"1996 Super Bowl" redirects here. For the Super Bowl that was played at the completion of the 1996 season, see
Super Bowl XXXI
.
1996 edition of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXX
|
|
|
1
| 2
| 3
| 4
|
Total
|
DAL
|
10
| 3
| 7
| 7
|
27
|
PIT
|
0
| 7
| 0
| 10
|
17
|
|
Date
| January 28, 1996
(
1996-01-28
)
|
---|
Stadium
| Sun Devil Stadium
,
Tempe, Arizona
|
---|
MVP
| Larry Brown
,
cornerback
|
---|
Favorite
| Cowboys by 13.5
[1]
[2]
|
---|
Referee
| Red Cashion
|
---|
Attendance
| 76,347
[3]
|
---|
|
Cowboys:
Jerry Jones
(owner),
Troy Aikman
,
Larry Allen
,
Charles Haley
,
Michael Irvin
,
Deion Sanders
,
Emmitt Smith
Steelers:
Dan Rooney
(owner/administrator),
Bill Cowher
(head coach),
Bill Nunn
(scout),
Dermontti Dawson
,
Kevin Greene
,
Rod Woodson
|
|
National anthem
| Vanessa Williams
,
American Sign Language
translation by Mary Kim Titla
|
---|
Coin toss
| Joe Montana
representing previous
Super Bowl MVPs
|
---|
Halftime show
| Diana Ross
|
---|
|
Network
| NBC
|
---|
Announcers
| Dick Enberg
,
Phil Simms
,
Paul Maguire
,
Jim Gray
and
Will McDonough
|
---|
Nielsen ratings
| 46.0
(est. 94.08 million viewers)
[4]
|
---|
Market share
| 68
|
---|
Cost of 30-second commercial
| $1.085 million
|
---|
|
Network
| CBS Radio
|
---|
Announcers
| Jack Buck
and
Hank Stram
|
---|
|
Super Bowl XXX
was an
American football
game between the
National Football Conference
(NFC) champion
Dallas Cowboys
and the
American Football Conference
(AFC) champion
Pittsburgh Steelers
to decide the
National Football League
(NFL) champion for the
1995 season
. The Cowboys defeated the Steelers by the score of 27?17, winning their fifth Super Bowl in team history.
[5]
The game was played on January 28, 1996, at
Sun Devil Stadium
in
Tempe, Arizona
, the first time the Super Bowl was played in the
Phoenix metropolitan area
.
Both teams entered the game trying to tie the
San Francisco 49ers
for the record for most Super Bowl wins by a franchise (5). The Cowboys, who posted a 12?4 regular season record, were making their eighth Super Bowl appearance, while the Steelers, who recorded an 11?5 regular season record, were making their fifth appearance. This was also the fifth rematch between Super Bowl teams. The game was the third time the
two longtime rivals
had met in a Super Bowl, the most between any two NFL teams. The two teams met previously in
Super Bowl X
in 1975 and
Super Bowl XIII
in 1979, with Pittsburgh having won both games.
[5]
Dallas became the first team to win three Super Bowls in four years, while Pittsburgh's defeat was their first Super Bowl loss in team history. As of 2024, this remains the last time the Cowboys appeared in a Super Bowl.
Dallas'
Larry Brown
, a 12th-round draft pick, who was still grieving the death of his infant son two and a half months prior,
[6]
[7]
became the first
cornerback
to be named
Super Bowl MVP
by recording two interceptions in the second half, which the Cowboys converted into two touchdowns to prevent a Steelers comeback.
[5]
Dallas built a 13?0 lead in the second quarter before Pittsburgh scored with 13 seconds left in the half to cut their deficit to 13?7. Midway through the 3rd quarter, Brown made his first interception and returned it 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18-yard line to set up running back
Emmitt Smith
's 1-yard touchdown run. The Steelers then rallied to cut their deficit to 20?17 in the 4th quarter. But Brown recorded his second interception on Pittsburgh's next drive and returned it 33 yards to the Steelers 6-yard line to set up Smith's 4-yard rushing touchdown.
The
NBC
television broadcast broke the record at the time for the most-watched sporting event ever on American television, and was the second-most watched television program of all time behind the
final episode
of
M*A*S*H
in 1983.
[8]
Background
[
edit
]
Host selection process
[
edit
]
Sun Devil Stadium
in
Tempe, Arizona
, the home of the
Phoenix Cardinals
and the
Arizona State Sun Devils
was originally chosen as the venue for
Super Bowl XXVII
on March 13, 1990.
[9]
[10]
However, the NFL pulled that game from Arizona in the midst of a large entertainment and convention boycott
[11]
[12]
to protest the state's refusal to adopt the
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
holiday.
[13]
[14]
As a compromise, however, the NFL owners reserved Super Bowl XXX for Tempe on a "preliminary" and "conditional" basis.
[15]
[16]
[17]
Arizona voters approved the MLK Day holiday in November 1992. The NFL responded by formally assigning Super Bowl XXX to Tempe at their March 1993 meeting in
Palm Desert, California
.
[18]
No others cities put in a bid or were considered for the hosting duties.
