Super Bowl XII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1977 season. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos by the score of 27–10 to win their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was the first time that the Super Bowl was played inside a domed stadium, and the first time that the game was played in prime time.
The game pitted the Cowboys' current quarterback, Roger Staubach, against their former quarterback, Craig Morton. Led by Staubach and the Doomsday Defense, Dallas advanced to their second Super Bowl after posting a 12-2 record season record and playoff victories over the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings. The Broncos, led by Morton and the Orange Crush Defense, made their first Super Bowl appearance after also posting a 12-2 regular season record and postseason wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders.
The Cowboys defensive team dominated most of Super Bowl XII, forcing 8 turnovers and allowing only 8 pass completions by the Broncos for just 61 yards. Two of those interceptions led to 10 first-quarter points. Denver's longest play of the game was just 21 yards, which occurred on their opening drive. Dallas expanded their lead, 20-3, in the third quarter after wide receiver Butch Johnson made a diving catch in the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown reception. Denver cut the lead in half, 20-10, after an ineffective Morton was replaced by Norris Weese late in the third period, but the Cowboys pulled the game out of reach in the fourth when fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass on a halfback option play.
For the first and only time, two players won Super Bowl MVP honors: defensive tackle Randy White and defensive end Harvey Martin. This was also the first time that a defensive lineman was named as the Super Bowl MVP.
Read more about Super Bowl XII: Television and Entertainment, Game Summary, Starting Lineups, Officials
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