DVD Transfer 223 (1975 NFC Divisional Playoff Game: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings - Hail Mary Game: NFL Network Rebroadcast)

(c)1975 National Football League; CBS Sports-Paramount Skydance (original broadcast) (c)2008 National Football League (rebroadcast) DVD Transfer 223 is an NFL Classics rebroadcast on NFL Network (recorded on September 13, 2008) of the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN on December 28, 1975 (50 years ago today). Entering the 1975 season; the Dallas Cowboys found themselves looking to return to the post-season after a disappointing 1974 campaign that saw the team miss the playoffs for the first time since 1965 with an 8-6 record. 1974 was also a transitional year for the Cowboys; with the departure of a number of prominent contributors during their first years of greatness such as center Dave Manders, fullback Walt Garrison, safety Cornell Green and future Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly (all of whom retired, with Green remaining with the team as a scout), receiver “Bullet” Bob Hayes (Hayes, once called the world’s fastest human after setting world records in the 60-yard, 100-yard, 220-yard and 100-meter dashes, finished his career with the 49ers), running back Calvin Hill (who elected to go to the land of Aloha to play for the Hawaiians of the soon-to-fold World Football League), defensive end Pat Toomay (went to Buffalo, with Dallas acquiring a 2nd round draft pick in 1977 that was later sent elsewhere as part of the trade deal that ended up leading to the Cowboys getting the 1977 1st round pick they would use on Tony Dorsett) and guard John Niland (went to Philadelphia) - with quarterback Craig Morton having been traded to the New York Giants early in the 1974 season. The Cowboys then went to work replenishing their roster in dramatic fashion, with a draft class known as the “Dirty Dozen” due to having 12 draft picks make the roster (double their average of 6 and 3 more than their previous high of 9 rookies) - a draft class that included future Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle Randy White (initially drafted as a linebacker; taken with the #2 overall pick acquired from the Giants in the Craig Morton trade), linebackers Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson and Bob Breunig (heir apparent to Lee Roy Jordan at middle linebacker), guards Burton Lawless and Herbert Scott, defensive end Pat Donovan (later converted to offensive tackle), safety Randy Hughes, center Kyle Davis, defensive back Rolland Woolsey, running back Scott Laidlaw and punter Mitch Hoopes (not included in this list were linebacker Mike Hegman {who was the subject of a dispute over whether he was eligible for the draft, as Hegman - a teammate of 2nd year Cowboys defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones at Tennessee State - was incorrectly assumed by the NCAA to have a year of eligibility left before later declaring him ineligible after 2 games of the college season {though eventually being permitted to play in the Senior Bowl}, with it eventually being determined that Hegman was eligible since his class had graduated, resulting in the Cowboys keeping his rights} and undrafted free agents such as receiver Percy Howard, linebacker Warren Capone {signed after the WFL’s Birmingham Vulcans went down with the rest of the league in liquidation} and quarterback Jim Zorn {the latter of whom was eventually cut to make room for Pittsburgh Steelers castoff running back Preston Pearson}). Additionally; Cowboys head coach Tom Landry revived a largely forgotten formation known as the “shotgun” (briefly used in the early 1960s by the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Red Hickey {with John Brodie or Billy Kilmer at the controls} and for an even shorter time by the New York Jets in 1971 {mostly in that case to give Joe Namath more time to throw as a concession to his injury-ravaged knees}), tweaking it by having a running back next to the quarterback to allow for running plays (part of the reasoning for the shotgun was that Roger Staubach had been taking a beating the two previous seasons, getting sacked 45 times in 1974 {most in the NFL} and 43 times in 1973). Dallas started with a 4-game winning streak with an 18-7 Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams, a 37-31 overtime win over the explosive St. Louis (football) Cardinals, a 36-10 thrashing of the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football (and which spoiled the grand opening of the Pontiac Silverdome) and a 13-7 win over the New York Giants (temporarily sharing the Jets’ home of Shea Stadium before