Super Bowl XXX was the last to be hosted in a stadium containing
bleacher
seats, and would also be the last Super Bowl to be held on a college campus, as the stadium sits on the campus of
Arizona State University
.
[5]
Dallas Cowboys
[
edit
]
The Cowboys entered the 1995 regular season attempting to become the first team in NFL history to win three out of the last four Super Bowls. They had previously won Super Bowls
XXVII
and
XXVIII
but their chance of a "three-peat" (winning three consecutive championships) was thwarted when they lost the
NFC Championship Game
to the
San Francisco 49ers
, the eventual
Super Bowl XXIX
champions. This was the Cowboys’ eighth appearance in the Super Bowl, the most of any franchise; the Steelers tied this record in 2010 when that team advanced to
Super Bowl XLV
. The Patriots became the third team to reach the mark in 2014 when that team went on to win
Super Bowl XLIX
, and the Denver Broncos the fourth team in 2015 in
Super Bowl 50
.
After taking over the Cowboys in
1989
, team owner/general manager
Jerry Jones
and head coach
Jimmy Johnson
rebuilt the team into a Super Bowl contender with young talent. Both had different ideas on the future personnel plans for the Cowboys, and both wanted equal credit for the team's recent success. As a result, Johnson eventually left the team after their
Super Bowl XXVIII
win and was replaced by former
University of Oklahoma
head coach
Barry Switzer
, who had one of the highest winning percentages of any
college football
coach in history, with a mark of .837.
[5]
In 1995, the Cowboys finished with a
12?4
regular season record, the best in the NFC.
Pro Bowl
quarterback
Troy Aikman
finished the regular season completing 280 out of 432 passes for 3,304 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. Pro Bowl running back
Emmitt Smith
won his fourth and last league rushing crown in his career with 1,773 yards, and broke a league single-season record with 25 rushing touchdowns. Smith was also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, recording a career-high 62 receptions for 375 yards.
[5]
Fullback
Daryl Johnston
added 111 rushing yards, while also catching 30 passes for 248 and scoring three touchdowns. Pro Bowl wide receiver
Michael Irvin
led the team in receiving with 111 catches for 1,603 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Kevin Williams
was another big receiving threat with 38 receptions for 613 yards, while also racking up 1,274 return yards on special teams. Pro Bowl tight end Jay Novacek had 62 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns. Dallas' offensive line was led by Pro Bowl selections
Larry Allen
,
Ray Donaldson
,
Nate Newton
, and
Mark Tuinei
.
[5]
However, Donaldson suffered a season-ending injury late in the season and would be replaced by
Derek Kennard
.
Dallas' major acquisition before the season was four-time Pro Bowl cornerback
Deion Sanders
. Coincidentally, Sanders won the Super Bowl the year before with San Francisco. However, Sanders only played nine regular season games for the Cowboys in 1995 due to injuries, and thus only recorded 24 tackles and two interceptions for 34 yards.
[5]
However, safety
Darren Woodson
was named to the Pro Bowl with 89 tackles and two interceptions for 46 return yards and a touchdown. Cornerback
Larry Brown
led the team in interceptions with six for 124 return yards and two touchdowns. Pro Bowl defensive end
Charles Haley
led the team in sacks with 10.5, while defensive end
Chad Hennings
added 5.5. Safety
Brock Marion
recorded six interceptions, returning them for 40 yards and a touchdown.
[5]
After starting fast at 8?1, the Cowboys hit a major bump in the road, losing big at home to the
49ers
, 38?20 (they trailed 31?14 at halftime). Coincidentally, the 49ers, the previous Super Bowl champion, also suffered a blowout loss at home the prior season (40?8 to the
Philadelphia Eagles
). Adding insult to injury, the 49ers were without starting quarterback
Steve Young
and fullback
William Floyd
. The game was highly anticipated, with verbal exchanges between the teams during the week, and it marked the beginning of a difficult stretch for the team. The following four games resulted in two more losses for the Cowboys. However, after a narrow 21?20 win against the
New York Giants
, the Cowboys regained their dominating form, trouncing the
Arizona Cardinals
(who were playing their home games at Sun Devil Stadium) 37?13 on
Christmas night
in Arizona as part of
Monday Night Football
, and then cruising through the playoffs with convincing wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. Brown foreshadowed his Super Bowl XXX heroics with a key interception against Green Bay quarterback
Brett Favre
late in the NFC Championship Game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
[
edit
]
Super Bowl XXX was the first time that the Steelers advanced to the league championship game since winning
Super Bowl XIV
and the first under head coach
Bill Cowher
. Cowher took over the team in
1992
after longtime head coach
Chuck Noll
retired after a 23-year tenure and leading the team to four Super Bowl wins. During Cowher's first year, the Steelers captured the number one AFC playoff
seed
with an 11?5 regular season record, but were eliminated in their first playoff game against the
Buffalo Bills
, 24?3.
[5]
Cowher then led the Steelers into the playoffs in
1993
and
1994
, but were also eliminated, including a 17?13 upset loss to the
San Diego Chargers
in the 1994
AFC Championship Game
.
