NFL Super Bowl Winners

From Alabama to Broadway, Joe Namath was much more than a football star. His then-record $400,000 rookie salary, his white shoes, his shaggy hair and long mustache, his Bachelors III nightclub and his now-famous guarantee of victory in the Super Bowl are all hallmarks of an athlete who was larger than life. Namath had on-field flair, too, sporting one of the quickest releases of any quarterback in NFL history. In 1967, he became the first pro quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season (then 14 games). When he led the New York Jets to a 16-7 triumph over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III after the 1968 season - one of the greatest upsets in any sport - the AFL earned legitimacy and Joe Willie Namath earned a piece of football immortality. Joe Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Super Bowl XV played on January 25, 1981, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Oakland Raiders who defeated the NFC Champions the Philadelphia Eagles at the Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Oakland Raiders had finished level top of the 1980 AFC West Division coached by Tom Flores with a regular season record of 11-5-0. Their point scoring average was 22.8 per game putting their offense 7th best of 28 in the NFL. The Raiders points allowed average was 19.1 per game conceded and made them 10th best overall in the league.

The Raiders only progressed to the playoffs as a Wild Card team and realistically should not have been expected to achieve much. Their first playoff was in the AFC Wild Card Game where they played the Houston Oilers who had finished level top of the AFC Central Division coached by Bum Phillips with a regular season record of 11-5-0. The two teams had not met each other in regular season and therefore it was debatable which had achieved the better level of form. The Houston Oilers had been good in defense and were ranked second best in regular season but they had been poor at scoring and probably overall, taking offense and defense into account, the Raiders would have been favorite.

Anyhow, as for the game itself I should think the Houston Oilers defense never showed up and whilst still finding it difficult to score they were made very short work of by the Raiders who won 27 - 7.

In the AFC Divisional Playoffs the Oakland Raiders opponents were the Cleveland Browns who had finished level top of the 1980 AFC Central Division with a regular season record of 11-5-0. Likewise, the Browns were not a highly ranked team in regular season, 8th overall in offense with a point scoring average of 22.3 and they were 12th best overall for their defense with a points allowed average of 19.4 per game conceded. The two teams had not met in regular season but using average figures for offense and defense as a guide line, the overall balance of form was just about tipped towards the Raiders.

The Oakland Raiders won a very tight, low scoring game by 14 points to 12.

In the AFC Championship Game the Raiders played the San Diego Chargers who had finished level top of the AFC West Division coached by Don Coryell with a regular season record of 11-5-0. The Chargers were ranked quite highly in offense after regular season with a point scoring average of 26.1 per game and had finished 4th best of 28 in the NFL but they had been mediocre in defense with a points allowed average of 20.4 per game conceded which made them 18th overall in the league. The two teams had played each other twice in regular season with one victory apiece. Each had won their home tie.

There was not much to choose between them, maybe the Raiders had the nod on overall form but the Chargers had home field advantage.

Like in regular season when the Raiders and Chargers met it was another fairly high scoring encounter with the Oakland Raiders winning by 34 points to 27.

The Oakland Raiders opponents in Super Bowl XV were the Philadelphia Eagles who had won the 1980 NFC East Division coached by Dick Vermeil with a regular season record of 12-4-0. Their points scored average of 24 per game put the Eagles offense 6th best of 28 in the NFL and their points allowed average of 13.9 per game put the defense 1st in the league overall.

The Eagles postseason games began with the NFC Divisional Playoffs in which they met the Minnesota Vikings who had finished level top of the NFC Central Division coached by Bud Grant with a regular season record of 9-7-0. The Vikings were not a highly ranked team and had easily been brushed aside by the Eagles in a regular season fixture by 42 points to 7.

The result had a similar outcome in the Divisional Playoffs with the Eagles winning as they liked 31 - 16.

In the NFC Championship Game the Philadelphia Eagles played the Dallas Cowboys who had finished level top of the NFC East Division coached by Tom Landry with a regular season record of 12-4-0. The Cowboys point scoring average of 28.4 points per game put their offense 1st in the NFL whilst their points allowed average was 19.4 per game conceded and made their defense 13th best overall.

The Eagles and the Cowboys had played each other twice in regular season with one victory apiece They had both won whilst playing at home and for the Conference Championship Game Philadelphia had home field advantage.

This game saw the top team in offense versus the top team in defense. If they had been from different Conference′s this game could have quite easily have passed as the Super Bowl itself. Overall, taking offense and defense into account the Eagles ranked higher and were favorites. They won like a good thing by 20 points to 7.

Super Bowl XV looked to have a clear favorite in the Philadelphia Eagles as they were supposedly better in both offense and defense than the Oakland Raiders, although it is worth pointing out that the two teams had played once in regular season when the Philadelphia Eagles had won a very close game by 10 points to 7. It had been the lowest total all season that the Eagles had scored. Was it possible that the Raiders had the game to "clip" the Eagles wings?

In the game it was the Raiders who got away the quickest and were 14 - 0 up by the end of the first quarter. The Eagles managed only a Tony Franklin field goal in reply during the second quarter and were 14 - 3 down at the halfway stage.