Giants Stadium opened the following year) before stumbling over the previously winless Green Bay Packers 19-16. That loss was the first of three losses in a 4-game span (including a 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins and a 34-31 Monday Night loss to the 3-4 Kansas City Chiefs. From there, the Cowboys won 5 of their last 6 (losing only a Week 12 rematch to the Cardinals in St. Louis 31-17) to finish at 10-4 and as the NFC”s lone wild-card (from 1970-77, each conference had only a single wild-card alongside the divisional champions). Worth noting is that had the Cowboys defeated St. Louis in Week 12 and everything went as it did in real life, both teams would have finished 11-3 and the Cowboys would win the NFC East on a head-to-head tie-breaker; while had Dallas defeated both the Packers and Chiefs and everything else went as it did in real life, they could have won the NFC’s #1 overall seed at 12-2 (1975 being the first year playoff seeding was used) based on their opening day win over the Rams (though it’s unclear where the Vikings would finish in that scenario since they also finished 12-2). One final oddity was that this was the first of 2 years in a 3-year span between 1975 and 1977 where the Cowboys did NOT play on Thanksgiving. Dallas’ offensive attack was led, as was the norm, by Roger Staunch, who threw for 2666 yards and 17 touchdowns vs. 16 interceptions (with his 198 completions setting a team record) and at 33 was still agile enough that “The Dodger” was able to run for 316 yards (tops among NFL quarterbacks) and 4 more scores, while backup Clint Longley (best known for leading the Cowboys to a Thanksgiving Day win over the Redskins the previous year after replacing an injured Staunch) threw for 102 yards and 1 touchdown (and an interception) in limited action. The ground game was powered by a bowling ball of a fullback in Robert Newhouse (who rumbled for 930 yards - easily a career-high - and 2 scores along with catching 34 passes for 275 yards and throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass) and Preston Pearson (who at 30 was in his first season as a primary starter; finished with 509 yards and 2 scores along with 27 receptions good for 351 yards and 2 more touchdowns and returning 16 kickoffs for 391 yards) along with support from Charley Young (225 yards, 2 touchdowns, 18 rec., 184 yards, 1 rec. TD); Doug Dennison (383 yards, 7 TD; 2 rec., 5 yards; 13 KR, 262 yards) and Scott Laidlaw (10 yards; 11 rec., 100 yards before going on injured reserve). Most of the passes thrown went to the running back, and the Cowboy air attack also featured a receiving crew of wide receivers Drew Pearson (46 rec., 822 yards, 8 TD) and Golden Richards (21 rec., 451 yards, 4 TD, 28 PR; 288 yards, 1 PR TD) as the only wideouts to catch passes (Percy Howard managed 2 kick returns for 51 yards) alongside tight ends Jean Fugett (38 rec., 488 yards, 3 TD) and Billy Joe DuPree (9 rec., 138 yards, 1 TD). Up front, the Cowboys had a strong, experienced line led by offensive tackles Ralph Neely and Rayfield Wright, guard Blaine Nye and center John Fitzgerald. Dallas’ defense was considered the 2nd generation of the Doomsday Defense, and “Doomsday II” was led up front by defensive ends Harvey Martin (9.5 sacks)* and Ed “Too Tall” Jones (3.5 , 1 FR, 1 int., 2 yards), defensive tackles Jethro Pugh (5 sacks, 1 FR) and Larry Cole (3 sacks) and reserves such as Randy White (the “Manster” {half-man, half-monster} collected 6 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries despite starting only 1 game) and Bill Gregory (5.5 sacks, 1 FR). The linebackers featured a veteran trio of D.D. Lewis (5.5 sacks, 2 FR, 38 yards) and Dave Edwards (1 FR) outside and Lee Roy Jordan (1 sack, 2 FR, 6 interceptions {a high number for a linebacker} for 80 yards) manning the middle alongside reserve support from Bob Breunig (1 FR), Thomas Henderson (“Hollywood” put up flashy numbers with a fumble recovery, with the speedy Henderson taking 4 kickoffs {usually on reverses} for 130 yards including a 97-yard kick return touchdown in the Cowboys’ win over St. Louis) and Cal Peterson (1 int., 19 yards). Dallas’ secondary was led by cornerbacks Mark Washington (2 FR; 4 int., 26 yards) and veteran Mel Renfro (4 int., 70 yards); safeties such as hard-hitting Cliff Harris (1 sack; 3 FR; 3 int., 58 yards, 1 TD) and Charlie Waters (who after 6 years bouncing back and forth between safety and cornerback finally found a home at strong safety upon Cornell Green’s retirement; 1 sack, 3 int., 55 yards, 1 TD) and reserves including Randy Hughes (2 FR; 2 int., 33 yards, 1 TD) and Rolly Woolsey (1 FR; 12 KR, 247 yards; 4 