[5]
In 1995, the Steelers overcame a 3?4 start (including a 20?16 upset loss to the expansion
Jacksonville Jaguars
) to win eight of their final nine games and finished with an
11?5
record, the second-best in the AFC. Their offense was led by quarterback
Neil O'Donnell
, who completed 246 out of 416 passes for 2,970 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.
[5]
Pro Bowl wide receiver
Yancey Thigpen
was the team's leading receiver with 85 receptions for 1,307 yards and five touchdowns. Other contributors in the passing game included wide receivers
Andre Hastings
(48 catches for 502 yards and one touchdown) and
Ernie Mills
(39 receptions for 679 yards and 8 touchdowns), who both also excelled as returners on special teams. Mills gained 1,306 yards returning kickoffs, while Hastings returned 48 punts for 474 yards and a touchdown.
[5]
The Steelers' rushing attack was led by
Erric Pegram
, who recorded 813 yards and five touchdowns, and
Bam Morris
, who had 559 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, newly acquired kicker
Norm Johnson
led the NFL in both field goals made (34) and field goals attempted (41), while also successfully making all 39 of his extra point attempts.
[5]
Leading the offensive line was future Hall of Fame center
Dermontti Dawson
, who made the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year.
The Steelers' defense ranked second in the league in total yards allowed (4,833). Pro Bowl linebacker
Kevin Greene
led the team with nine sacks, while another Pro Bowl linebacker,
Greg Lloyd
, led the team with 86 tackles, while also collecting 6.5 sacks and three interceptions. The secondary was led by Pro Bowl defensive back
Carnell Lake
and
Willie Williams
, who led the team with seven interceptions and 122 return yards. The secondary also featured future Hall of Fame defensive back
Rod Woodson
, who missed almost the entire season with a knee injury, but healed quickly enough to return in time for the playoffs. He is still the only NFL player to suffer and return from a
torn ACL
and still play in the same season.
Playoffs
[
edit
]
The Cowboys first defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles
, 30?11. The score was tied 3?3 into the 2nd quarter, until Dallas scored 27 consecutive points to put the game out of reach.
[5]
First,
Deion Sanders
scored a 21-yard touchdown on an end-around play.
Emmitt Smith
then capped off a 79-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run before halftime. Kicker
Chris Boniol
later scored two field goals in the 3rd quarter, and
Troy Aikman
completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to
Michael Irvin
in the 4th quarter, giving the Cowboys a commanding 30?3 lead. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback
Randall Cunningham
was limited to just 11 of 26 completions for 161 yards and no touchdowns, with one interception. Philadelphia could only score a single field goal and Cunningham's meaningless 4-yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter.
[5]
Dallas then advanced to their fourth consecutive
NFC Championship Game
, where they faced the
Green Bay Packers
, who had eliminated the
San Francisco 49ers
in the other NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Dallas jumped to an early 14?3 lead with a pair of first quarter touchdown passes from Aikman to Irvin.
[5]
However, Packers quarterback
Brett Favre
threw two touchdowns to take a 17?14 lead midway through the second quarter: a 73-yard strike to wide receiver
Robert Brooks
and a 24-yard pass to tight end
Keith Jackson
. Dallas stormed right back with a Boniol field goal, and a record 99-yard drive to score on Smith's 1-yard touchdown run, giving them a 24?17 halftime lead.
[5]
In the third quarter, Green Bay regained the lead, 27?24 with a field goal and another touchdown pass from Favre to Brooks. However, Dallas scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away, 38?27. A 90-yard drive was capped with Smith's second touchdown run. On Green Bay's ensuing drive, Larry Brown intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it 28 yards to set up Smith's third touchdown run. Smith finished the game with 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while also catching two passes for 17 yards. Aikman threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Irvin caught seven passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
[5]
For the Steelers, they started their playoff run with a 40?21 win over the
Buffalo Bills
. Pittsburgh dominated the Bills right from the start, building up a 23?7 halftime lead. Buffalo scored two touchdowns in the second half, but
Bam Morris
's two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Bills comeback.
[5]
The Steelers' defense limited Buffalo's
Jim Kelly
to just 135 passing yards and one touchdown, while intercepting him three times. Bills running back
Thurman Thomas
, who had rushed for 158 yards and caught three passes for 42 yards in Buffalo's wild card playoff win over the
Miami Dolphins
, was held to just 46 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Morris rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while kicker
Norm Johnson
made four field goals.
[5]
Pittsburgh then narrowly defeated the
Indianapolis Colts
, 20?16 to advance to their first Super Bowl since the 1979 season.
[5]
In the second quarter,
Neil O'Donnell
's controversial 5-yard touchdown pass to
Kordell Stewart
gave Pittsburgh a 10?6 halftime lead (replays showed that Stewart stepped on the end line before making the catch, which would have made him ineligible). Stewart later said after the game: "I was hit in the end zone for pass interference earlier but (the refs) didn't throw a flag, so what goes around comes around." After the teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, Indianapolis quarterback
Jim Harbaugh
threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Floyd Turner
to give the Colts a 16?13 lead in the fourth quarter. The Steelers drove 67 yards on their final drive (keyed by a 4th down-and-3 conversion and a 37-yard pass play from O'Donnell to
Ernie Mills
) to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run by Morris with 1:34 left. Mills broke up what would have been a game-clinching interception by Colts linebacker Quentin Coryatt several plays earlier. The Colts responded by driving to the Steelers 29-yard line, and on the game's final play, Harbaugh threw a
Hail Mary
intended for wide receiver
Aaron Bailey
in the end zone. Bailey attempted to make a diving catch, but the pass was batted away at the last second by
Randy Fuller
and ruled incomplete.