Oakland basically killed off the tie as a contest in the third when scoring another 10 points with no reponse from the Eagles.

The fourth quarter was "won" by the Eagles but the 7 points they scored against the 3 that the Raiders got was no more than scant consolation.

The Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XV by 27 points to 10.

Super Bowl XV Most Valuable Player was the Oakland Raiders Quarterback Jim Plunkett who completed 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

Note
The Oakland Raiders playoff averages (including the Wild Card Game) were 25.5 points per game scored (22.8 regular season) and they allowed 14 points per game conceded (19.1 regular season).

The Oakland Raiders playoff averages (not including the Wild Card Game) were 25 points per game scored (22.8 regular season) and they allowed 16.3 points per game conceded (19.1 regular season).

The Philadelphia Eagles playoff averages were 20.3 points per game scored (24 regular season) and they allowed 16.7 points per game conceded (13.9 regular season).

In Conclusion
The Oakland Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win a Super Bowl. They did not have a difficult passage through the playoffs and played teams that really were not formidable opposition. It wasn′t until Super Bowl when they faced the Philadelphia Eagles that they had to play one of the so called top teams of 1980.

It is possible however, putting aside the Eagles overall better level of form and by using the scoreline of their regular season clash as a guide that there was not much between them and therefore a result like this was entirely possible. Don′t forget the Raiders limited the Eagles to scoring only ten against them in regular season and on the right day could have the beating of them.

In contrast, the Philadelphia Eagles had to play a top team to reach Super Bowl XV when playing the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game. Whilst not making excuses for them, the Eagles would have had to raise their game to beat the Cowboys, a feat they obviously found beyond them to repeat again for Super Bowl.

The Raiders, having already shown during regular season that they could limit the Eagles in offense, were proved more than capable of exploiting any weaknesses the Eagles defense had to easily win Super Bowl XV.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Oakland Raiders (AFC)	14	0	10	3	-	27
Philadelphia Eagles (NFC)	0	3	0	7	-	10

Troy Aikman Dallas Cowboys Authentic Navy NFL Throwback Jersey

Troy Aikman the former Dallas Cowboys 3 x Super Bowl winning Quarterback (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) retired during the 2000 NFL Season due to numerous head injuries received throughout his playing career. He was Super Bowl XXVII MVP and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

"Pittsburgh Steelers the first team to win four Super Bowl′s"

Super Bowl XIV played on January 20, 1980, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated the NFC Champions the Los Angeles Rams at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had won the 1979 AFC Central Division coached by Chuck Noll with a regular season record of 12-4-0. The Steelers recorded a point scoring average of 26 points per game which put their offense first in the NFL. Their points allowed average was 16.4 points per game and put their defense 5th overall in the league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers postseason games began with the AFC Divisional Playoffs in which they met the Miami Dolphins who had been 1st in the 1979 AFC East Division coached by Don Shula . The Dolphins had finished regular season with a 10-6-0 record. Their point scoring average was 21.3 points per game which made them 11th best of 28 in the NFL. The Dolphins had allowed opposition an average of 16.1 points per game and ranked 4th overall in the league in defense.

The Steelers and the Dolphins had not met in regular season but the Steelers were overall a better team and were far more capable in offense.

The Steelers made fairly light work of the Dolphins and won 34 - 14.

In the AFC Championship Game the Pittsburgh Steelers opponents were the Houston Oilers who had finished 2nd in the 1979 AFC Central Division coached by Bum Phillips and had finished with an 11-5-0 regular season record.

The Steelers and the Oilers had met twice in regular season with one victory apiece.

The Oilers were a Wild Card team and their overall league rankings of 8th in offense and 16th in defense did not look to hold any real fears for the Steelers.

The Oilers had put in an average performance in the AFC Wild Card Game when beating the Denver Broncos 13 - 7 but there wouldn′t have been much between the two in regular season and the game didn′t prove much.

However, in their AFC Divisional Playoff Game the Oilers played the San Diego Chargers and beat them 17 - 14 in a close game. The Chargers were a very good team in both offense and defense and in regular season had ranked 2nd overall in the league.

This performance put the Oilers in with a major shout in the AFC Championship Game as the San Diego Chargers had given the Steelers a right hiding in regular season by 35 points to 7.

The Conference Championship was no pushover for Pittsburgh but in the end the game went according to rankings and the Steelers beat the Oilers by 27 points to 13.

The Steelers opponents in Super Bowl XIV were the Los Angeles Rams who had finished 1st in the 1979 NFC West Division coached by Ray Malavasi with a regular season record of 9-7-0. The Rams point scoring average was 20.2 per game which put their offense 15th of 28 in the NFL and their points allowed average was 19.3 per game which put their defense 11th overall in the league.

The Los Angeles Rams postseason started with the NFC Divisional Playoffs where they played the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys had won the NFC East Division coached by Tom Landry with a regular season record of 11-5-0.

The Rams and the Cowboys had met once in regular season with the Cowboys winning easy 30 points to 6 and on overall league rankings the Cowboys were supposed to be the better team.

However, it was the Rams who won 21 - 19. These point totals were more or less the same as the Rams regular season averages and they did not necessarily show any improvement to win this game. The Cowboys did appear to play below par.