PR, 25 yards). Meanwhile; the Minnesota Vikings entered 1975 looking to make their third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl (and fourth overall) while still seeking their first Lombardi Trophy. Changes for 1975 included the retirements of longtime fullback Bill Brown, offensive tackle Grady Alderman (the last original member from the 1961 Vikings expansion draft {and was along with Fran Tarkenton and Jim Marshall were the lone remaining original Vikings}; had been let go in June 1975, briefly was on the Bears’ roster but never played for them, ultimately retiring and working color commentary on the Vikings’ local radio broadcasts), defensive tackle Gary Larsen and punter Mike Eischeid along with the departures of guard Milt Sunde (signed with the Jets though never playing for them), safety Randy Poltl (moved to Denver), cornerback Jackie Wallace (went east to Baltimore) and running back Oscar Reed (traded to Atlanta in exchange for bringing back quarterback Bob Lee). In addition to Lee’s return, other additions included receiver Clint Haselrig (acquired in a trade from Buffalo during the season), linebacker Bob Stein (Stein - who as a rookie was part of the Kansas City Chiefs team that denied Minnesota their first Super Bowl title - was picked up from the Rams) and cornerback Pete Athas (from the Giants); while the draft saw Minnesota pick up defensive end Mark Mullaney (likely picked to address a defensive line that was starting to show signs of age), running back Robert Miller, punter Neil Clabo and safety Autry Beamon. One near-loss for the Vikings involved speedy receiver John Gilliam, who had signed with the WFL’s Chicago Winds in 1975, only for the Winds - mortally wounded by going into severe debt in an unsuccessful attempt to woo Jets quarterback Joe Namath to the Windy City - to fold after 5 games {just before the start of the NFL season}, with the WFL as a whole not lasting much longer). It appeared that 1975 would be the Vikings’ year as they started 10-0 (albeit with much retroactive criticism that the team had an unusually weak schedule for a Super Bowl participant, often suggested as weaker than even that of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins of three years prior, as only two teams on their schedule {the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills} finished with winning records while nine of the teams they played finished 4-10 or worse, while a retrospective on the Pro-Football-Reference website suggested that only the eventual Super Bowl XXXIV Rams in the 1999 season had a weaker schedule than the 1975 Vikings, though in the Rams’ case they had been in or near the NFL cellar for nearly the entire decade of the 1990s), with notable games in that stretch including a 42-10 rout of the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, a 28-3 home rout of the Chicago Bears, a 38-0 shutout of Atlanta in Week 8, a 20-7 win over New Orleans in the new Louisiana Superdome; resulting in the Vikings clinching the NFC Central following a Thanksgiving Day loss by the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams (subsequently, no team would match or surpass the Vikings’ 10-0 start until 1984, when the Miami Dolphins - riding the arm of Dan Marino - won their first 11 games). Minnesota then split their last four, losing by a single point to the Redskins 31-31 in Week 11 and suffering a 17-10 setback at Detroit in Week 13 while picking up a 24-3 win over the Packers in their regular-season home finale and a 35-13 win over the Bills; resulting in the Vikings’ 12-2 record giving them the #1 overall seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Leading the Viking attack was Fran Tarkenton, who won the Bert Bell Award along with league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press on the basis of throwing for 2994 yards and 25 touchdowns (most in the NFL; Tarkenton also leading the NFL in completions and pass attempts) while - at 35 years old - still mobile enough to run for 108 yards and 2 more scores. Most notably, during the season Tarkenton broke Johnny Unitas’ career records for completions and touchdown passes, while Bob Lee threw for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns vs. 1 interception in limited action. Chuck Foreman finished with a career year of his own, racing for 1070 yards and 13 scores on the ground (becoming the first running back in team history to rush for 1000 yards) while catching a league-leading 73 passes (then an NFL record for a running back) for 691 yards and 9 more scores (however, Foreman was somewhat fumble prone, losing the ball a league-high 12 times). Ed Marinaro (later