AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC: Minnesota Vikings

Date: January 12, 1975

Super Bowl IX

Scoring:

Team 1 2 3 4 Final

PIT 0 2 7 7 16

MIN 0 0 0 6 6

AFC playmakers:

DE Dwight White, RB Franco Harris, Larry Brown, Mike Wagner

NFC playmakers:

Terry Brown

Network:

Announcers:

Pregame:

Halftime:

Postgame:

Commercials:

Grade:

Notes: The smart money said the Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl experience gave them an edge over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The young Steelers were making their first appearance in the Super Bowl – indeed competing for the first time for the NFL championship. The veteran Vikings had been there twice before. The Vikes had their great defense and a canny offensive leader in quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The Steelers also had a strong defense, but their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, had as yet to prove he was capable of meeting a big challenge.

The first half was dominated by the defenses. Pittsburgh concentrated on the middle of the Minnesota defensive line. One defensive tackle, Fats Holmes, played over Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff while the other Steeler tackle, Joe Greene, lined up at an angle pointed directly at Tingelhoff. Holmes sometimes took on the Vikings center directly, allowing Greene to knife through and pursue Tarkenton. At other times, Greene would smash into Tingelhoff while Holmes looped behind him.

The only score in the half was a safety registered by the Steelers. Tarkenton fumbled a handoff to Dave Osborn, scrambled back to recover the ball in the end zone, and was downed by Pittsburgh defensive end Dwight White.

Leading 2-0, Pittsburgh kicked to Minnesota to open the second half and the Vikings’ Bill Brown fumbled. Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh at the Minnesota 30. The Steelers took four plays to negotiate the distance with Franco Harris taking the ball in from nine yards out. Harris was named game MVP. He ran for 158 yards on 34 tries, both new highs for the Super Bowl. Rocky Bleier added 65 yards on 17 carries to give Pittsburgh a decided edge in rushing. Minnesota managed a mere 17 yards on the ground for the day.

Despite their dominance, Pittsburgh’s 9-0 lead was far from safe, and it narrowed to 9-6 in the final quarter when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden’s punt and Terry Brown recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Completely denied on the ground, the Vikings weren’t much better in the air. Tarkenton, under constant pressure from Greene, Holmes, White, and L.C. Greenwood, completed only 11 0f 26 attempts for an average of less than four yards per try. Four of his tosses were deflected by the Steelers.

Midway through the final quarter, Pittsburgh put the game on ice with a drive that began on its own 34. The big play of the drive was a 30-yard toss from Bradshaw to Larry Brown. Harris and Bleier moved the ball to the four where, on third down, Bradshaw passed to Brown for the touchdown.

Soon after the ensuing kickoff, Pittsburgh’s Mike Wagner intercepted a Tarkenton pass, and the Steelers held possession until the game was nearly over.

(Thanks to The NFL History Network - http://nflhistory.net/)

Thanks Rick!

Running time: 3:01 (2 discs)