Super Bowl XIV

Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1979 season. The Steelers defeated the Rams by the score of 31–19, becoming the first team to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to win more than three Super Bowls.

The game was played on January 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and was attended by a Super Bowl record 103,985 spectators.^[3]^[4] It was also the first time that the Super Bowl was coincidentally played in the home market of one of the participants; at the time, the Rams played at nearby Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Rams became the first team to reach the Super Bowl after posting nine wins or fewer during the regular season. Their 9–7 regular season record was followed by postseason wins over the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers were the defending Super Bowl XIII champions, and finished the 1979 regular season with a 12–4 record, and posted playoff victories over the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Oilers.

Super Bowl XIV was a close game during the first three quarters. The Rams led 13–10 at halftime before Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw connected with wide receiver Lynn Swann on a 47-yard touchdown pass. Los Angeles regained the lead on a halfback option play with running back Lawrence McCutcheon's 24-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith. But Pittsburgh controlled the fourth quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points with Bradshaw's 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver John Stallworth, and running back Franco Harris' 1-yard touchdown run. Despite throwing three interceptions, Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP by completing 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns.^[6]

Background

The NFL awarded Super Bowl XIV to Pasadena on June 14, 1977 at the owners meetings held in New York.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Main article: 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The Steelers won the AFC Central with a 12–4 regular season record (including 8-0 at home), and advanced to their second consecutive Super Bowl and their fourth appearance in the last six seasons. Pittsburgh appeared to be even better than what they were in their three previous Super Bowl victories. leading the league with 6,258 yards in total offense, an average of 391 yards per game and just 31 yards short of an NFL record. The team also led the league in scoring with 412 points.

Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw had another fine season as the leader of the Steelers offense, throwing for 3,724 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season (but he did throw 25 interceptions). Wide receiver John Stallworth was his top target with 70 receptions for 1,183 yards and 8 touchdowns, while wide receiver Lynn Swann caught 41 passes for 808 yards, an average of 19.7 yards per catch. Steelers starting tight end Bennie Cunningham, who missed most of the previous season due to injuries, was also a big contributor with 36 receptions for 512 yards.

Running back Franco Harris was the Steelers' leading rusher for the 8th consecutive season with 1,186 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also recorded his 7th consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards, tying an NFL record set by Jim Brown. Harris also had his best year as a receiver out of the backfield, recording career-highs of 36 receptions for 291 yards and another touchdown. Fullback Rocky Bleier also had another superb season, providing Harris with excellent blocking while also contributing 711 combined rushing and receiving yards. And running back Sidney Thornton also emerged as a big threat with 816 total yards and averaging 5 yards per carry. Pittsburgh also had a solid offensive line, led by center Mike Webster. The Steelers' offense did lead the NFL with a staggering 52 turnovers in the regular season, a trend that would continue in Super Bowl XIV.

The Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense finished the regular season as the top rated defense in the AFC, limiting opponents to only 4,621 offensive yards. Up front, linemen Joe Greene and L.C. Greenwood terrorized opposing quarterbacks and rushers. And linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham excelled at run stopping and pass coverage, combining for 8 interceptions. The Steelers also had a fine secondary, led by defensive backs Mel Blount, who recorded 3 interceptions, and Donnie Shell, who had 5.

Los Angeles Rams

Main article: 1979 Los Angeles Rams season

Adversity hovered over the Rams long before the season began. During the off-season, in a mysterious accident, owner Carroll Rosenbloom drowned, and a power struggle ensued between Carroll's second wife, Georgia Frontiere, and his son, Steve Rosenbloom. Georgia eventually gained control of the team and fired her stepson. Prior to Carroll Rosenbloom's death, the Rams had already announced their intentions to leave the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and move to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County for the 1980 season.

The Rams barely outscored their opponents, 323-309, and finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, the worst ever by a team who advanced to the Super Bowl (that record was later tied by the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII and the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI). The team was plagued with injuries during the regular season, including the loss of their starting quarterback Pat Haden. His replacement, Vince Ferragamo, completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (5). But he still led the Rams to victory in 6 of their last 7 games.

The Rams gained 6,006 total yards of offense during the regular season, ranking second in the league. The team's main offensive weapon was running back Wendell Tyler, who rushed for 1,109 yards, caught 32 passes for 308 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns. Tyler's rushing yards came off just 218 rushing attempts, giving him a league-leading 5.1 yards per carry average. Fullback Cullen Bryant provided Tyler with excellent blocking while also gaining 846 total yards and scoring 5 touchdowns. Wide receiver Preston Dennard was the team's main deep threat, catching 43 passes for 766 yards and 4 touchdowns. The offensive line, led by tackles Doug France and Jackie Slater and guard Dennis Harrah, paved the Rams' running attack to 4th in the NFC during the season despite injuries. They also gave up only 29 sacks.

