All I got this week is reflecting on the good old days. Fortunately, I am blessed because the Cowboys superbowls have some of the greatest highlights. Of course, being in a lot of Superbowls, you have a lot to choose from (sorry, I had to stick in a jab). I should point out that these are not all in the Boys favor. Those of us that watched the games in the 70s will probably all agree that those games against the Steelers were some of the most exciting and competitive games to watch. Unfortunately, we came out on the losing end always. Lynn Swann seemed to have career days against the Boys. Sure, we won in the mid-90s against them, but both teams should be embarrassed by that showing, although it did have its own memorable moment or two. 20. Howley's Pick Seals Win Super Bowl VI, Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3 Cowboys Hall-of-Fame linebacker Chuck Howley was named Super Bowl MVP the year before in a loss to the Colts. But he came up big the following year as well, recovering a fumble in the first half against Miami. Howley then put the game away by intercepting Dolphins quarterback Bob Greise at midfield and going 41 yards to the Miami 9. Just two plays later, Roger Staubach hit Mike Ditka on a 7-yard touchdown pass to seal the first NFL championship for the Cowboys. 19. Deion's Big Catch Super Bowl XXX, Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 By the time the Cowboys advanced to Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season, cornerback Deion Sanders was just starting to break into the offensive game plan. Early in the first quarter, Sanders came up with the game's first big play, hauling in a 47-yard pass from Troy Aikman, which set up an early touchdown pass to Jay Novacek. The Cowboys led 13-0. However, they played very sloppy and uninspiring football, and had to hold on for dear life to win their third Super Bowl title in four years. 18. Randy White's fumbled Kickoff (Tony Dungy) Super Bowl XIII, Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 Cowboys defensive tackle Randy White is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor because of his non-stop motor and ability to create havoc in an opponent's backfield. But it sure wasn't because of his kickoff return ability, especially with a cast on his hand. Just after Pittsburgh scored to take a 28-17 lead, White scooped up a squib kickoff and returned the kick. That is until Tony Dungy tackled White, causing a fumble. The Steelers took over at the 18-yard line and scored on the next play, Terry Bradshaw hitting Lynn Swan to give Pittsburgh a commanding 35-17 lead with 6:51 to play. 17. Jones Finds Mid-Air Gift Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17 After the Cowboys had settled down and pulled even with Bills late in the first quarter, the momentum started to sway heavily in the Cowboys' direction. On the ensuing play after Jay Novacek scored Dallas' first TD, Charles Haley sacked Bills quarterback Jim Kelly at the goal line, causing a fumble into mid-air. The ball landed right into the arms of reserve defensive tackle Jimmie Jones, who only had to take one step into the end zone to score, giving the Cowboys a lead they would never relinquish. 16. Stallworth's Big Jaunt Super Bowl XIII, Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 The Cowboys had grabbed momentum from the Steelers in the second quarter after Mike Hegman's 37-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. But the Cowboys' 14-7 lead didn't last long. On the next possession, Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth turned a routine reception on a slant pass into a 75-yard game-tying touchdown, weaving through Cowboys defenders. The Steelers scored again just before the half to take a 21-14 lead. 15. Harper's TD Dunks Bills Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17 The Cowboys were in control of the game, leading by 14 early in the fourth quarter, but were searching for the knockout blow. And Cowboys wide receiver Alvin Harper would provide the play, catching a 45-yard touchdown bomb from Troy Aikman early in the fourth, giving the Cowboys a three-touchdown lead. Harper put an exclamation on the score and the game with his signature goal-post dunk over the crossbar. 14. Tip, Tip, Touchdown for Colts Super Bowl V, Colts 16, Cowboys 13 In a game filled with penalties and turnovers, it was only fitting the game's most memorable play came down to good fortune. With the Cowboys leading 6-0 early in the second quarter, Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas' pass caromed off the fingertips of receiver Eddie Hinton, and supposedly off Cowboys cornerback Mel Renfro, before Baltimore tight end John Mackey caught the pass around midfield and rumbled into the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Renfro insisted he never touched the ball, and at the time, NFL rules stated a completed forward pass could not touch two offensive players consecutively. The Colts were awarded the touchdown, although needing another memorable play to still win (See No. 7) the game. 13. Lilly's Legendary Sack on Griese Super Bowl VI, Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3 The Cowboys were dominating the Dolphins and cruising to their first-ever Super Bowl title. In the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Bob Lilly chased Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese down for a 29-yard loss on a play that seemed to exemplify more than just the entire game, but the Cowboys' quest to finally reach the top of the mountain. Miami had just 185 yards offense and became the first team in Super Bowl history not to score a touchdown. 12. Leap ... Spin ... Touchdown! Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17 With two minutes remaining in the first half, Super Bowl XXVII was a wildly contested game. At halftime, it was over. And that's because the Cowboys turned a 14-10 lead into 28-10 thanks to two touchdown catches by Michael Irvin. After his 19-yard touchdown reception gave the Cowboys an 11-point lead, Thurman Thomas fumbled the ball right back to the Cowboys, who needed just one play to score. Aikman fired a pass again to Irvin, who made a leaping grab at the 4, before he spun to the outside and dived for the end zone pylon. 