When you think about the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos, your brain probably jumps to those high-octane modern matchups or maybe that wild 51-48 shootout back in 2013. But if we’re talking about the ultimate stage—the one and only time these two legendary franchises met with a Lombardi Trophy on the line—we have to go back to 1978. Super Bowl XII.
It was a weird game. Honestly, "weird" might be an understatement.
People remember it for the Cowboys’ "Doomsday Defense" or the fact that it was the first Super Bowl played in a dome. But there is a lot more to the story of the Cowboys Broncos Super Bowl than just the final score of 27-10. It was a game defined by sheer, chaotic sloppiness, a quarterback revenge plot that went south, and a defensive MVP award so unusual it hasn't been repeated in nearly 50 years.
The Quarterback Drama Nobody Talks About
The biggest storyline leading into New Orleans wasn't the "Orange Crush" versus "Doomsday." It was personal.
Craig Morton, the Broncos' quarterback, was a former Cowboy. Not just a former Cowboy, but the guy who had spent years in a brutal, alternating-series quarterback controversy with Dallas legend Roger Staubach. Imagine being a coach and literally rotating quarterbacks every single play. Tom Landry actually did that in 1971.
By 1977, Morton had found new life in Denver. He led them to their first-ever playoff appearance and their first Super Bowl. He had a chance to walk into the Louisiana Superdome and stick it to the team that chose Staubach over him.
👉 See also: History of WWE Titles: What Most Fans Get Wrong
It didn't happen.
Instead, the Dallas defense made Morton’s life a living nightmare. He finished the game with a stat line that would get a modern quarterback benched by the second quarter: 4 completions on 15 attempts for 39 yards and 4 interceptions. He was eventually pulled for Norris Weese, but the damage was done.
Why Super Bowl XII Was a Statistical Nightmare
If you love clean, efficient football, do not watch the tape of the Cowboys Broncos Super Bowl. It was a mess.
Usually, the Super Bowl is where teams play their most polished game. In XII, both teams combined for a record 10 turnovers. Dallas fumbled the ball 6 times. They were lucky they only lost 2 of those. Denver, on the other hand, turned the ball over 8 times—4 interceptions and 4 lost fumbles.
Basically, the ball was on the carpet or in the air every other play.
The Co-MVP Oddity
Because the Dallas defense was so overwhelmingly dominant, voters couldn't pick just one guy to be the MVP. For the first and only time in NFL history, the award was shared.
- Randy White (DT): The "Manster" was everywhere in the backfield.
- Harvey Martin (DE): He spent more time in the Denver backfield than their own running backs.
They shared the trophy, which feels right considering they both spent the afternoon terrorizing Craig Morton.
The Tactical Shift: The Halfback Option
By the fourth quarter, the Broncos had actually clawed back a bit. It was 20-10, and for a second, it felt like Denver’s "Orange Crush" defense might keep them in it.
Then Tom Landry went into his bag of tricks.
Dallas ran a halfback option. Robert Newhouse, a fullback known for his massive thighs and bruising running style, took the handoff and headed toward the sideline. Everyone expected him to plunge forward for two yards. Instead, he pulled up and launched a 29-yard bomb to Golden Richards.
Touchdown. Game over.
📖 Related: Horse Racing Starting Stalls: Why the First Two Seconds Decide Everything
It was a gutsy call that showcased why Landry was a genius, even if his "Flex" defense was the real star of the show.
What This Game Means Today
A lot of younger fans see the Cowboys as a team that talks a lot but hasn't won the "big one" in decades. But back then? They were the gold standard. This win solidified them as "America's Team."
For Denver, this loss was the start of a long, painful road. They would go on to lose three more Super Bowls in the 1980s before John Elway finally broke the curse in the late 90s.
If you want to understand the modern NFL, you have to look at this game as the bridge between the old-school "three yards and a cloud of dust" era and the flashy, prime-time spectacle we see now. It was the first Super Bowl played at night in the East, and it proved that defense doesn't just win championships—it can completely break the opponent's will.
Key Takeaways from the Matchup
- Turnovers are King: You cannot win a championship giving the ball away eight times. Period.
- The Dome Effect: Playing in the Superdome changed the atmosphere of the game, making it feel more like a "show" than a mud-caked battle.
- Defense Wins MVPs: Don't let the media fool you into thinking it's a quarterback's award; when a unit is this good, they deserve the hardware.
If you are looking to dig deeper into NFL history, start by watching the defensive line play from this game. Pay attention to how Randy White uses his hands to shed blocks—it’s a masterclass for any young defensive tackle. Also, take a look at the "Orange Crush" defense's film from that 1977 season; they were statistically one of the best units to never win a ring. You can find most of these highlights on the NFL's official YouTube channel or through the NFL+ archives.