But the Rams' main strength was their defense, which featured defensive end Jack Youngblood, who made the Pro Bowl for the 7th year in a row and was playing with a broken leg, and lightning-quick Fred Dryer on the opposite end. Behind them, the Rams had two outstanding linebackers: Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds, and Jim Youngblood (no relation to Jack), who had recorded 5 interceptions and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. The Rams also had a solid secondary, led by free safety Nolan Cromwell, who also grabbed 5 interceptions. Collectively, the Rams' defense established an NFL record (which still stands) on November 4, 1979, by holding the Seattle Seahawks' offense (which finished the 1979 season 4th in the NFL in points scored) to a total of minus 7 yards for the game.

Playoffs

For more details on this topic, see 1979–80 NFL playoffs.

In the playoffs, the Rams avenged the previous year's NFC Championship Game shutout loss to the Dallas Cowboys by beating them 21–19. Then they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, 9–0, scoring only three field goals.

Meanwhile, the Steelers went on to defeat the Miami Dolphins, 34–14, and the Houston Oilers, 27–13, in the playoffs. During those two playoff games, the Pittsburgh defense limited running backs Larry Csonka and Earl Campbell, respectively, to a combined total of only 35 rushing yards. Campbell was the league's rushing leader during the regular season with 1,697 yards, but could only gain 15 yards against the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Super Bowl pregame news and notes

Pittsburgh was heavily favored to win Super Bowl XIV and become the first team to win 4 Super Bowls. Most people did not think that the Rams even belonged on the same field with the Steelers. In fact, Sports Illustrated had called the NFC Championship Game a game for losers, played by losers. One sports writer sarcastically suggested that Bradshaw throw left-handed and the Rams should be allowed to play with 12 men on the field to make the Super Bowl more competitive.

However, the Steelers were not taking their opponents lightly. In their previous meetings, the Rams held a 12–1–2 all-time record over the Steelers, including wins in 1971, 1975, and 1978. The wins in 1975 (by a score of 10–3) and 1978 (by a score of 10–7) were over Steeler teams that eventually won the Super Bowl those seasons. Also, the Steelers had shown clear signs of weakness when playing away from their home stadium during the season. Their first loss of the year was on the road in a 4-turnover performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Two weeks later at 5-1, Pittsburgh was blown out 34-10 in Cincinnati against an 0-6 Bengals team. In week 12, the team lost 8 turnovers in a 35-7 loss on the road against the San Diego Chargers.

Bradshaw became the second quarterback to start four Super Bowls, joining his counterpart from Super Bowls X and XIII Roger Staubach. Joe Montana became the third to start four Super Bowls, but all were passed by John Elway and Tom Brady, and also matched by Peyton Manning.

Super Bowl XIV holds the record for attendance with 103,985 spectators.

Television and entertainment

CBS televised the game in the United States with play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator Tom Brookshier. One of the guest analysts for the network's studio pregame show was former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden; he impressed CBS executives so much that he replaced Brookshier as lead game analyst in 1981. CBS Radio coverage featured Jack Buck and Hank Stram; with Brent Musburger working both radio and television coverage (hosting the Super Bowl Today pregame show and the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation).^[7] Locally, Bob Starr and Al Wisk called the game for the Rams over KMPC in Los Angeles, while WTAE-AM in Pittsburgh featured the Steelers' play-by-play team of Jack Fleming and Myron Cope. The KMPC broadcast, thanks to an agreement with the Iranian militants, Iran's Ministry of National Guidance and KMPC reporter Alex Paen, would be recorded and played for the Americans held hostage in Iran.^[8]

The Los Angeles Unified School District All-City Band played during the pregame ceremonies. Later, actress and singer Cheryl Ladd performed the national anthem. The coin toss ceremony featured longtime Steelers owner Art Rooney.

The performance event group Up with People performed during the halftime show titled "A Salute to the Big Band Era".

The famous Coca-Cola commercial in which "Mean" Joe Greene gives a boy his game jersey aired during CBS' telecast of the game. However, it is technically not viewed as a Super Bowl ad since it actually debuted on October 1, 1979, not during the day of the game.^[9]^[10] 60 Minutes was broadcast after the game, representing the Super Bowl lead-out program.

The city of Pittsburgh celebrated its third major pro championship in 13 months. The Steelers had also won the previous year's Super Bowl, and the city's Major League Baseball team, the Pirates, had won the World Series three months before this Super Bowl game. Ten days after the Steelers' Super Bowl victory, the city's National Hockey League team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, changed its uniform colors to match the black and gold scheme of the Pirates and Steelers, as well as that of the Pittsburgh city flag.

Game summary

Despite being the underdogs, the Rams managed to hang on to a 13–10 lead at halftime, and a 19–17 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But the Steelers held the Rams scoreless in the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns for the win. Despite the game's uneven matchup and the final score, this game is regarded by some as one of the most competitive games in Super Bowl history. Overall, the lead changed 7 times between both teams, a Super Bowl record; the Rams took the lead 3 times while the Steelers took it 4 times.

First Half

The Rams took the opening kickoff but the Steel Curtain, however, managed to force a three-and-out. Then on the Steelers' 7th play of their first possession, quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed a 32-yard pass to running back Franco Harris to reach the Los Angeles 26-yard line. But a third down pass fell incomplete, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for a 41-yard field goal from rookie kicker Matt Bahr.