The Los Angeles Rams next postseason game was the NFC Championship Game in which they played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had finished 1st in the 1979 NFC Central Division coached by John McKay with a regular season record of 10-6-0. The Buccaneers had a point scoring average of 17.1 per game putting their offense 21st of 28 in the NFL. In contrast, the Buccaneers had proved a very difficult team to score against and their points allowed average of 14.8 per game conceded put their defense 1st in the league.

The Rams and the Buccaneers had played once in regular season with the Buccaneers winning 21 - 6.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked to be favorite but it was the Rams who showed the meaner streak to their game and won a low scoring contest by 9 points to 0. The Buccaneers still hadn′t given much away in defense though and this was a good performance by the Rams.

One question remained unanswered. Did the Los Angeles Rams possess the capability to score the big game points that a Super Bowl required?

Super Bowl XIV appeared to have quite a clear favorite in the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, I feel it must be pointed out that although the Los Angeles Rams had not been one of the top teams in regular season it probably was not that bigger surprise that they had the game to reach Super Bowl, as 1979 was their seventh consecutive (of 8) postseason during which time they had been consistently one of the better teams in both offense and defense and one must think that by law of averages their turn must come.

In the game it was the Rams who got off to the better start and were ahead 7 - 3 at the end of the first quarter. A lead that they increased to 13 - 10 by half time. However, early in the third it was the Steelers who went ahead 17 - 10 after a Lynn Swann touchdown with the following kick converted by Matt Bahr, although it was the Rams who still had a 19 - 17 lead at the end of the third after scoring six points themselves.

Going into the fourth with it all to play for, it was the Steelers who were able to dig deep and find the stuff that champions are made of when they scored another 14 points following touchdown′s by John Stallworth and Franco Harris and two kicks by Matt Bahr all of which went without reply from the Rams.

Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was named Super Bowl XIV Most Valuable Player.

Note
The Pittsburgh Steelers average points scored during the playoffs was 30.7 per game (26 regular season) and their average points allowed per game was 15.4 (16.4 regular season).

The Los Angeles Rams average points scored during the playoffs was 16.4 per game (20.2 regular season) and their average points allowed per game was 16.7 (19.3 regular season).

In Conclusion
By the end of the playoff season the Pittsburgh Steelers averages for both offense and defense showed improvement over regular season and they were obviously a team that was playing at the top of their form.
The Steelers could score points for fun!

The Los Angeles Rams, despite showing a marked improvement in defense did not show that they had "raised the bar" in offense and they found point scoring at the highest level too difficult.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Los Angeles Rams (NFC)	7	6	6	0	-	19
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)	3	7	7	14	-	31

The Indianapolis Colts winners share in Super Bowl XLI played Feb 04 2007 was $73,000 per man

The Baltimore Colts winners share in Super Bowl V played January 17 1971 was $15,000 per man

"Pittsburgh Steelers the first team to win three Super Bowl′s"

Super Bowl XIII played on January 21 1979, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated the NFC Champions the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had won the 1978 AFC Central Division coached by Chuck Noll with a regular season record of 14-2-0. The Steelers recorded a point scoring average of 22.2 per game making them 5th in the league in offense but their points allowed average of 12.2 per game put them first in the league in defense.

The Steelers postseason games began with the AFC Divisional Playoffs in which they played the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had won the AFC West Division with a regular season record of 10-6-0 but had found point scoring difficult and were only 15th of 28 in the NFL in offense. However, the Broncos had been solid in defense and their points allowed average was second best in the league.

The two teams had met once in the final game of regular season with the Steelers winning a close contest 21 - 17 but what a difference 14 days made to the rematch. This time the Steelers won with a maximum amount of authority by 33 points to 10.

In the AFC Championship Game the Steelers opponents were the Houston Oilers who had finished 2nd in the AFC Central Division coached by Bum Phillips with a regular season record of 10-6-0. The Oilers were not, by any stretch of the imagination, a highly ranked team having finished 14th in offense and 16th in defense overall in the league. The Oilers had squeezed into the playoffs via a Wild Card place and to give credit had appeared to improve when beating the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card Game and then beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

The Steelers and the Oilers had met twice in regular season with one victory apiece. The Oilers obviously had a big game in them but were not consistent enough and one could realistically expect the "wheels to come off" their postseason challenge.

The Pittsburgh Steelers turned the Conference Championship into an extremely one sided affair exposing the Oilers to be some way short of the required calibre. The Steelers won the 1978 AFC Championship by 34 points to 5.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opponents in Super Bowl XIII were the Dallas Cowboys who had won the NFC East Division coached by Tom Landry with a regular season record of 12-4-0 and were the Super Bowl defending champions. The Cowboys offense point scoring average was 24 per game which was 1st of 28 in the NFL. The Cowboys had achieved a highly respectable points allowed average of 13 points conceded per game which made them 3rd best overall in the league.

The Cowboys postseason started with the NFC Divisional Playoffs in which they played the Atlanta Falcons who had finished 2nd in the NFC West Division coached by Leeman Bennett with a regular season record of 9-7-0.

The two teams had not met in the regular season but the Falcons were a lowly ranked team in both offense and defense and another of the Wild Card teams. They should not have posed too much of a problem for the Cowboys.