[5]
Broadcasting
[
edit
]
The game was broadcast in the
United States
by
NBC
, including local NBC stations
KXAS-TV
in Dallas and
WPXI-TV
in Pittsburgh. The broadcast featured
play-by-play announcer
Dick Enberg
and
color commentators
Phil Simms
,
Paul Maguire
, and
Jim Gray
and
Will McDonough
on the sidelines.
Greg Gumbel
hosted all the events with the help of then-NBC analysts
Ahmad Rashad
,
Mike Ditka
,
Joe Gibbs
, and
Joe Montana
.
[5]
The
Vince Lombardi Trophy
presentation started a tradition that continues today, in which it is held on the field instead of inside the winners' locker room as was the case previously.
For the
Super Bowl lead-out program
, NBC broadcast an hour-long episode of
Friends
, "
The One After the Superbowl
", restarting a trend in which the prized post-Super Bowl time slot was given to an established program. Previously, networks typically used the occasion to premiere a new show, with little success. Of the new series premiering after the Super Bowl from 1983 to 1995, only
The A-Team
(NBC, after Super Bowl XVII),
The Wonder Years
(ABC, after XXII), and
Homicide: Life on the Street
(NBC, after XXVII) had lengthy runs.
[5]
The radio broadcast was carried by
CBS Radio
, with
Jack Buck
and
Hank Stram
announcing. It proved to be Buck's last NFL broadcast.
[5]
Super Bowl XXX was broadcast to over 150 countries around the world, including
Australia
on
Network Ten
,
Canada
on
CTV
,
Germany
on
Tele 5
,
Mexico
on
Canal 5
, the
Philippines
on the
GMA Network
, and the
United Kingdom
on
Channel 4
.
Due to the fact that the game's Roman numeral, XXX, is usually associated with
pornography
, a number of
internet filters
blocked web sites for the event. This became one of the early cases of the
web filter problem
.
Super Bowl XXX is the subject of the
NFL's Greatest Games
episode
Duel in the Desert
, based on the Super Bowl highlight film of the same name, which was narrated by Earl Mann.
Entertainment
[
edit
]
Pregame ceremonies
[
edit
]
The pregame show held before the game featured dancers in celebration of the culture of
Native Americans in the United States
, the traditions of the
American Old West
, and the great outdoors.
Actress and singer
Vanessa Williams
later sang the national anthem. Following the anthem, to honor the 10th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, the flyover was done in a Missing Man formation.
To honor the 30th Super Bowl game, several past Super Bowl MVPs joined the
coin toss
ceremony (similar to 10 years earlier in
Super Bowl XX
, and then repeated every 10 years thereafter in
Super Bowl XL
and
Super Bowl 50
). Joe Montana, MVP of Super Bowls
XVI
,
XIX
, and
XXIV
, tossed the coin.
[5]
Halftime show
[
edit
]
Diana Ross
performed during the
halftime show
, titled "Take Me Higher: A Celebration of 30 years of the Super Bowl". The show featured a number of her songs along with
pyrotechnics
, special effects, and stadium card stunts. The show ended with Ross singing "
Take Me Higher
" from her 1995
nineteenth studio album of the same name
, and then she was taken from the field in a
helicopter
.
[19]
Game summary
[
edit
]
First quarter
[
edit
]
As the
designated home team
in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Cowboys elected to wear their home white uniforms with silver pants, while the Steelers wore their home black uniforms with gold pants. This uniform matchup was also featured in Dallas and Pittsburgh's two prior Super Bowl meetings, with Pittsburgh as the "home" team in X and Dallas as the "home" team in XIII.
Super Bowl XXX began with Dallas wide receiver Kevin Williams returning the opening kickoff 18 yards to the 29-yard line. On the Cowboys' first possession, quarterback
Troy Aikman
completed a 20-yard pass on second down to wide receiver
Michael Irvin
, which was followed by a 23-yard rush by running back
Emmitt Smith
to advance to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line. The run would be Smith's longest of the day (as well as his longest run on a grass field the entire season) and the longest for either team. On 3rd-and-8 from the 26-yard line, Williams could only gain 2 yards on a reverse play, forcing Dallas to settle for a 42-yard
Chris Boniol
field goal.
On the Steelers' first possession, the Dallas defense forced a three-and-out and subsequent punt, which Cowboys cornerback
Deion Sanders
returned 11 yards to the 25-yard line. After two Smith runs, Aikman completed two quick passes, the first to Irvin for an 11-yard gain and the second to Sanders (who was brought in on offense as an extra receiver) for 47 yards. Sanders became the only player in Super Bowl history to record a Super Bowl interception on defense and a reception on offense (he recorded an interception as a member of the 49ers a year earlier in Super Bowl XXIX). Four plays later, Aikman completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Jay Novacek
(playing in what would be his last game, as Novacek missed the following season due to back injuries before retiring), increasing Dallas' lead to 10?0. It was the second Super Bowl in which Novacek scored Dallas's first touchdown (he also scored their first touchdown in
Super Bowl XXVII
).