Bahr's ensuing kickoff was very short, giving the Rams great field position at their 41-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Los Angeles running back Wendell Tyler caught a 6-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo. Then on the next play, Tyler took a handoff, ran left, broke some tackles, and ran 39 yards to the Steelers 14-yard line before he was finally dragged down by Pittsburgh defensive back Donnie Shell, the longest run against the Steelers all season. Shell saved the touchdown by making the tackle after previously being knocked to the turf five yards past the line of scrimmage. 6 plays later, fullback Cullen Bryant scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Rams a 7–3 lead. The score was the Steelers' first rushing touchdown allowed in Super Bowl competition.

But the lead did not last long. Pittsburgh defensive back Larry Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to his own 47-yard line, and then the Steelers marched 53 yards in 9 plays using every offensive weapon in their arsenal. First, Harris ran for 12 yards, fullback Rocky Bleier ran for 1, then tight end Bennie Cunningham caught a pass for 8. Bleier ran again for 2, followed by Bradshaw's 18-yard completion to receiver Lynn Swann on the last play of the first quarter. The second period opened with Bradshaw's 13-yard completion to Cunningham to reach the Los Angeles 5-yard line, and then Harris ran through the middle to the 4. Wide receiver John Stallworth was then stopped at the 1-yard line, but then Harris ran to the right untouched and scored a touchdown on the next play, giving the Steelers a 10–7 lead.

But like the Rams' previous lead, the Steelers' lead also turned out to be short-lived. Aided by a 20-yard pass interference penalty against Shell, Los Angeles advanced 67 yards in 10 plays to score on 31-yard field goal from kicker Frank Corral to tie the game. Anderson gave the Steelers great field position after returning the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Pittsburgh 46-yard line, but the Steelers could not move the ball and had to punt. The Rams were also forced to punt on their next possession after only gaining 6 yards. But on the first play of the Steelers' next drive, Los Angeles defensive back Dave Elmendorf intercepted a pass from Bradshaw and returned it 10 yards to Pittsburgh's 39-yard line.

On the first two plays after the turnover, Ferragamo was sacked for a 10-yard loss and threw an incomplete pass. But he managed to overcome the situation with a 12-yard completion to Bryant on third down and a 10-yard completion to receiver Billy Waddy on 4th down and 8. Ferragamo's next pass was complete to tight end Terry Nelson for a first down at the 13-yard line, but after throwing two incompletions, Pittsburgh lineman John Banaszak sacked Ferragamo on third down. However, Corral kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the Rams a 13–10 halftime lead.

Second Half

The heavily favored Steelers trailed at the end of the half. "How can you mess up this way?" Steelers assistant coach Woody Widenhofer asked his team at halftime. "Didn't we go over these things a dozen times? You guys are standing out there like statues."^[11]

Anderson once again gave the Steelers great starting field position, returning the opening kickoff of the second half 37 yards to the Pittsburgh 39-yard line. The Steelers lulled the Rams defense by running the ball on three consecutive plays of the drive, and then Bradshaw burned them with a 47-yard touchdown completion to Swann, who made a leaping catch at the Los Angeles 2-yard line and tumbled into the end zone to give Pittsburgh a 17–13 lead.

But they didn't hold it. After starting the ensuing drive with two running plays, Ferragamo completed a 50-yard pass to Waddy. Then on the next play, Ferragamo handed the ball off to running back Lawrence McCutcheon, who started to run to the right. The Steelers' defense came up to tackle him behind the line of scrimmage, only to watch him throw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith. Corral missed the extra point attempt, but the Rams had retaken the lead, 19–17.

The Steelers had some success advancing into Rams territory on their next two possessions, only to see the Rams intercept the ball both times. First, Rams free safety Eddie Brown stopped the ensuing Steelers drive with an interception, lateraling to Pat Thomas to gain an additional two yards. Then after a punt, Pittsburgh drove all the way to the Rams 16-yard line, but Los Angeles defensive back Rod Perry intercepted a pass intended for Stallworth. Thus, the third quarter ended with the Rams still in the lead, 19–17, seemingly in control of the game. Worse yet, Pittsburgh lost Swann to injury, when he was knocked out of the game by Perry.

With 12:59 left in the game, Rams punter Ken Clark's 59-yard punt planted Pittsburgh back on their own 25-yard line. Then faced with 3rd down and 8, Bradshaw took the snap, faked a handoff, and then threw a pass to Stallworth, who was running a streak pattern down the middle of the field. Stallworth caught the ball barely beyond the outstretched hand of Perry and took it all the way to the end zone for a 73-yard go-ahead touchdown to make the score 24–19 for the Steelers. The NFL Films highlight film notes that safety Eddie Brown was supposed to help Perry in covering Stallworth, but for some reason, Brown ignored the Steeler receiver. On the ensuing kickoff, the Rams tried a reverse, which resulted in poor field position.