Nevertheless, the Falcons obviously on something of a high after being given a second chance via a wild card playoff berth, performed with credit and made the Cowboys work quite hard for the victory. The Dallas Cowboys won 27 - 20.

In the NFC Championship the Dallas Cowboys played the Los Angeles Rams who had won the NFC West Division coached by Ray Malavasi with a regular season record of 12-4-0. The Rams point scoring average was 19.8 per game which made their offense 9th of 28 in the NFL. Their points allowed average was 15.3 per game which put their defense 4th best overall in the league.

The two teams had met once in an early regular season game when the Los Angeles Rams had won with some authority by 27 points to 14.

However, it was a far different story this time. The Dallas Cowboys made mincemeat of the Rams to win 28 points to 0.

Super Bowl XIII looked a mouth watering prospect. The best team in defense versus the best team in offense.

The crowds were not disappointed. The first quarter was fairly even with both teams scoring seven points but in the second the Steelers began to pull ahead and by half time they were in a 21 - 14 lead.

The Cowboys refused to give in and came back with three points of their own in the third to narrow the gap to 21 - 17.

The final quarter saw the Steelers boost their lead to 35 points to 17 before a late rally from the Cowboys which clawed them back to within touching distance of the Steelers but it was too little and all too late. The Pittsburgh Steelers had won Super Bowl XIII by 35 - 31.

Super Bowl XIII MVP was Terry Bradshaw who completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards, which was a personal high. Four of those passes went for touchdowns.

Note
The Pittsburgh Steelers playoff averages were 34 points scored per game (22.2 regular season) and allowed an average of 15.3 conceded per game (12.2 regular season).

The Dallas Cowboys playoff averages were 28.7 points scored per game (24 regular season) and allowed an average of 18.3 conceded per game (13 regular season).

In Conclusion
It is nice to see that the two top teams from regular season, one in offense and one in defense made Super Bowl.

The Steelers and the Cowboys both raised the tempo in offense for the playoff season and it was only when they met each other in Super Bowl XIII that their defenses were pushed to the limits and their points allowed averages dropped. It was more than likely not as a result of any defensive weakness but probably because of offensive strengths. Both teams played a "no fear" game and were there to win.

I would say with a good deal of confidence that this was probably one of the better Super Bowl′s played of all time with only a fraction dividing the teams at the end of the day.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)	7	14	0	14	-	35
Dallas Cowboys (NFC)	7	7	3	14	-	31

Super Bowl XII played on January 15 1978, was won by the Champions of the NFC the Dallas Cowboys who defeated the AFC Champions the Denver Broncos at the Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Dallas Cowboys had won the 1977 NFC East Division coached by Tom Landry with a regular season record of 12-2-0. They had achieved a point scoring average of 24.6 per game which put them 2nd of 28 in the NFL in offense. The Cowboys regular season defensive record was only 8th best in the league with an average of 15.1 points conceded per game.

In the NFC Divisional Playoffs the Cowboys played the Chicago Bears who had finished joint top of the 1977 NFC Central Division with a regular season record of 9-5-0. However, the Bears were not highly ranked on their offense and defense being 13th for points scored and only 19th for points allowed. The two teams had not met in regular season but going by offense and defense figures the Cowboys were well ahead of the Bears and so it was proved on the field with the Cowboys registering a facile 37 - 7 win.

The Cowboys opponents in the NFC Championship Game were the Minnesota Vikings who finished regular season at the top of the NFC Central Division level with the Chicago Bears.

The Vikings were marginally higher ranked than the Bears but were still some way below the Cowboys in regular season form and were probably no harder competition. Nevertheless, the Cowboys and the Vikings had met once in the NFL regular season with the Cowboys winning a fairly cagey game 16 - 10.

True to form, the Cowboys showing their league superiority, dished out a fairly comprehensive beating to the Vikings and won by 23 points to 6.

The Dallas Cowboys opponents in Super Bowl XII were the Denver Broncos coached by Red Miller who had won the 1977 AFC West Division with a regular season record of 12-2-0 and had registered a scoring average of 19.6 points per game in regular season putting them 10th of 28 in the NFL but they had fared better in defense with a points allowed average of 10.6 per game which put them 3rd overall.

The Broncos first opponents in the postseason games were the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Steelers had finished 1st in the AFC Central Division with a regular season record of 9-5-0 but overall were not ranked as highly in the league as the Broncos. They had met once in regular season with the Broncos scoring a fairly easy win by 21 points to 7.

However, in a free flowing game the Broncos were made to work quite hard for their "corn" and registered a 34 - 21 victory.

In the AFC Championship Game the Broncos opponents were the Oakland Raiders who had won the previous years Super Bowl XI. The Raiders had finished 2nd in the AFC West Division with a regular season record of 11-3-0 and had registered a scoring average of 25.1 points per game which put them 1st of 28 in the NFL. Their defensive record was not so great though, 16.4 on average allowed per game and only 14th best in the league.

The two teams had met twice in the regular season with one victory apiece and overall there did not seem to be much between them. Their closeness was showed to good effect in the Conference Championship with the Broncos shading a very tight game to win by 20 points to 17.

