DALLAS — This Day In Sports…January 17, 1971:
In a comedy of errors, the Baltimore Colts defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13, in Super Bowl V. The game was marred by 11 turnovers and a slew of penalties. The game’s most spectacular play happened in the second quarter, when Colts tight end John Mackey caught a tipped pass and romped 75 yards for a touchdown. Other than that, the offenses were fairly quiet. Jim O’Brien booted a 32-yard field goal with five seconds left to give Baltimore the victory—at least some consolation for the shocking loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III in 1969.
Dallas has made seven Super Bowls since, winning five of them. In fact, they’d pick up their first victory the following year, beating Miami 24-3 behind 252 rushing yards. The Cowboys beat Denver and its Orange Crush defense 27-10 in Super Bowl XII, giving coach Tom Landry his second title. Dallas wouldn’t win it again until the fabled Jimmy Johnson years. Three seasons after going 1-15, the Cowboys reached the pinnacle after the 1992 season with a 52-17 rout of Buffalo in Super Bowl XVII. Dallas would victimize the Bills again a year later with a 30-13 win. Johnson resigned shortly thereafter, and it was Barry Switzer who led the team to its last victory—and last appearance—in the Super Bowl with a 27-17 victory over Pittsburgh in early 1996.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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