After an exchange of punts, the Rams mounted one final, spirited drive to regain the lead. Ferragamo smartly moved the Rams down the field, completing 3 out of 4 passes around runs by Tyler. His 15-yard completion to Waddy on 3rd and 13 moved the Rams to the Pittsburgh 32-yard line with just under 6 minutes remaining. However, on the following play, Ferragamo made his first and only mistake of the game. Despite the fact that Waddy had broken free down the right side of the field, Ferragamo had zeroed in on Ron Smith down the middle of the field, but he didn't notice Pittsburgh linebacker Jack Lambert playing behind Smith. As Ferragamo released the ball, Lambert jumped in front of Smith and intercepted the pass with 5:24 remaining.

When faced with a 3rd down and 7 on their ensuing drive, Bradshaw once again made a crucial long pass completion to Stallworth, this time a 45-yard reception to the Rams 22-yard line, barely beyond the outstretched hand of Perry. Two plays later, a pass interference penalty on Los Angeles cornerback Pat Thomas in the end zone gave the Steelers a first down at the 1-yard line. The Rams managed to keep Bleier and Harris out of the end zone for two plays, but Harris then scored on a third-down, 1-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers a 31–19 lead and put the game away. The Rams responded by driving to Pittsburgh's 37-yard line, but ended up turning over the ball on downs with 39 seconds left in the game, and the Steelers ran out the clock for the win.

Aftermath

This was the third time in Super Bowl history that a team overcame a deficit entering the fourth quarter to win the game. The Baltimore Colts entered the final quarter down 13–6 against Dallas in Super Bowl V and won the game 16–13. The Pittsburgh Steelers started the final period against Dallas in Super Bowl X down 10–7 and eventually won the game 21–17. The lead had changed hands seven times, a Super Bowl record to this day. Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth became the fourth, fifth and sixth players to score touchdowns in back-to-back Super Bowls, respectively. They had to celebrate when Swann returned from the hospital after being injured.

Ferragamo finished the game with 15 out of 25 completions for 212 yards, with 1 interception. Tyler was the top rusher of the game with 60 yards, and caught 2 passes for 20 yards. Waddy was the Rams leading receiver with 3 catches for 75 yards. Harris led the Steelers in rushing with 44 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also catching 3 passes for 66 yards. Stallworth was the top receiver of the game with 3 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown, an average of 40.3 yards per catch. Swann had 5 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Larry Anderson set a Super Bowl record with 162 yards from his 5 kickoff returns.

The Rams would remain competitive in the 1980s but wouldn't reach another Super Bowl until their victory in Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000, after the team had moved to St. Louis before the 1995 season. The closest the Los Angeles Rams would get to getting back to another Super Bowl was in 1985, when they advanced to the NFC title game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, and in 1989; reaching the NFC Championship before losing to division rival and defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco. Wendell Tyler eventually won a Super Bowl as a featured back for the San Francisco 49ers in 1984. The last link of the 1979 team was Jackie Slater, who remained on the team until 1995, the club's first season in St. Louis. He set an NFL record by playing 20 seasons with one team, yet Super Bowl XIV would remain his lone trip to the Big Game.

Pittsburgh would go 9–7 the following season and miss the playoffs. They would go 8–8 in 1981 before making the playoffs the next three seasons. Many of the links that powered the Steelers to their Super Bowl wins began to retire shortly after Super Bowl XIV, starting with Rocky Bleier in 1980 and Joe Greene in 1981. Stallworth, Webster, and Shell would play well into the 1980s and helped lead Pittsburgh to the 1984 AFC Championship game. But they would not reach a Super Bowl until the 1995 season, losing to the Dallas Cowboys 27–17 in Super Bowl XXX. Kicker Matt Bahr would win another Super Bowl with the New York Giants during the 1990 season. He kicked the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV, and a week earlier booted the game-winning field goal against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, thus denying the 49ers a chance at three straight Super Bowl victories and surpassing the Steelers' total of four Super Bowl titles. Chuck Noll, the last link to Pittsburgh's dynasty, retired from coaching following the 1991 season. Only Bill Belichick has matched Noll's four Vince Lombardi Trophies as a head coach. The Steelers' record of four Super Bowls in six seasons has yet to be matched.

Box score

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	6	6	0	19
Steelers	3	7	7	14	31

at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

Date: January 20, 1980
Game time: 3:15 p.m. PST
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny

Game information
First Quarter PIT – FG: Matt Bahr 41 yards 3–0 PIT LA – TD: Cullen Bryant 1-yard run (Frank Corral kick) 7–3 LA Second Quarter PIT – TD: Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) 10–7 PIT LA – FG: Frank Corral 31 yards 10–10 tie LA – FG: Frank Corral 45 yards 13–10 LA Third Quarter PIT – TD: Lynn Swann 47-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) 17–13 PIT LA – TD: Ron Smith 24-yard pass from Lawrence McCutcheon (kick failed) 19–17 LA Fourth Quarter PIT – TD: John Stallworth 73-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) 24–19 PIT PIT – TD: Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) 31–19 PIT

Game information

First Quarter

PIT – FG: Matt Bahr 41 yards 3–0 PIT
LA – TD: Cullen Bryant 1-yard run (Frank Corral kick) 7–3 LA