11. Swann's Sideline Dancing Super Bowl X, Steelers 21, Cowboys 17 Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann was named Super Bowl X MVP for several big catches he hauled in against the Cowboys. One of them was a magnificent sideline grab when he out-jumped cornerback Mark Washington, who had good position on the play. But Swann not only jumped over him to make the grab, but positioned his feet enough to stay in bounds for one of the Super Bowl's best all-time catches. The worst part for the Cowboys, it wasn't even Swann's best catch of the game. 10. Fullback Pass Comes Up Golden Super Bowl XII, Cowboys 27, Broncos 10 Only four Cowboys have ever thrown a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. Aikman and Roger Staubach are easy guesses, while Craig Morton also tossed one in Super Bowl V. But the stumper to this trivia question is none other than fullback Robert Newhouse, whose 29-yard pass to Golden Richards not only stunned the Broncos, but put the game away in the fourth quarter. 9. KO For Norton Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17 With the Cowboys holding on to a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, middle linebacker Ken Norton Jr., the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton, delivered quite a punch of his own on a goal-line stand. On third-and-goal from the Cowboys 1, Norton stuffed Bills running back Kenneth Davis all by himself, keeping Buffalo out of the end zone. The Bills elected to go for a touchdown on the next play, but Jim Kelly was picked off in the end zone by safety Thomas Everett. 8. Wide Open Larry Brown Super Bowl XXX, Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 More than a month after Christmas, Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown was still receiving gifts, both in the second half. Pittsburgh quarterback Neil O'Donnell threw two passes directly to Brown, playing in a zone with no Steelers in the vicinity. The first pick set up a third-quarter Emmitt Smith touchdown. But with the Steelers trailing by just three, Brown's second pick was even bigger. Brown returned the ball 33 yards to the Pittsburgh 6, setting up Smith's game-clinching touchdown. 7. Sloppy Game Ends With Kick Super Bowl V, Colts 16, Cowboys 13 The first four Super Bowls were all decided by more than a touchdown. But as wildly as Super Bowl V was played (14 penalties, 10 turnovers), the game remained tied in the final seconds until Colts kicker Jim O'Brien won the game with a 32-yard field goal as time expired. Just as memorable as O'Brien's kick was Cowboys defensive tackle Bob Lilly throwing his helmet some 30 yards in disgust after the bitter defeat. 6. Butch Lays Out Super Bowl XII, Cowboys 27, Broncos 10 Two years after the Cowboys were torched by a couple of Swann acrobatic catches in Super Bowl X, Cowboys wide receiver Butch Johnson came up with one of his own. With the Cowboys leading 13-3 in the third quarter, Johnson put the game out of reach on a pass that looked out of reach. But he dived to haul in Staubach's pass at the goal-line, coming up with a 45-yard touchdown grab. 5. Lett-Washington Have Some Fun Super Bowl XXVIII, Cowboys 30, Bills 13 The Bills came out at halftime knowing they were just 30 minutes from winning their first Super Bowl. They led the Cowboys, 13-6, but it took just 30 seconds for everything to fall apart. Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett stripped Bills running back Thurman Thomas of the ball on the second play of the second half. Safety James Washington scooped up the loose ball and raced 46 yards to the end zone, tying the game, 13-13. The Cowboys never looked back from there, and Washington was a big reason why. He picked off a Jim Kelly pass and forced another fumble, resulting in three total turnovers. Emmitt Smith was named MVP, but no player had a bigger impact helping the Cowboys win their second straight Super Bowl than James Washington. 4. Emmitt, Emmitt And More Emmitt Super Bowl XXVIII, Cowboys 30, Bills 13 After the Cowboys had pulled even with the Bills early in the second half, the Cowboys got the ball back and made no secret whose back they were going to ride. Emmitt Smith got the ball seven consecutive times on the drive, capping it off with a 15-yard touchdown run, deftly breaking three tackles along the way. The score gave the Cowboys the lead for good. Smith, who would score again, rushed for 132 yards to win MVP honors. 3. Swan-Like Performance Super Bowl X, Steelers 21, Cowboys 17 Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann was named MVP of Super Bowl X for his 161 receiving yards and game-clinching 64-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. But he will forever be remembered for his acrobatic catch near midfield, concentrating on the deflected pass while falling to the ground. Swann made the catch just before he landed on top of Cowboys cornerback Mark Washington. The 53-yard catch in the second quarter got the Steelers out from their own end zone, denying the Cowboys an opportunity to stretch their 10-7 lead by halftime. 2. "Sickest Guy In America" Super Bowl XIII, Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 The Cowboys were in the middle of a slugfest with the Steelers and looking to tie the game in the third quarter. But on a key third down, veteran tight end Jackie Smith, wide open in the middle of the end zone, drops a certain touchdown pass during the third quarter. The Cowboys have to settle for a field goal and wind up losing the game by four points. To this day, Staubach insists he threw the ball behind Smith. 1. "Look Out Leon" Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17 The Cowboys are on the verge of scoring the most points in Super Bowl history and about to score their third defensive touchdown of the game. Defensive tackle Leon Lett scooped up a fourth-quarter fumble and ran some 60 yards before a premature celebration had him holding the ball out to the side inside the five-yard line. And just before he broke the plane of the end zone, hustling Bills receiver Don Beebe stripped the ball out of Lett's hands, the ball rolling out of the zone for a touchback. The Cowboys finished the game with 52 points, just short of San Francisco's record of 55 points (Super Bowl XXIV).