Super Bowl XII was all set for an exciting clash between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.

The Cowboys although registering big margin wins in their playoff games had not so far met with much in the way of a worthy opponent. Still, they could do no more than beat what was in front of them.

The Broncos had faced stiffer playoff opponents but had allowed points to be scored against them at a rate well above regular season. Was it just the quality of the opposition they faced or were their defense "not at the races"!

The Cowboys started quickly and after converting two interceptions into 10 points were in a lead at the end of the first quarter that they were never to give up.

A 35 yard field goal from Efren Herrera added another 3 points in the second quarter to make it 13 - 0 by half time.

The Broncos got 10 points on the board in the third but were not let off the hook as the Cowboys still scored another 7.

The game was well and truly in the bag after a John "Golden" Richards touchdown in the fourth with the following kick converted by Efren Herrera. The Cowboys adding another 7 points without reply to win Super Bowl XII by 27 - 10.

Super Bowl XII Most Valuable Player was awarded jointly to Harvey Martin and Randy White who had led the Dallas Cowboys defense which recovered 4 fumbles and also intercepted 4 passes.

Note
The Dallas Cowboys 1977 playoff averages stepped up on regular season. They averaged 29 points per game (24.6 regular season) and allowed an average of only 7.7 to be scored against them (15.1 regular season).

In contrast, the Broncos averaged 21.3 points scored over the playoffs whilst allowing an average 21.7 points to be scored against them (10.6 regular season).

In Conclusion
In the face of the stronger opposition that the Broncos met in the playoffs they were eventually found to be some way short. Their average rate of point scoring fared well in the AFC Divisional Playoffs and the AFC Championship but the "writing was on the wall" in defense as they were giving away too many points. It was no good trying to beat a team by just trying to score more than them. When they came up against a defense of the highest calibre as the Cowboys were in 1977 and who just did not hardly give points away at all then the Broncos were found out.

The more important the game was for the Dallas Cowboys the better they got. Fair enough, their 1977 NFC Divisional Playoff Game and the 1977 NFC Championship Game were of a questionable standard as they ranked higher than their opposition and should have won going by form. Still, they were must win games and win they did.

As soon as they met better opposition in the Broncos up went their form to a different level. They appeared to have a fair measure in hand of rivals throughout postseason whilst saving their best for Super Bowl XII and proving themselves to be the worthy Champions of 1977.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Dallas Cowboys (NFC)	10	3	7	7	-	27
Denver Broncos (AFC)	0	0	10	0	-	10

Super Bowl XI played on January 9 1977, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Oakland Raiders who defeated the NFC Champions the Minnesota Vikings at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.

The Oakland Raiders had won the 1976 AFC West Division coached by John Madden with a near perfect regular season record of 13-1-0. The Oakland Raiders single defeat in the 1976 regular season came at the hands of the New England Patriots who beat them 48 - 17. The Oakland Raiders were 4th of 28 in the NFL on their points scored average of 25 per game but had only been 12th overall in the league on their points conceded average of 16.9 per game.

In the AFC Divisional Playoffs the Oakland Raiders opponents were the New England Patriots coached by Chuck Fairbanks who had finished 1st in the AFC East Division with a regular season record of 11-3-0 and had finished 2nd in the NFL on their point scoring average of 26.9 per game but had not ranked so well in defense only finishing 11th with 16.9 points conceded per game. The Patriots had been the only team in regular season to beat the Raiders when readily outpointing the Oakland team 48 - 17 and although the Raiders had been in near faultless form all season it was the Patriots who ended regular season marginally the higher ranked of the two.

Nevertheless, there was not much between them in rankings and so it was proved on the field. This time it was the Oakland Raiders who edged a close game to win 24 - 21. The Raiders had been on a winning streak of ten games going into the AFC Divisional Playoffs and it is very difficult to oppose a team that keeps on winning.

The Raiders next game was in the AFC Championship Game where they met the Pittsburgh Steelers who were the winners of the 1976 AFC Central Division coached by Chuck Noll and had won the previous two Super Bowl′s IX and X. The Steelers had a regular season record of 10-4-0 with a point scoring average of 24.4 per game making them 5th overall in the NFL and a points allowed average of 9.9 per game making them first in the league in defense. The Steelers had thrashed the Baltimore Colts 40 - 14 in the other AFC Divisional Playoff Game and looked in good form.

The Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers had met in regular season with the Raiders winning a very tight game 31 - 28.

In the Conference Championship though it was a very much different story with the Steelers defense "taking the day off"!
It was a rather one sided affair with the Raiders winning by 24 points to 7.

The Oakland Raiders opponents in Super Bowl XI were the Minnesota Vikings who had finished 1st in NFC Central Division coached by Bud Grant with a regular season record of 11-2-1. The Vikings point scoring average was only 9th best in the league with 21.8 scored per game but they had been 2nd overall defensively in regular season with an average of 12.6 points scored against them per game.

The Vikings postseason games started with the NFC Divisional Playoffs in which they met the Washington Redskins who had finished 2nd in the 1976 NFC East Division with a regular season record of 10-4-0. The Redskins would have been the lower ranked of the two on regular season performances. The game turned out to be quite a free flowing offensive game in which the Vikings scoring with more fluency won by 35 points to 20.