Second Quarter

PIT – TD: Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) 10–7 PIT
LA – FG: Frank Corral 31 yards 10–10 tie
LA – FG: Frank Corral 45 yards 13–10 LA

Third Quarter

PIT – TD: Lynn Swann 47-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) 17–13 PIT
LA – TD: Ron Smith 24-yard pass from Lawrence McCutcheon (kick failed) 19–17 LA

Fourth Quarter

PIT – TD: John Stallworth 73-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) 24–19 PIT
PIT – TD: Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) 31–19 PIT

Final statistics

Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XIV, Super Bowl XIV Play Finder Pit, Super Bowl XIV Play Finder LA

Statistical comparison

	Pittsburgh Steelers	Los Angeles Rams
First downs	19	16
First downs rushing	8	6
First downs passing	10	9
First downs penalty	1	1
Third down efficiency	9/14	5/14
Fourth down efficiency	0/0	1/2
Net yards rushing	84	107
Rushing attempts	37	29
Yards per rush	2.3	3.7
Passing – Completions/attempts	14/21	16/26
Times sacked-total yards	0–0	4–42
Interceptions thrown	3	1
Net yards passing	309	194
Total net yards	393	301
Punt returns-total yards	4-31	1-4
Kickoff returns-total yards	5-162	6-79
Interceptions-total return yards	1–16	3–21
Punts-average yardage	2–42.5	5–44.0
Fumbles-lost	0-0	0–0
Penalties-total yards	6-65	2–26
Time of possession	30:29	29:31
Turnovers	3	1

Individual leaders

Steelers Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT	Rating
Terry Bradshaw	14/21	309	2	3	101.9
Steelers Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³	Yds/Car
Franco Harris	20	46	2	12	2.30
Rocky Bleier	10	25	0	9	2.50
Terry Bradshaw	3	9	0	6	3.00
Sidney Thornton	4	4	0	5	1.00
Steelers Receiving
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³	Target⁵
Lynn Swann	5	79	1	47	6
John Stallworth	3	121	1	73	4
Franco Harris	3	66	0	32	3
Bennie Cunningham	2	21	0	13	3
Sidney Thornton	1	22	0	22	3
Jim Smith	0	0	0	0	1

Rams Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT	Rating
Vince Ferragamo	15/25	212	0	1	70.8
Lawrence McCutcheon	1/1	24	1	0	158.3
Rams Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³	Yds/Car
Wendell Tyler	17	60	0	39	3.53
Cullen Bryant	6	30	1	14	5.00
Lawrence McCutcheon	5	10	0	6	2.00
Vince Ferragamo	1	7	0	7	7.00
Rams Receiving
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³	Target⁵
Billy Waddy	3	75	0	50	5
Cullen Bryant	3	21	0	12	4
Wendell Tyler	3	20	0	11	3
Preston Dennard	2	32	0	24	5
Terry Nelson	2	20	0	14	3
Drew Hill	1	28	0	28	2
Ron Smith	1	24	1	24	3
Lawrence McCutcheon	1	16	0	16	1

¹Completions/attempts ²Carries ³Long gain ⁴Receptions ⁵Times targeted

Records Set

The following records were set in Super Bowl XIV, according to the official NFL.com boxscore^[12] and the ProFootball reference.com game summary.^[13]
Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.^[14] The minimums are shown (in parenthesis).

Player Records Set ^[13]
Most points scored, career	24	Franco Harris
Most touchdowns, career	4	Franco Harris
Passing Records
Highest passer rating, career, (40 attempts)	112.8	Terry Bradshaw
Most passing yards, career	932 yds
Highest average gain, game (20 attempts)	14.71 yds (309-21)
Highest average gain, career (40 attempts)	11.10 yds (932-84)
Most touchdown passes, career	9
Lowest percentage, passes had intercepted, career, (40 attempts)	See ^Note*
Rushing Records
Most yards, career	354 yds	Franco Harris
Most attempts, career	101
Most touchdowns, career	4
Receiving Records
Most yards, career	364 yds	Lynn Swann
Most receptions, career	16	Lynn Swann
Highest average gain, game (3 receptions)	40.33 yds (3-121)	John Stallworth
Highest average gain, career (8 receptions)	24.4 yds (11-268)	John Stallworth
Most touchdowns, career	3	John Stallworth Lynn Swann
Combined yardage records ^†
Most Attempts, career	108	Franco Harris
Most yards gained, career	468 yds	Franco Harris
Special Teams
Most kickoff returns, game	5	Larry Anderson000(Pit)
Most kickoff returns, career	8
Most kickoff return yards, game	162 yds
Most kickoff return yards, career	205 yds
Highest kickoff return average, game (3 returns)	32.4 yds (5-162)
Highest kickoff return average, career (4 returns)	25.6 yds (8-205)
Records Tied
Most touchdowns, game	2	Franco Harris
Most rushing touchdowns, game	2	Franco Harris
Most punt returns, career	6	Theo Bell000(Pit)
Most 40-plus yard field goals, game	1	Matt Bahr000(Pit) Frank Corral000(LA)

^Note * Terry Bradshaw threw 3 interceptions in this game, increasing his career interception percentage in Super Bowls to 4.8%. This meant that Bart Starr once again held the record for "Lowest percentage, passes had intercepted, career, (40 attempts)" with 2.1% (1-47). Jim Plunkett would surpass this record in Super Bowl XVIII with 0.0% (0-46).

