolphins, 3414, and the Houston Oilers, 2713, in the playoffs. During those two playoff games, the Pittsburgh defense limited running backs Larry Csonka and Earl Campbell, respectively, to a combined total of only 35 rushing yards. Campbell was the league’s rushing leader during the regular season with 1,697 yards, but could only gain 15 yards against the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
Super Bowl pregame news and notes
Pittsburgh was heavily favored to win Super Bowl XIV and become the first team to win 4 Super Bowls. Most people did not think that the Rams even belonged on the same field with the Steelers. In fact, Sports Illustrated had called the NFC Championship Game a game for losers, played by losers. One sports writer sarcastically suggested that Bradshaw throw left-handed and the Rams should be allowed to play with 12 men on the field to make the Super Bowl more competitive.
However, Pittsburgh themselves were not taking their opponents lightly. In their previous meetings, the Rams held a 1212 all-time record over the Steelers, including wins in 1971, 1975, and 1978.
Bradshaw became the second quarterback to start four Super Bowls, joining his counterpart from Super Bowls X and XIII Roger Staubach.
Television and entertainment
CBS televised the game in the United States with play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator Tom Brookshier. One of the guest analysts for the network’s studio pregame show was former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden; he impressed CBS executives so much that he replaced Brookshier as lead game analyst the following season.
The Los Angeles Unified School District All-City Band played during the pregame ceremonies. Later, actress and singer Cheryl Ladd performed the national anthem. The coin toss ceremony featured longtime Steelers owner Art Rooney.
The performance event group Up with People performed during the halftime show titled “A Salute to the Big Band Era”.
The famous Coca-Cola commercial in which “Mean” Joe Greene gives a boy his game jersey aired during CBS’ telecast of the game. However, it is technically not viewed as a Super Bowl ad since it actually debuted on October 1, 1979, not during the day of the game.
The city of Pittsburgh celebrated its third major pro championship in 13 months. The Steelers had also won the previous year’s Super Bowl, and the city’s Major League Baseball team, the Pirates, had won the World Series three months before this Super Bowl game. Ten days after the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory, the city’s National Hockey League team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, changed its uniform colors to match the black and gold scheme of the Pirates and Steelers, as well as that of the Pittsburgh city flag.
Game summary
Despite being the underdogs, the Rams managed to hang on to a 1310 lead at halftime, and a 1917 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But the Steelers held the Rams scoreless in the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns for the win. Despite the game’s uneven matchup and a final score, this game is regarded by some as one of the most competitive games in Super Bowl history. Overall, the lead changed 7 times between both teams, a Super Bowl record; the Rams took the lead 3 times while the Steelers took it 4 times.
The Rams took the opening kickoff but the Steel Curtain, however, managed to force a three-and-out. Then on the Steelers’ 7th play of their first possession, quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed a 32-yard pass to running back Franco Harris to reach the Los Angeles 26-yard line. But a third down pass fell incomplete, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for a 41-yard field goal from rookie kicker Matt Bahr.
Bahr’s ensuing kickoff was very short, giving the Rams great field position at their 41-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Los Angeles running back Wendell Tyler caught a 6-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo. Then on the next play, Tyler took a handoff, ran left, broke some tackles, and ran 39 yards to the Steelers 14-yard line before he was finally dragged down by Pittsburgh defensive back Donnie Shell, the longest run against the Steelers all season. 6 plays later, fullback Cullen Bryant scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Rams a 73 lead.
But the lead did not last long. Pittsburgh defensive back Larry Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to