In the NFC Championship Game the Vikings met the Los Angeles Rams coached by Chuck Knox who had won the NFC West Division and had finished their regular season with a record of 10-3-1. The Rams had a point scoring average of 25.1 per game which was 3rd of 28 in the NFL. Their defensive record was also good and they only allowed an average of 13.6 points scored against them per game which also made them 3rd in the league. The Vikings and the Rams had met once in regular season in which they had fought out a 10 - 10 tie. The Rams looked to be tough opposition for the Vikings.

Not for the first time in the 1976 playoffs an offensive minded Viking team turned up and whilst holding a tight line in defense they gave the Rams a comfortable beating of 24 points to 13.

Super Bowl XI looked to be an interesting clash. AFC Champions the Oakland Raiders who were on a long winning streak versus the NFC Champions the Minnesota Vikings who had started to score with some purpose.

However, after a tight first quarter in which no points were scored, it was the Oakland Raiders who took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second when rattling up 16 points to no reply.

In the third quarter the Raiders increased their lead to 19 - 0 after a 40 yard field goal by Errol Mann but the Vikings cut the deficit to 19 - 7 late in the quarter.

The fourth saw the Raiders score freely again getting another 13 points whilst the Vikings only managed 7 in response.

The Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XI easy by 32 points to 14.

Oakland Raiders Wide Receiver Fred Biletnikoff was named Super Bowl XI Most Valuable Player after 4 key receptions.

Note
The Oakland Raiders playoff averages of 26.6 points scored on average per game (25 regular season) and 14 points allowed per game (16.9 regular season) were very solid figures and showed noticeable improvement in both departments from regular season.

The Minnesota Vikings playoff averages of 24.3 points scored on average per game (21.8 regular season) and 21.6 points allowed per game (12.6 regular season) were once again flawed by their Super Bowl performance, a game in which they conceded 49.2% of their total playoff points allowed.

In Conclusion
The Oakland Raiders ended the 1976 NFL Season with a record of 16-1 and were on a winning streak of 13. They were a force to be reckoned with and obviously "the real deal".

The Vikings yet again met the final fence all wrong and fell! It was the Vikings fourth Super Bowl appearance in 11 years and their fourth defeat.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Oakland Raiders (AFC)	0	16	3	13	-	32
Minnesota Vikings (NFC)	0	0	7	7	-	14

Fred Biletnikoff Oakland Raiders Autographed Deluxe Full-Size Replica Helmet with SB XI MVP and HOF 88 Inscription

Bart Starr was the leader of the Lombardi Era Green Bay Packers!

Drafted in 17th round in 1956, Bart Starr became the winningest quarterback in football, directing the Green Bay Packers to 5 NFL Western Conference titles, 1 NFL Western Conference Central Division title, 5 NFL Championships, 2 Super Bowl victories and was named MVP in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II. Bart Starr was named to the Pro Bowl four times and was inducted to the HOF in 1977.

Full Name Bryan Bartlett Starr
Date of Birth January 9 1934
Place of Birth Montgomery Alabama
College University of Alabama
Teams Played for Green Bay Packers 1956 to 1971
Position Quarterback
Jersey Number 15 (Retired)

Super Bowl X played on January 18 1976, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated the NFC Champions the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had won the 1975 AFC Central Division coached by Chuck Noll with a regular season record of 12-2-0 and had achieved very respectable point scoring and point conceded averages. They had scored on average 26.6 points per game making them 5th of 26 in the NFL on offense and had conceded 11.6 points on average per game which made them second in the league for defense.

The two games the Steelers lost during regular season were against the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams.

The Buffalo Bills had only finished third in the 1975 AFC East Division and never made the playoffs but the interesting stat about them in 1975 is that they were the league′s top point scorers having the number one average for points scored per game. When the Steelers and the Bills met it was the Buffalo Bills who won 21 - 30.

The other game the Steelers lost was to the Los Angeles Rams by 10 - 3. The Rams were the top side in the league defensively in 1975.

All in all the Steelers regular season could be termed well above average as they only lost two games which were to the two top rated teams for offense and defense.

In the 1975 AFC postseason games the Steelers met the Baltimore Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Colts had won the 1975 AFC East Division with a regular season record of 10-4-0 and were ranked 2nd of 26 in the NFL in offense although only 10th in defense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers strong defensive line worked well in this game and the Colts offense was limited to but a few chances. Steelers won well by 28 - 10.

In the AFC Championship Game the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Oakland Raiders who had finished 1st in the 1975 AFC West Division with a regular season record of 11-3-0 and were one of the better teams in the NFL at that time although a fair bit more "leaky" in defense than the Steelers. Going strictly by the book, the Raiders had lost three games in regular season those being to the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Oilers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Whereas, the Steelers had beaten all three easily during regular season. Steelers were favorites but were made to work by the Raiders before eventually winning 16 - 10.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opponents in Super Bowl X were the Dallas Cowboys coached by Tom Landry who had finished second in the 1975 NFC East Division with a regular season record of 10-4-0. They were 8th of 26 in the NFL for offense with a point scoring average of 25 per game and only 9th for defense with a points conceded average of 19.1 per game. After the 1975 regular season the Cowboys were most definitely at the bottom end of those teams making the playoffs but exceeded all expectations through the postseason games.