† This category includes rushing, receiving, interception returns, punt returns, kickoff returns, and fumble returns.^[15]

Team Records Set ^[13]
Most Super Bowl victories	4	Steelers
Passing
Most yards passing (net)	309 yds	Steelers
Highest average yards gained per pass attempt	14.7 yds (309-21)	Steelers
Kickoff returns
Highest average gain, game (3 returns)	32.4 yds (162-5)	Steelers
Punting
Fewest punts, game	2	Steelers
Records Tied
Most consecutive Super Bowl victories	2	Steelers
Most points scored, second half	21 pts
Most points, fourth quarter	14 pts
Fewest times sacked	0

Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.

Records Set, both team totals ^[13]
	Total	Steelers	Rams
Passing, Both Teams
Most passing yards (net)	503 yds	309	194
Fumbles, Both Teams
Fewest fumbles	0	0	0
Kickoff returns, Both Teams
Most kickoff returns	11	5	6
Most yards gained	241 yds	162	79
Records tied, both team totals
Fewest fumbles lost	0	0	0
Fewest punts, game	7	2	5

Starting lineups

Hall of Fame ‡

Pittsburgh		Los Angeles
Offense
John Stallworth‡	WR	Billy Waddy
Jon Kolb	LT	Doug France
Sam Davis	LG	Kent Hill
Mike Webster‡	C	Rich Saul
Gerry Mullins	RG	Dennis Harrah
Larry Brown	RT	Jackie Slater‡
Bennie Cunningham	TE	Terry Nelson
Lynn Swann‡	WR	Preston Dennard
Terry Bradshaw‡	QB	Vince Ferragamo
Rocky Bleier	FB	Cullen Bryant
Franco Harris‡	RB	Wendell Tyler
Defense
L. C. Greenwood	LE	Jack Youngblood‡
Joe Greene‡	LT	Mike Fanning
Gary Dunn	RT	Larry Brooks
John Banaszak	RE	Fred Dryer
Dennis Winston	LLB	Jim Youngblood
Jack Lambert‡	MLB	Jack Reynolds
Robin Cole	RLB	Bob Brudzinski
Ron Johnson	LCB	Pat Thomas
Mel Blount‡	RCB	Rod Perry
Donnie Shell	SS	Dave Elmendorf
J. T. Thomas	FS	Nolan Cromwell

Officials

Referee: Fred Silva #7 first Super Bowl on field (alternate for IX)
Umpire: Al Conway #7 second Super Bowl (IX)
Head Linesman: Burl Toler #18 first Super Bowl
Line Judge: Bob Beeks #16 first Super Bowl
Field Judge: Charley Musser #19 second Super Bowl (IV)
Side Judge: Ben Tompkins #4 first Super Bowl
Back Judge: Stan Javie #6 fourth Super Bowl (II, VIII, X)
Alternate Referee: Jerry Seeman #17 worked Super Bowls XXIII and XXV on field

This was the First Super Bowl officiating crew to feature two African-Americans (Toler and Beeks).

References

Notes

↑ DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". The Linemakers. Sporting News. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
↑ "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
1 2 "Super Bowl XIV Box Score: Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19". NFL.com. National Football League.
1 2 The Super Bowl was attended by a record 103,985 spectators, which remains a record through Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. The last time that the Rose Bowl held an NFL game was Super Bowl XXVII, and will never host a Super Bowl again as long as the league maintains its current policy that only a home stadium of an NFL team may host the championship game.
↑ "Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967–2009 – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
↑ Bradshaw became the second player to win two Super Bowl MVP awards and the second to win them back-to-back (both after Bart Starr in Super Bowls I and II). Bradshaw is also currently the only quarterback to throw for more the 300 yards in consecutive Super Bowls. Joe Montana and Kurt Warner would eventually tie Bradshaw but never in back-to-back championship games. Bradshaw's three interceptions were the most ever by a quarterback who won the Super Bowl MVP award. He is currently the only quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP honors despite throwing more interceptions than touchdown passes.
↑ Sports Illustrated, January 14, 1980, page 5
↑ http://nypost.com/2015/12/25/how-us-hostages-held-by-iran-got-to-hear-super-bowl-xiv/
↑ ESPN.com – Page2 – Best Super Bowl commercials
↑ Coca-Cola Television Advertisements:The D'Arcy Era
↑ History of Steelers-Super Bowl xiv
↑ "Super Bowl XIV boxscore". NFL.com. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
1 2 3 4 "Super Bowl XIV statistics". Pro Football reference.com. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
↑ "2016 NFL Factbook" (PDF). NFL. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
↑ "Super Bowl definitions".

