Super Bowl VI

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Lore & Background

Dallas, in its second Super Bowl appearance, entered the game with a reputation of not being able to win big playoff games such as Super Bowl V and the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship Games prior to the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. They posted an 11–3 record during the 1971 regular season before defeating the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. The Dolphins were making their first Super Bowl appearance after building a 10–3–1 regular season record, including eight consecutive wins, and posting postseason victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Colts. The Cowboys dominated Super Bowl VI, setting Super Bowl records for the most rushing yards (252), the most first downs (23), and the fewest points allowed (3). They were also the first NFL or NFC team to win the Super Bowl since the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. For the next 47 years, they would be the only team to prevent their opponent from scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl, a feat matched by the 2018 New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and again by the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. The game was close in the first half, with the Cowboys only leading 10–3 at halftime. But Dallas opened the third quarter with a 71-yard, 8-play touchdown drive, and then Dallas linebacker Chuck Howley's 41-yard interception return in the fourth quarter set up another score. This was the first Super Bowl where the winning team outscored the losing team in all four quarters. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, who completed 12 out of 18 passes for 119 yards, threw 2 touchdown passes, and rushed 5 times for 18 yards, was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. This was the last Super Bowl to be blacked out in the TV market in which the game was played. Under the NFL's unconditional blackout rules at the time, the Super Bowl could not be broadcast locally even if the local team did not advance to the Super Bowl, and it was a sellout. The following year, the league changed its rules to allow games to be broadcast in the local market if sold out 72 hours in advance. It was the last Super Bowl played with the hashmarks set at 40 feet apart, and the last NFL game overall; the next season, they were brought in to 18 feet, the width of the goalposts, where they remain.

In Their Own Story

The game began under chilly skies in New Orleans, where the temperature sat at a biting 39 °F (4 °C). The first half was surprisingly competitive, with Dallas holding only a narrow 10–3 lead at halftime. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when the Cowboys opened the third quarter with a crushing 71-yard, eight-play touchdown drive. The defining moment came in the fourth quarter when linebacker Chuck Howley intercepted Miami quarterback Bob Griese and returned it 41 yards to set up another score. This play was part of a historic defensive performance where Dallas limited Miami to just three points. It marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the winning team outscored the losing team in all four quarters. Roger Staubach, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 119 yards with two touchdown throws and rushed for 18 yards, earned MVP honors. Dallas set Super Bowl records for most rushing yards (252), most first downs (23), and fewest points allowed (3).

Reader's Guide

The NFL awarded Super Bowl VI to New Orleans on March 23, 1971, at the owners' meetings held in Palm Beach, Florida. Six cities submitted bids: Miami, Dallas, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Houston. It took fourteen ballots to finally select a winner. Miami and Dallas emerged as the heavy favorites. After thirteen deadlocked votes, support for both Dallas and Miami eroded after owners including Al Davis and Billy Sullivan noted that the Cowboys and Dolphins both were favorites to reach the Super Bowl. They argued against a team having a potential competitive advantage of a home game for the Super Bowl. Owners compromised on the 14th vote and selected New Orleans. City representatives, namely those from Miami, argued that future votes involve awarding multiple Super Bowl sites at the same meeting. They also floated the idea of rotating the host city between AFC and NFC cities annually. The idea to vote on multiple Super Bowls was implemented the following year, but the AFC/NFC rotation was never implemented.

Did You Know?

• The Cowboys entered the season still having the reputation of 'not being able to win the big games' and 'next year's champion'.
• Dallas had a quarterback controversy as Staubach and Craig Morton alternated as starting quarterback; after head coach Tom Landry settled on Staubach, the Cowboys won their last seven regular season games.
• The Dallas defense (nicknamed the 'Doomsday Defense') had given up only one touchdown in the last 14 quarters prior to the Super Bowl.
• The Dolphins, who advanced to the Super Bowl just five years after their founding in 1966, were based primarily around their league-leading running attack.
• This was the first Super Bowl where the winning team outscored the losing team in all four quarters.