The Cowboys met the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. The Vikings had won the 1975 NFC Central Division with a regular season record of 12-2-0 and had finished third in the league for both point scoring and points allowed.

Looking for pointers to this game from regular season, the Vikings had lost to the Detroit Lions but the Cowboys had beaten them. Whilst the Cowboys had lost to the Green Bay Packers who the Vikings had managed to beat. Not much really but the Vikings were the higher ranked side. Anyhow, in a close game the Cowboys showing a better side to their defensive game edged it and beat the Vikings 17 - 14.

In the NFC Championship Game the Cowboys opponents were the Los Angeles Rams who had finished 1st in NFC West Division with a regular season record of 12-2-0 and were the top defensive unit in the league during regular season. However, looking for form to link the two, the Cowboys and the Rams had met once during normal season and it was the Cowboys who had won 18 - 7.

The Cowboys won again and whilst still holding the Rams to scoring only seven points upped the tempo and scored 37 themselves.
Dallas Cowboys 37 - 7 Los Angeles Rams.

For Super Bowl X the two teams left looked to be an interesting clash. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the reigning Super Bowl Champs who had shown good form through regular season and had won their Conference in convincing fashion & the Dallas Cowboys who had really set themselves alight for the playoffs showing both better offensive and defensive qualities to win the NFC Championship but had the Cowboys improved enough?
Not a clear line of form could necessarily be drawn between the teams to distinguish if one was better than the other. Both teams had come up against the Los Angeles Rams throughout the course of the 1975 NFL season with the Cowboys holding the better record over the Rams with two victories to the Steelers loss. However, the Steelers had beaten two sides in regular season that the Cowboys had lost to, those being the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Super Bowl X saw the Cowboys get off to the better start and by half time were in a 10 - 7 lead.

After a third quarter which saw no points scored it was all to play for as the teams went into the 4th. The game took off!

The Steelers with nothing to lose, picked up the pace on offense and scored 14 points whilst their defense limited the Cowboys to just 7 points. The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl X by 21 points to 17.

Lynn Swann of the Pittsburgh Steelers was named Super Bowl X MVP after gaining 161 yards on 4 receptions.

Note
The Pittsburgh Steelers had shown themselves to be a strong force and not far off the top of the pile throughout regular season and whilst not improving their scoring average during the playoffs with 21.7 points scored (26.6 regular season) they most definitely were starting to adopt a "siege mentality" in defense with 12.3 points on average allowed (11.6 regular season) which was achieved against some very good point scoring opposition.

The Cowboys definitely got better as the NFL Season progressed and ended with very good playoff averages. They scored 23.7 on average per game in the playoffs (25 regular season) and allowed only 14 points on average conceded per game (19.1 regular season). These figures compare quite well with the Steelers although it is worth pointing out that the Cowboys conceded 50% of their postseason points allowed in just one game and that game was Super Bowl X.

In Conclusion
The Cowboys, after only showing fair form in regular season may have come to the boil too quick in the playoffs. Their best game all season was more than likely the Conference Championship Game when they beat the Los Angeles Rams in emphatic style. Nevertheless, when it came to the crunch they were only found out by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who over the course of seventeen games proved themselves to be THE TOUGHEST NUT TO CRACK!

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Dallas Cowboys (NFC)	7	3	0	7	-	17
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)	7	0	0	14	-	21

Lynn Swann Pittsburgh Steelers Autographed 16x20 Photograph

Lynn Swann was Pittsburgh Steelers number one draft pick in 1974. As a rookie, Swann led the NFL in punt returns with 577 yard on 41 returns. Blessed with speed, fluid movements and a tremendous jumping ability, Lynn Swann became a regular at wide receiver in his second year and quickly demonstrated that he was a complete player with phenomenal natural abilities. Swann eventually helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl Championships and was named the MVP of Super Bowl X where he caught four receptions for a then-Super Bowl record 161 yards.

Super Bowl IX played on January 12 1975, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated the NFC Champions the Minnesota Vikings at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Pittsburgh Steelers coached by Chuck Noll won the 1974 AFC Central Division with a regular season record of 10-3-1. The Steelers were good defensively and had finished 2nd in the league on their average for points conceded, allowing 13.5 per game. They ranked 6th for their point scoring average which was 21.8, not particularly high although the league leader for scoring average was the Oakland Raiders who only managed 25.4 per game themselves.

In the AFC Divisional Playoffs the Steelers played the Buffalo Bills who they beat 32 - 14. No surprise as the Bills had only ranked 12th in the league for their point scoring and points allowed averages.

The Steelers next game was in the American Football Conference Championship where they met the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were the top scoring team in the league during regular season but only 9th defensively for points conceded. The Steelers had lost once to the Oakland Raiders in regular season, a 0 - 17 whitewash at home but in the Conference Championship Game the tables were turned and the Pittsburgh Steelers won 24 - 13.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opponents in Super Bowl IX were the Minnesota Vikings coached by Bud Grant who were the winners of the 1974 NFC Central Division with a regular season record of 10-4-0. They had finished fifth in the NFL through regular season on their point scoring average of 22.1 and finished in third for points allowed with 13.9 average points conceded.