After the Steelers managed to advance to the Dallas 36-yard line on their ensuing drive, the possession fell apart due to a miscue by center
Dermontti Dawson
. Pittsburgh had lined up in the
shotgun formation
, and Dawson's snap sailed over quarterback
Neil O'Donnell
's head. O'Donnell managed to recover the fumble, but the Steelers were unable to recover from the 13-yard loss, and they had to punt two plays later.
Second quarter
[
edit
]
After the punt, Dallas drove to the Steelers' 24-yard line. However, a pass interference penalty on Irvin nullified a 24-yard touchdown reception and moved the ball back to the 34-yard line. On the next play, Aikman completed a 19-yard pass to Novacek, bringing up second down and 1 from the 15-yard line. However, the Steelers' defense stopped Smith for no gain on the next play, and then tackled him for a 3-yard loss on third down. Boniol then kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Dallas' lead to 13?0.
After an exchange of punts, Steelers wide receiver
Andre Hastings
returned
John Jett
's punt 11 yards to the Pittsburgh 46-yard line. After O'Donnell's first-down pass fell incomplete, Dallas linebacker
Charles Haley
then sacked the Steelers quarterback for a 10-yard loss, forcing third down and 20. O'Donnell's next pass was a 19-yard completion to Hastings, and then a 3-yard run on fourth down by wide receiver/backup quarterback
Kordell Stewart
netted a first down. Nine plays later, O'Donnell threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Yancey Thigpen
with just 13 seconds left in the half, cutting Pittsburgh's deficit to 13?7.
Third quarter
[
edit
]
After the third quarter began with another exchange of punts, the Steelers advanced the ball to their own 48-yard line. However, on third down, Cowboys cornerback
Larry Brown
intercepted O'Donnell's pass at the Dallas 38-yard line and returned it 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18-yard line. Aikman then completed a 17-yard pass to Irvin to reach the 1-yard line, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Smith to increase Dallas' lead to 20?7.
On their next drive, the Steelers faced second down and 2 on their own 47-yard line but turned the ball over on downs after running back
Bam Morris
was tackled for no gain on three consecutive running plays: a
draw play
to the left, a run to the left, and one to the middle. The Steelers defense held, however, forcing Dallas into a
three-and-out
; after a 6-yard run by Smith and an incompletion, Aikman's third-down pass was broken up by defensive back
Rod Woodson
(who had missed most of the season due to a knee injury), forcing the Cowboys to punt.
Fourth quarter
[
edit
]
On their next drive, the Steelers advanced from their own 20-yard line to the Dallas 19. However, Dallas defensive end
Tony Tolbert
sacked O'Donnell on third down for a 9-yard loss, one of four Dallas sacks in the game, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for kicker
Norm Johnson
's 46-yard field goal with 11:20 left in the game, cutting the deficit to 20?10.
On the ensuing kickoff, Pittsburgh surprised the Cowboys by executing a successful
onside kick
, with defensive back
Deon Figures
recovering the ball for Pittsburgh at their own 47-yard line. O'Donnell hit Hastings on two consecutive passes for 23 total yards. His next pass went to wide receiver
Ernie Mills
for 7 yards, and then Morris ran for 5 yards and caught a pass for a 6-yard gain to the Dallas 11-yard line. Three plays later, Morris scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting Pittsburgh's deficit to 20?17.
With the aid of linebacker
Levon Kirkland
's 8-yard sack of Aikman, the Cowboys were forced to punt on their next drive, and Pittsburgh regained possession of the ball at their own 32-yard line with 4:15 remaining, giving them the opportunity to start a game-winning drive. However, on second down, Brown intercepted another O'Donnell pass and returned it 33 yards to the Steelers' 6-yard line. The play was a mirror image of O'Donnell's first interception to Brown; a throw in the right flat thrown under a heavy Cowboys blitz into the arms of Brown with no Steelers receiver in sight. After the game, O'Donnell said that he was throwing in the spot he expected receiver
Corey Holliday
to be on the second interception, stating that he expected Holliday to make an out-cut instead of an in-cut. Mills responded by questioning why O'Donnell would throw to a spot and not a man in a Super Bowl. Brown said he was all alone on both picks because he expected O'Donnell to throw to the outside to seemingly get rid of the ball amidst the Cowboys' blitz.
Two plays following the interception, Smith scored once again with 3:43 left in the game, increasing the Cowboys' lead to 27?17. Despite being held to 49 yards on the ground and only 9 in the second half, Smith scored the game-clinching touchdown by making a devastating cutback on Kirkland, the best player on Pittsburgh's defense that day. The Steelers responded by driving to the Cowboys' 40-yard line, but after O'Donnell threw four consecutive incompletions, Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs with 1:42 left in the game, sealing Dallas' victory. After that, Dallas ran out most of the clock with three
quarterback kneels
and an intentional delay of the game penalty before punting the ball back to the Steelers. Pittsburgh regained possession of the ball with three seconds remaining, but O'Donnell's Hail Mary pass was intercepted by Dallas safety
Brock Marion
on the final play of the game.
