Saturday, 07/05/2008

Super Bowl IX: Steel Curtain Comes Down on Purple People Haze!
By Mookie

Steelers vs. Vikings- January 12, 1975

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. How else can you explain this fluke Super Bowl that was won when Pittsburgh recovered a "mistake" second-half kick off? I guess it's totally my opinion, but I still think there is no way that the Vikings would lose this Super Bowl if it was played again today, yesterday or tomorrow. The final score of 16-6 shows that this was the Vikings best chance to ever win a Super Bowl. Pittsburgh was playing in their first Super Bowl after years of being toted as the worst team in the NFL and it showed as their offense was nervous and rattled while struggling through the first half. Unfortunately, the Vikings offense equaled their futility and played just as poorly. Meanwhile both the Viking and Steeler Defense's played remarkably well.

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It seemed fitting that the vaunted Pittsburgh Defense "Steel Curtain: would score first in this Big Game! After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings had the ball deep in their own territory. Fran Tarkenton attempted a pitchout to halfback Dave Osborne, but the ball hit Chuck Foreman and bounced back toward the end zone. Tark hurried back to pounce on the ball but Dwight White jumped on him in the end zone for a safety 7:49 into the second quarter.

The Steelers weren't the only team playing BIG D on this day as the Vikings managed to stop Pittsburgh when it counted. The half ended with the Vikings trailing 2-0. Just like in the 2 previous Super Bowls, the Vikings were going to be getting the ball at the half and everyone in our house was really counting on the Vikes to "snap out" of their offensive funk. We were certain that halftime adjustments would lead to instant offense in the 3rd Quarter.

With the defenses so dominant, it seemed the first lucky break could determine the outcome of the game and that's exactly what happened! The luck came for the Steelers on the kickoff of the second half. Pittsburgh kicker, Roy Gerela slipped and botched his kick off so the ball came off the tee like an onside kick. Not expecting this fluke, the ball hit off Viking RB Bill "Boom Boom" Brown and right into the arms of the Steelers Marv Kellum. Pittsburgh's ball at the Viking 33 yard line. With such great field position, the Steelers struggled to drive down to the Viking's 9 yard line on the legs of Franco Harris. Taking advantage of the gift kick, the Steelers scored on a 9-yard Harris blast. Leading 9-0 lead, the Steelers relied on their defense to hold the lead and it worked. But the game wasn't clinched yet! Neither team could mount a scoring drive, and the game clock had ticked fast into the Fourth Quarter when the defense forced another break-this time for the Vikings!

As Pittsburgh's Bobby Walden attempted to punt from his own 15, Matt Blair charged in and snuffed it back into the end zone. The Vikings' Terry Brown recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown! Naturally, Fred Cox's kick hit the goal post but the Vikes had closed the gap and now trailed the Steelers by just 3 points, 9-6.

For the first time in history, the Vikings were in a great position to win a Super Bowl! All they had to do was hold Pittsburgh, like they had been doing all day, then get the ball and drive in for a well overdue offensive touchdown. The formula was simple and we were all optimistic, but if you know the Purple's history in the Super Bowl, you know that wishful thinking is all a fan can have.

You can guess what happened next, the Steelers took the ensuing kickoff, marched 66 yards in 11 plays, and put the Vikes away with a Terry Bradshaw 4-yard scoring pass to Larry Brown. Just like that, the Vikes were down 16-6 and with just 3:31 left in the game, the Vikes needed 2 scores to win.

Tarkenton tried to bring the Vikings back, leading his team from his own 9 to the 38. But his long pass down the middle intended for wide receiver John Gilliam was intercepted by Pittsburgh's Mike Wagner. As they say in show business, "Curtains." It was "Curtains" for the Purple all day as the "Steel Curtain" had arrived in the NFL. Franco Harris won the MVP, but someone should have changed their vote to the Steeler Defense who permitted just 119 yards total offense, including a Super Bowl low of 17 rushing yards.

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