Any of you old fuckers remember that game? I'm old enough to remember, but for some reason I didn't remember it.
I was flipping through YouTube today and came across that game, so I decided to watch a few minutes. My favorite player, Jack Youngblood, was there at DE, along with Fred Dryer at the other end. Another favorite of mine, Herc Harrah, was at offensive guard, his first year as a starter. And Merlin Olsen was still on the DL, playing his final season. Pat Haden was the QB. Lawrence McCutcheon was one of the RBs. John Cappelletti got most of the snaps at the other RB position, but Cullen Bryant was also in the backfield and returned KO's and punts.
Anywho, after watching about a quarter of the game, which was played in Texas Stadium, I decided to turn it off because I didn't want to see the Rams lose to the Cowboys because it brought back too many bad memories. But I decided to fast-forward to the the fourth quarter anyway. To my surprise, the Rams held a thin lead, 14-10, with only a little over 2:00 to play. I couldn't remember seeing this game in the 70s, but I figured they must've fucked it up, like they always did. Well, all the Rams had to do was get a first down, and game over. They came up short, and then the punt was blocked (for the second time that day), and Dallas recovered inside the Rams' 20 yard-line. I figured, well, there you go. I must've blocked it out of my memory because it was too painful.
But after three shitass plays, the Cowboys came up 4th and long, on about the Rams' 18, with about 1:40 remaining. And I thought, "Hey, did Staubach throw a last minute TD? Man, why don't I remember this?" Well, his fourth-down pass to his TE was complete, but when they measured for the first down the Cowboys came up about a foot short. Rams' ball.
With only about a minute and a half left, and the Cowboys only having one T.O. left, I thought, "How did the Rams fuck this up?", still convinced that they'd lost. Well, the Rams ran three plays, Dallas burned their last T.O., and the Rams were set to punt with only a few seconds left, from their own end zone! I thought, "Holy shit! Did the punter get three punts blocked that day?", still thinking Dallas won that day. But the punter caught the ball and ran across the end zone, running out of bounds as time expired, taking the safety.
Final score: Rams 14 - Cowboys 12
Memory is a tricky thing. I was absolutely sure the Rams never beat a Staubach-QB'd Cowboys team in the playoffs, thinking that the first time they beat the Cowboys in the playoffs was when Danny White was the QB, in '79, the season the Rams went to the Super Bowl. But, lo and behold, I was wrong. I gotta admit, it was pretty cool watching such an old game that I can't even remember. I suppose I forgot about it because the Rams lost to Tarkenton and the Vikings a week later, Merlin's last game, and the Cowboys game became just a footnote. But it was an interesting footnote: the first time the Rams had ever won a playoff game on the road. Go figure. And the Cowboys were also -3.5.
I went back and watched the rest of the game, just for shits and giggles. Man, Staubach and Haden stunk up the joint!
Staubach was 15/37 for 150 yards, 0 TDs, and 3 picks!
Haden was 10/21 for 157 yards, 0 TDs, and 3 picks!
Totals yards: Rams - 250; Cowboys - 211
'Twas a different game back in them days, folks, 'twasn't it?
Good Post. I clearly remember the Rams vs Cowboys in the 1973 playoffs. Watching the game with my Pop. Cowboys take an early lead. Rams slowly chip away and get back in the game and have all the momentum. Late 4th quarter, Rams try to pressure Staubach, he ducks under the rush, and hits Drew Pearson for an 80 yard+ td. First time my dad heard me say the F-word. I was only 9 years old at the time. He was pissed at the game, but, super pissed that I cussed out loud. Double jeopardy right there.
As a die hard Rams fan as a kid, I watched this game but don't remember it well. I remember Haden in the cold of Minnesota better. Before the domed stadiums. Fawking Dallas and Staubach broke our hearts, even when we had better teams. Those Chuck Knox defenses were pretty damn special. I'm gonna have to spend some time on YouTube reminiscing tonite waiting for 2023 to fade away and welcoming 2024.
As a big Ram fan back in the day I couldn't believe that arguably the greatest defensive front four to ever play on the same team never played in a Super Bowl.
Thanks for the memories. It was about the beginning of my love for the Rams. I was 12 and I remember crying when they lost to the Vikings.
First year I followed NFL
Tampa Bay was my team naturally
This was the year after the Cowboys executed the Hail Mary at Minnesota, where Drew Pearson caught the thing while a fan threw an orange and pegged the Minnesota defensive back as he lunged for Pearson I was always wondering what in the world that fan was thinking broke my heart too, because I was a Viking fan at the time.
The Cowboys would go onto the Super Bowl where they would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers first champion. The year you were talking about the Rams would then go on and lose to the Minnesota Vikings. Same teams tended to be good for a couple of years in a row back then. The Vikings would go on to lose a fairly boring Super Bowl to you guest at the Pittsburgh Steelers again.
At least I think that's how this worked if I recall correctly the year after that, the Raiders beat the Vikings and the Super Bowl. And then the year after that the Cowboys and they're doomsday defense beat the original orange crush of the Denver Broncos. That was followed by two more. Pittsburgh Super Bowl wins, one of whom was at the expense of those rams at the Rose Bowl.
I had to sneak a look at that Rams Super Bowl through cracks in the bandages over my eyes from a torn retina playing one of those sports that Vista and San Clemente claim I never did.
Can't real you many super bowls after that but that era I followed closely.