The Steelers had outgained the Cowboys in total yards, 310?254 (201?61 in the second half), had 25 first downs compared to the Cowboys' 15, and limited Dallas' powerful running attack to just 56 yards. However, they were unable to overcome O'Donnell's interceptions, which led to two Cowboys touchdowns. The irony of the game was that O'Donnell entered Super Bowl XXX as the NFL's all-time leader in fewest interceptions per pass attempt.
Troy Aikman finished the game with 15 out of 23 completions for 209 yards and a touchdown (Aikman became just the third quarterback to win three Super Bowl games;
Terry Bradshaw
and
Joe Montana
each won four). Smith was the Cowboys' leading rusher with 49 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns (Smith became just the fifth player to score a touchdown in three Super Bowl games, joining
Lynn Swann
,
Franco Harris
,
Thurman Thomas
, and
Jerry Rice
; he also became the first player to rush for two touchdowns in two Super Bowls). Irvin was Dallas' top receiver with 5 catches for 76 yards. Novacek caught 5 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Defensive end
Chad Hennings
recorded 2 of the 4 Dallas sacks in the game. The Dallas defense did not allow a play from scrimmage longer than 20 yards.
Although his 3 interceptions were costly, O'Donnell recorded 28 of 49 completions for 239 yards and a touchdown. Morris was the top rusher of the game with 73 yards and a touchdown, and also caught 3 passes for 18 yards. Hastings was the top receiver of the game with 10 receptions for 98 yards and returned 2 punts for 18 yards. Mills caught 8 passes for 78 yards and gained 79 yards on 4 kickoff returns, giving him 157 total yards. A knee injury he sustained in the fourth quarter would keep him out for most of the 1996 season.
Aftermath
[
edit
]
Charles Haley
became the first player to win five Super Bowl championships, winning two with San Francisco (XXIII and XXIV) and two previously with Dallas (XXVII and XXVIII).
Barry Switzer
became the second head coach, after former Cowboys and
University of Miami
head coach
Jimmy Johnson
, to win a
college football national championship
(
University of Oklahoma
1974, 1975, 1985) and a Super Bowl title. Only one other coach has since equaled the feat:
Pete Carroll
(
USC
and
Seattle
).
After a many-year-long tradition of presenting the
Vince Lombardi Trophy
to the winning team in its locker room after the game, the NFL began the tradition of presenting the trophy on the field.
The outcome of the game had rather large ramifications for two soon-to-be free agents after their performances. Larry Brown, who was named Super Bowl MVP for his two interceptions, parlayed his performance into a lucrative free agent contract with the
Oakland Raiders
. However, he was not very effective and was cut from the team after two injury-plagued seasons. Neil O'Donnell left the Steelers in the offseason and signed a long-term free agent contract with the
New York Jets
, accepting New York's more lucrative offer. O'Donnell's tenure in New York, like Brown's in Oakland, was plagued by injuries and ineffective play, and he was released from his contract following the 1997 season. Both players finished their careers as backups, Brown returning to the Cowboys in 1998 and O'Donnell playing for the
Cincinnati Bengals
and
Tennessee Titans
until his retirement in 2003.
Both teams would post 10?6 records in 1996 and would win their opening playoff games by sizable margins before losing in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Pittsburgh would reach the AFC Championship Game in 1997 before breaking up most of the team's nucleus during the 1998 and 1999 offseasons. Coach Bill Cowher and defensive back Willie Williams were the team's lone links to be a part of the
Super Bowl XL
championship team. The team would acquire running back
Jerome Bettis
in the 1996 offseason after releasing Morris for possession of illegal drugs months after Super Bowl XXX. Pittsburgh eventually reclaimed the record for most Vince Lombardi Trophies with six, following their victory in
Super Bowl XLIII
.
Super Bowl XXX served as the final Super Bowl victory for the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s. Dallas would win only one more postseason game until 2009. In addition, the Cowboys have not reached the
NFC Championship Game
since winning Super Bowl XXX, the fourth longest active
Conference Championship appearance drought
in the NFL (not including the
Houston Texans
who have never appeared in a Conference Championship Game but have only been a franchise since
2002
). Injuries forced Michael Irvin and fullback Daryl Johnston to retire after the 1999 season, and Aikman also retired due to injuries one year later. Smith became the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 2002 before he was released by the team after that season. 1995 was statistically the best season for the Cowboys' triplets, although all three have stated that the 1995 Super Bowl was easily the toughest of the three Super Bowl runs. The Cowboys also became the first team to win Super Bowls under three head coaches (
Tom Landry
in
Super Bowls VI
and
XII
,
Jimmy Johnson
in
Super Bowls XXVII
and
XXVIII
, and Switzer). Two other teams have since won Super Bowl championships under three coaches, with the
Green Bay Packers
winning under
Vince Lombardi
,
Mike Holmgren
, and
Mike McCarthy
, and the
Pittsburgh Steelers
winning under
Chuck Noll
, Cowher, and
Mike Tomlin
.