Sources

2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. Time Inc. Home Entertainment. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League. Harper Collins. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
The Official NFL Encyclopedia Pro Football. NAL Books. ISBN 0-453-00431-8.
The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995. ISBN 0-89204-523-X.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com – Large online database of NFL data and statistics
Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA Today (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)

External links

Super Bowl official website

Super Bowl

1960s	I (1967) II (1968) III (1969)

1970s	IV (1970) V (1971) VI (1972) VII (1973) VIII (1974) IX (1975) X (1976) XI (1977) XII (1978) XIII (1979)

1980s	XIV (1980) XV (1981) XVI (1982) XVII (1983) XVIII (1984) XIX (1985) XX (1986) XXI (1987) XXII (1988) XXIII (1989)

1990s	XXIV (1990) XXV (1991) XXVI (1992) XXVII (1993) XXVIII (1994) XXIX (1995) XXX (1996) XXXI (1997) XXXII (1998) XXXIII (1999)

2000s	XXXIV (2000) XXXV (2001) XXXVI (2002) XXXVII (2003) XXXVIII (2004) XXXIX (2005) XL (2006) XLI (2007) XLII (2008) XLIII (2009)

2010s	XLIV (2010) XLV (2011) XLVI (2012) XLVII (2013) XLVIII (2014) XLIX (2015) 50 (2016) LI (2017) LII (2018) LIII (2019)

2020s	LIV (2020) LV (2021)

Champions Pre-Super Bowl NFL champions Super Bowl ring Head coaches Active head coach history Quarterbacks Awards/Trophies Vince Lombardi Trophy Most Valuable Players Records Officials National Anthem Halftime Commercials USA Today Ad Meter Adbowl List Curse Broadcasting Network broadcasters Counterprogramming Lead-out programming Television ratings Super Bowl Sunday

Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIV champions

5 Craig Colquitt 9 Matt Bahr 12 Terry Bradshaw (MVP) 15 Mike Kruczek 20 Rocky Bleier 23 Mike Wagner 24 J. T. Thomas 27 Greg Hawthorne 29 Ron Johnson 30 Larry Anderson 31 Donnie Shell 32 Franco Harris 33 Anthony Anderson 35 Jack Deloplaine 38 Sidney Thornton 39 Rick Moser 47 Mel Blount 49 Dwayne Woodruff 50 Tom Graves 51 Loren Toews 52 Mike Webster 53 Dennis Winston 54 Zack Valentine 55 Jon Kolb 56 Robin Cole 57 Sam Davis 58 Jack Lambert 59 Jack Ham 62 Willie Fry 63 Thom Dornbrook 64 Steve Furness 65 Tom Beasley 66 Ted Petersen 67 Gary Dunn 68 L. C. Greenwood 72 Gerry Mullins 75 Joe Greene 76 John Banaszak 77 Steve Courson 78 Dwight White 79 Larry Brown 82 John Stallworth 83 Theo Bell 84 Randy Grossman 85 Calvin Sweeney 86 Jim Smith 88 Lynn Swann 89 Bennie Cunningham

Head coach: Chuck Noll

Coaches: Rollie Dotsch Dick Hoak Tom Moore George Perles Louis Riecke Paul Uram Dick Walker Woody Widenhofer

Pittsburgh Steelers

Founded in 1933 Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939) Based and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Franchise	History All-Time Team Seasons Logos and uniforms Coaches Players Starting quarterbacks First-round draft picks Statistics

Stadiums	Home fields: Forbes Field Pitt Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Heinz Field Training facilities: Rooney Field Point Stadium UPMC Sportsplex Chuck Noll Field

Culture	Football in Western PA Rooney family Myron Cope Steeler Nation Terrible Towel Steel Curtain Evening Shade "Right Here, Right Now" "Renegade" "Here We Go" "Black and Yellow" YinzCam

Lore	Steelers lore J.P. Rooneys Pennsylvania Keystoners Steagles Card-Pitt Steelerettes Immaculate Reception Black Sunday Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story 1995 AFC Championship Game The Chief

Rivalries	Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Tennessee Titans Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys

Media	KDKA-TV WPCW-TV Root Sports Pittsburgh Charlie Batch Chris Hoke Bob Pompeani Radio Network WDVE-FM WBGG-AM Bill Hillgrove Tunch Ilkin Craig Wolfley

Division championships (21)	1972 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1983 1984 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2004 2007 2008 2010 2014

Conference championships (8)	1974 1975 1978 1979 1995 2005 2008 2010

League championships (6)	1974 (IX) 1975 (X) 1978 (XIII) 1979 (XIV) 2005 (XL) 2008 (XLIII)

Retired numbers	70 75

Hall of Fame members	Players: Bettis Blount Bradshaw Butler Dawson Dudley Greene Ham Harris Johnson Lambert Layne Stallworth Stautner Swann Webster Woodson Coaches and administration: Bell Kiesling Noll Art Rooney Dan Rooney

Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: North Division

Seasons (83)	1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Championship seasons in bold

Los Angeles Rams

Founded in 1936 Played in Cleveland (1936–1945) and St. Louis (1995–2015) Based in Los Angeles, California Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California