In the NFC Divisional Playoffs the Vikings played the St Louis Cardinals. The St Louis Cardinals had finished 1st in the 1974 NFC East Division but were not ranked that high in the league being 9th of 26 for their point scoring average of 20.4 and only 8th with an average of 15.6 for points allowed. During regular season the two teams had played once with the Vikings edging it 24 - 28. The game went to form and the Vikings beat the St Louis Cardinals 30 - 14 in convincing fashion.

The Vikings next playoff game was the NFC Championship where they played the Los Angeles Rams. The Los Angeles Rams had won the 1974 NFC West Division with a record of 10-4-0 in regular season and although not prolific point scorers having only averaged 18.8 points per game which made them 13th of 26 in the NFL they were the league′s top team defensively according to points conceded and only allowed an average of 12.9 points to be scored against them per game. In regular season the Los Angeles Rams had beaten the Vikings by 20 - 17 and another tight game could be expected. This time the Vikings got their revenge edging the game 14 - 10.

Going by the form book the Steelers and the Vikings looked to not have much between them and it was quite possible that a low scoring Super Bowl could be expected. Both teams looked to be playing exactly up to their mark in the run-up to Super Bowl IX with their average scores over two games close to regular season figures.

Super Bowl IX started very slowly. It was in the second quarter when the Steelers set the scoreboard rolling after Dwight White downed Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a safety.

The Steelers scored seven points in the third. They scored another seven in the fourth at which point the Vikings finally got off the mark when scoring six but it was only a token gesture. The Steelers won Super Bowl IX by 16 points to 6.

Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers was named Super Bowl IX MVP after he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries.

Note
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to up the tempo of their offense for the 1974 playoff season. Their point scoring average was 24 points per game postseason (21.8 regular season), whilst also becoming a harder team to score against with a points conceded playoff average of 11 per game(13.5 regular season).

Once again the Minnesota Vikings were found out in the Super Bowl and as a result of not scoring many points in Super Bowl IX their 1974 playoff point scoring average was only 16.7 (22.1 regular season).

However, their playoff points conceded average was slightly improved at 13.4 points per game (13.9 regular season).

In Conclusion
On the day the two teams looked to be closely matched and it was probably down to who held their nerve the best. The Vikings were exposed offensively and found it difficult to score whilst the Steelers managed to get enough points to claim the honors.

More than likely not a classic!

Team	1	2	3	4	OT / Overtime	T / Total
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)	0	2	7	7	-	16
Minnesota Vikings (NFC)	0	0	0	6	-	6

Franco Harris Sports Illustrated 16x20 Autographed Photograph

Franco Harris was a key member of the great Pittsburgh Steelers teams of the 1970s. Harris played in eight Pro Bowls and rushed for 158 yards en route to MVP honors in Super Bowl IX. He rushed for 1,000 yards in nine seasons and eclipsed the 100 yard mark in 47 games. His career stats are impressive: 12,120 yards, 91 touchdowns rushing, 2,287 yards, 9 touchdowns receiving and 14,622 combined net yards.

Super Bowl VIII played on January 13 1974, was won by the Champions of the AFC the Miami Dolphins who defeated the NFC Champions the Minnesota Vikings at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas.

The Miami Dolphins coached by Don Shula had won the 1973 AFC East Division in convincing fashion with a regular season record of 12-2-0.

They had obviously done some work defensively throughout the closed season and throughout the 1973 NFL Season opposition found them hard to score against. In regular season they only conceded 150 points registering an average of 10.7 points conceded per game making them first in the NFL for this particular stat.

As regards being a point scoring "machine" in regular season, they did enough to win but had only been fifth best with an average of 24.5 points scored per game.

In the 1973 AFC postseason games the Dolphins beat the Cincinnati Bengals decisively 34 - 16 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Bengals had won the 1973 AFC Central Division but were only 11th in the league for both points scored and points conceded and would not have been strong opposition for the Dolphins. However, drawing a rule of thumb form line through this game, the Bengals during regular season had actually beaten the Minnesota Vikings by 27 points to 0 (the Vikings were to become the Dolphins Super Bowl VIII opponents).

The Dolphins next game was in the AFC Championship Game where they played the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were the winner of the 1973 AFC West Division and had actually beaten the Dolphins 12 - 7 in week two of the season but that game was a long time ago come Conference Championship day. The Oakland Raiders had not scored points that well throughout regular season only finishing tenth in the league on their point scoring average although they had performed respectably defensively finishing third on averages in the league but on the face of it, over the course of the regular season, had shown an inferior level of form to the Dolphins. The Dolphins won convincingly 27 - 10.

The Dolphins opponents in Super Bowl VIII were the Minnesota Vikings coached by Bud Grant . The Vikings had won the 1973 NFC Central Division with a record of 12-2-0 albeit in a dour fashion. Obviously built on a strong defense, the Vikings had finished second in the NFL on their points conceded average which was 12 per game, only the