Box score
[
edit
]
Super Bowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Period
|
1
|
2
|
3
| 4
| Total
|
Cowboys (NFC)
|
10
|
3
|
7
| 7
| 27
|
Steelers (AFC)
|
0
|
7
|
0
| 10
| 17
|
at
Sun Devil Stadium
,
Tempe, Arizona
- Date
: January 28, 1996
- Game time
: 4:21 p.m.
MST
- Game weather
: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny
[20]
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
DAL
|
PIT
|
1
|
12:05
|
7
|
47
|
2:55
|
DAL
|
42-yard field goal by
Chris Boniol
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
5:23
|
8
|
75
|
4:35
|
DAL
|
Jay Novacek
3-yard touchdown reception from
Troy Aikman
, Boniol kick good
|
10
|
0
|
2
|
6:03
|
14
|
62
|
8:44
|
DAL
|
35-yard field goal by Boniol
|
13
|
0
|
2
|
0:13
|
13
|
54
|
3:39
|
PIT
|
Yancey Thigpen
6-yard touchdown reception from
Neil O'Donnell
,
Norm Johnson
kick good
|
13
|
7
|
3
|
6:42
|
2
|
18
|
0:36
|
DAL
|
Emmitt Smith
1-yard touchdown run, Boniol kick good
|
20
|
7
|
4
|
11:20
|
11
|
52
|
4:13
|
PIT
|
46-yard field goal by Johnson
|
20
|
10
|
4
|
6:36
|
9
|
52
|
4:44
|
PIT
|
Bam Morris
1-yard touchdown run, Johnson kick good
|
20
|
17
|
4
|
3:43
|
2
|
6
|
0:18
|
DAL
|
Smith 4-yard touchdown run, Boniol kick good
|
27
|
17
|
"TOP" =
time of possession
. For other American football terms, see
Glossary of American football
.
|
27
|
17
|
|
Final statistics
[
edit
]
Sources:
NFL.com Super Bowl XXX
,
Super Bowl XXX Play Finder Dal
,
Super Bowl XXX Play Finder Pit
Statistical comparison
[
edit
]
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
First downs
|
15
|
25
|
First downs rushing
|
5
|
9
|
First downs passing
|
10
|
15
|
First downs penalty
|
0
|
1
|
Third down efficiency
|
2/10
|
9/19
|
Fourth down efficiency
|
1/1
|
2/4
|
Net yards rushing
|
56
|
103
|
Rushing attempts
|
25
|
31
|
Yards per rush
|
2.2
|
3.3
|
Passing ? Completions/attempts
|
15/23
|
28/49
|
Times sacked-total yards
|
2?11
|
4?32
|
Interceptions thrown
|
0
|
3
|
Net yards passing
|
198
|
207
|
Total net yards
|
254
|
310
|
Punt returns-total yards
|
1?11
|
2?18
|
Kickoff returns-total yards
|
3?37
|
5?96
|
Interceptions-total return yards
|
3?77
|
0?0
|
Punts-average yardage
|
5?38.2
|
4?44.8
|
Fumbles-lost
|
0?0
|
2?0
|
Penalties-total yards
|
4?25
|
2?15
|
Time of possession
|
26:11
|
33:49
|
Turnovers
|
0
|
3
|
Individual statistics
[
edit
]
1
Completions/attempts
2
Carries
3
Long gain
4
Receptions
5
Times targeted
Records set
[
edit
]
The following records were set in Super Bowl XXX, according to the official NFL.com boxscore
[21]
and the ProFootball reference.com game summary.
[22]
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.
[23]
The minimums are shown (in parentheses).
Records Set
[22]
|
Most Super Bowl appearances
|
8
|
Cowboys
|
Highest completion
percentage, career, (40 attempts)
|
70%
(56?80)
|
Troy Aikman
(Dallas)
|
Most rushing touchdowns, career
|
5
|
Emmitt Smith
(Dallas)
|
Most interception yards gained, game
|
77
|
Larry Brown
(Dallas)
|
Most interception yards gained, career
|
77
|
Records Tied
|
Most Super Bowl victories
|
5
|
Cowboys
|
Fewest turnovers, game
|
0
|
Most rushing touchdowns, game
|
2
|
Emmitt Smith
(Dallas)
|
Most interceptions, career
|
3
|
Larry Brown
(Dallas)
|
Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.
Record tied, both team totals
[22]
|
|
0
0
Total
0
0
|
Cowboys
|
Steelers
|
Fewest fumbles lost
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Starting lineups
[
edit
]
Source:
[24]
[25]
Hall of Fame‡
Officials
[
edit
]
- Referee:
Red Cashion
#43 second Super Bowl (XX)
- Umpire:
John Keck #67 first Super Bowl on field (alternate for XV, XXVII)
- Head Linesman:
Paul Weidner #87 first Super Bowl
- Line Judge:
Dale Orem
#51 first Super Bowl
- Back Judge:
Dick Creed #61 second Super Bowl (XXVI)
- Side Judge:
Bill Carollo
#63 first Super Bowl
- Field Judge:
Don Hakes #96 second Super Bowl (XVI)
- Alternate Referee:
Bernie Kukar
#86
- Alternate Umpire:
Hendi Ancich #115 (umpire for XXIV)
Popular culture
[
edit
]
A portion of this Super Bowl was "predicted" six years earlier by NBC series
Quantum Leap
. In the January 17, 1990 episode "All Americans", Al (
Dean Stockwell
) says in conversation with Sam (
Scott Bakula
), "I've been watching Super Bowl XXX. Ooo, Sam, the Steelers are down by 3. You wouldn't believe..." The Steelers
were
the AFC team in the game. They trailed by 3 twice in the game: unremarkably, early in the second quarter (3?0); but again at the critical turning point late in the 4th quarter (20?17) that ultimately gave the Cowboys the win and would lend credence to Al's suspense at the game's ending.