Franchise	History in Cleveland in St. Louis Coaches Players First-round draft picks Seasons Statistics Starting quarterbacks Awards Broadcasters

Stadiums	Cleveland Municipal Stadium League Park Shaw Stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Anaheim Stadium Busch Stadium Edward Jones Dome City of Champions Stadium (planned)

Culture	Cheerleaders Rampage Heaven Can Wait (film) Melonheads

Lore	The Greatest Show on Turf Bull Elephant backfield Fearsome Foursome

Rivalries	San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs

Retired numbers	7 28 29 74 75 78 80 85

Division championships (13)	1967 1969 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1985 1999 2001 2003

Conference championships (8)	1945 1949 1950 1951 1955 1979 1999 2001

League championships (3)	1945 1951 1999 (XXXIV)

Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1937–present) Conference: National Football Conference Division: West Division

Former league affiliation	League: American Football League (1936)

Seasons (79)	1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Championship seasons in bold

1979 NFL season

East	Central	West	East	Central	West
Baltimore	Cincinnati	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta
Buffalo	Cleveland	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	Los Angeles
Miami	Houston	Oakland	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans
New England	Pittsburgh	San Diego	St. Louis	Minnesota	San Francisco
NY Jets		Seattle	Washington	Tampa Bay

National Football League Championship Games (1933–present)

NFL Championship Game (1933–1969)	1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

AFL Championship Game (1960–1969)	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

AFL-NFL World Championship Games^[1] (1966–1969)	1966 (I) 1967 (II) 1968 (III) 1969 (IV)

Super Bowl^[2] (1970–present)	1970 (V) 1971 (VI) 1972 (VII) 1973 (VIII) 1974 (IX) (1975) X 1976 (XI) 1977 (XII) 1978 (XIII) 1979 (XIV) 1980 (XV) 1981 (XVI) 1982 (XVII) 1983 (XVIII) 1984 (XIX) 1985 (XX) 1986 (XXI) 1987 (XXII) 1988 (XXIII) 1989 (XXIV) 1990 (XXV) 1991 (XXVI) 1992 (XXVII) 1993 (XXVIII) 1994 (XXIX) 1995 (XXX) 1996 (XXXI) 1997 (XXXII) 1998 (XXXIII) 1999 (XXXIV) 2000 (XXXV) 2001 (XXXVI) 2002 (XXXVII) 2003 (XXXVIII) 2004 (XXXIX) 2005 (XL) 2006 (XLI) 2007 (XLII) 2008 (XLIII) 2009 (XLIV) 2010 (XLV) 2011 (XLVI) 2012 (XLVII) 2013 (XLVIII) 2014 (XLIX) 2015 (50)

1921 APFA de facto championship game 1925 NFL Championship controversy 1932 NFL Playoff Game NFL Championship broadcasters AFL Championship broadcasters Super Bowl champions Super Bowl Most Valuable Players Super Bowl records Super Bowl broadcasters Super Bowl officials Super Bowl halftime Super Bowl commercials Pre-Super Bowl NFL champions NFL playoffs (Results) AFL playoffs

1 – 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. 2 – Dates in the list denote the season, not the calendar year in which the championship game was played. For instance, Super Bowl XLI was played in 2007, but was the championship for the 2006 season.

NFL on CBS

Related programs

Inside the NFL The NFL on Westwood One Sports (commentators) The NFL Today Thursday Night Football (2014–present)

Non-NFL programs	Arena Football on CBS SEC on CBS (commentators)

Fox affiliate switches of 1994 (Repercussions) NFL on television (history) Primary television stations Super Bowl TV ratings (lead-out programs)

Prime-time results	Monday night NFL games prior to 1970 Thursday Night Football results (2006-present)

Commentators

Commentator pairings NFL Today personalities Pro Bowl

Postseason	AFC Championship Game NFC Championship Game Super Bowl

Pre-AFL–NFL merger	NFL Championship Game Playoff Bowl

Non-US based games	American Bowl Bills Toronto Series

Lore

AFL–NFL merger "Bounty Bowl series" "Miracle at the Meadowlands" "Porkchop Bowl" "The Snow Bowl" Tom Dempsey's 63-yard field goal "The Wrong Way Run" 16-0 Miracle in Motown Rivalries

Postseason lore	"The Block" "The Catch" "The Fog Bowl" "The Hail Mary" "The Instant Replay Game" "The Ice Bowl" "Mile High Miracle" Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime-show controversy "The Tuck Rule Game"

Holiday lore	NFL on Thanksgiving Day Christmas games

Music

NFL Championship

Super Bowl

Pre-AFL–NFL merger	I (1966) II (1967) IV (1969)

NFC package carrier (1970–1993)	VI (1971) VIII (1973) X (1975) XII (1977) XIV (1979) XVI (1981) XVIII (1983) XXI (1986) XXIV (1989) XXVI (1991)

AFC package carrier (1998–present)	XXXV (2000) XXXVIII (2003) XLI (2006) XLIV (2009) XLVII (2012) 50 (2015) LIII (2018)

Pro Bowl

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