Several characters in the 1996
Elmore Leonard
crime novel
Out of Sight
watch the game on TV, with one betting on it.
References
[
edit
]
- Specific
- ^
DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015).
"Super Bowl Betting History ? Underdogs on Recent Roll"
.
Sporting News
. Archived from
the original
on February 4, 2015
. Retrieved
February 4,
2015
.
- ^
"Super Bowl History"
. Vegas Insider
. Retrieved
February 4,
2015
.
- ^
"Super Bowl Winners"
.
NFL.com
. National Football League
. Retrieved
February 4,
2015
.
- ^
"Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967?2009 ? Ratings"
. TVbytheNumbers. Archived from
the original
on February 8, 2010
. Retrieved
October 9,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
aa
Barnhart, John;
St. Angelo, Ron
(1996).
Keeping Up With the Boys: From Austin to Super Bowl XXX : The Dynasty Continues
. Taylor Publishing.
ISBN
0-87833-952-3
.
- ^
Plaschke, Bill (January 29, 1996).
"SUPER BOWL XXX / Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 : Brown Leaves Tragedy Behind"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
April 20,
2024
.
- ^
Pearlman, Jeff.
Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
.
- ^
Margulies, Lee (January 30, 1996).
"Super Bowl XXX Breaks Record for Audience Size"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Archived from
the original
on August 20, 2016
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Beard, Betty; Novotny, Jean (March 14, 1990).
"Valley wins Super Bowl (Part 1)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 1
. Retrieved
February 15,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Beard, Betty; Novotny, Jean (March 14, 1990).
"Valley wins Super Bowl (Part 2)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 5
. Retrieved
February 15,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Collier, Randy (March 14, 1990).
"Convention of blacks quits state (Part 1)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 3
. Retrieved
February 15,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Collier, Randy (March 14, 1990).
"Convention of blacks quits state (Part 2)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 4
. Retrieved
February 15,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 20, 1991).
"NFL pulls Super Bowl (Part 1)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 1
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 20, 1991).
"NFL pulls Super Bowl (Part 2)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 2
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 21, 1991).
"
'96 Bowl link to King Day is denied (Part 1)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 1
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 21, 1991).
"
'96 Bowl link to King Day is denied (Part 2)"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 2
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 21, 1991).
"Behind NFL's closed doors, compromise"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 2
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Schoenfield, Steve (March 23, 1993).
"Super Bowl for Valley-NFL makes it official for '96"
.
Arizona Republic
. p. 1
. Retrieved
February 14,
2024
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Mitchell, Fred (January 29, 1996).
"Halftime Headliner Diana Ross Goes Up, Up And Away"
.
Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
July 9,
2016
.
- ^
"Super Bowl Game-Time Temperatures"
.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
. Retrieved
March 10,
2018
.
- ^
"Super Bowl XXX box score"
.
NFL.com
. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from
the original
on October 20, 2007
. Retrieved
March 13,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Super Bowl XXX statistics"
. Pro Football reference.com
. Retrieved
November 6,
2016
.
- ^
"Super Bowl Records"
(PDF)
.
2022 OFficial National Football League Record and Fact Book
. NFL Enterprises, LLC
. Retrieved
March 13,
2023
.
- ^
"Super Bowl XXX?National Football League Game Summary"
(PDF)
. National Football League. January 28, 1996
. Retrieved
July 9,
2016
.
- ^
Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick.
The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present
. 1994
ISBN
0-312-11435-4
- General
|
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| 1960s
| |
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Broadcast and
production
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
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NFL Championship
(1933?1969)
[1]
| |
---|
|
AFL Championship
(1960?1969)
[1]
| |
---|
|
AFL?NFL World
Championship Game
(1966?1969)
[1][2]
|
- 1966 (
I
)
- 1967 (
II
)
- 1968 (
III
)
- 1969 (
IV
)
|
---|
Super Bowl
(1970?present)
[1][3]
| |
---|
|
- 1 – Dates in the list denote the season, not necessarily the calendar year in which the championship game was played. For instance, Super Bowl LIV was played in 2020, but was the championship for the 2019 season.
- 2 – From 1966 to 1969, the first four Super Bowls were "World Championship" games played between two independent professional football leagues, AFL and NFL, and when the league
merged
in 1970 the Super Bowl became the NFL Championship Game.
- 3 –
Italics
indicate future games.
|
|
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Related programs
| College football programs
| |
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| |
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|
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|
|
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|
|
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|
|
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| |
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|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|