famous as an actor on shows such as “Hill Street Blues”) finished a distant second in rushing 358 yards and a touchdown though, like Foreman, he was also utilized prominently as a receiver with 54 catches for 462 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns; with other contributions from the running backs including Brent McClanahan (336 yards; 18 rec., 141 yards, 1 TD; 17 KR, 360 yards), rookie Robert Miller (93 yards, 1 TD; 4 rec., 35 yards) and Dave Osborn (now reduced to short-yardage duties; 94 yards and a score). John Gilliam - having made his return just before the season began following his brief stint with the dying WFL - caught 50 passes for a team-best 777 yards and 7 scores; while Jim Lash added 37 catches for 535 yards and 3 touchdowns and 34 passes found their way to tight end Stu Voigt, good for 363 yards and 4 scores. Other contributions from the receivers included tight end Steve Craig (6 rec., 68 yards) and wideout Sam McCullum (2 rec., 25 yards; 9 KR, 221 yards). All of this was done with the support of a veteran offensive line including future Hall-of-Famers Mick Tinglehoff at center and Ron Yary at right tackle. Minnesota’s “Purple People Eaters” were spurred on by a front-line including defensive ends Carl Eller (10 sacks; 2 FR, 5 yards, 1 int., 1 yards) and original Viking Jim Marshall (7 sacks, 1 FR, 2 yards), defensive tackles Alan Page (13 sacks) and Doug Sutherland (Sutherland, the only starter on the Viking front four under 30 - Sutherland being 27 - finished with 6 sacks and a fumble recovery) and reserve support from Bob Lurtsema (“Benchwarmer Bob”, whose nickname owed to being the main substitute on the defensive line, added 4 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries) and rookie defensive end Mark Mullaney. The linebackers were led by middle linebacker Jeff Siemon (2 sacks, 1 FR, 3 int., 24 yards) in the middle; longtime starters Wally Hilgenberg (2 FR, 37 yards, 1 int.) and Roy Winston (1 FR, 14 yards in 9 games before suffering a shoulder injury - Winston would be available to play if absolutely needed) outside and backup support from Fred McNeill (2 sacks, 1 FR, 1 int.; McNeill started 5 games in place of the injured Winston) and Matt Blair (1 int., 18 yards). The Viking secondary featured cornerbacks Bobby Bryant (5 FR {an unusually high number of fumble recoveries for a defensive back} for 2 yards, 6 int., 111 yards; 19 PR, 125 yards) and Nate Wright; while at free safety Paul Krause had one of his best seasons at age 33, intercepting 10 passes for a league-leading 201 yards along with returning a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown. Meanwhile, with regular strong safety Jeff Wright lost for the season due to injury early; Terry Brown (who in the previous Super Bowl scored the Vikings’ only points against the Steelers when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone) played well, contributing a sack, scoring the Vikings’ first points of the season off a 26 yard fumble recovery and stole 2 passes for 33 yards. Reserve support came courtesy of Autry Beamon (1 sack, 1 safety, 2 FR, 1 int.), Pete Athas (1 int.) and Joe Blahak (1 safety, 1 FR, 1 int., 16 yards). The game began with Dallas taking over after linebacker Warren Capone bobbled the opening kickoff before handing it to Preston Pearson, who only made it to the Dallas 19. The Cowboys decided to emphasize the run, with 6 straight running plays before Roger Staubach’s first pass to Robert Newhouse was wiped out by a clipping penalty as announced by referee Chuck Heberling (1975 being the first year officials used microphones to announce penalties and complex rulings), and following another Newhouse run the Cowboys broke out the shotgun for the first time that afternoon, finding Preston Pearson for a completion to the Viking 40-yard line. The ensuing play saw Staubach run for a yard but two plays later the drive stalled, resulting in a Cowboys punt. Following the touchback, Minnesota - starting at their 20 - started with a short pass from Fran Tarkenton to Stu Voigt for a loss of a yard, but on 3rd down John Gilliam picked up a first down with a catch to the Viking 34. A pass to Chuck Foreman only gained a yard before Tarkenton went long, overshooting Gilliam (who would have likely had a touchdown had he caught the pass) followed by Tarkenton throwing the ball away on 3rd down, likewise forcing a punt. The Cowboys’ next possession began with a Newhouse run followed by (after Blaine Nye took off early) Staubach overthrowing the 5-10 (if that) Newhouse on 2nd and long before Staubach’s 3rd down pass was tipped by Carl Eller. However, the Cowboys got a reprieve when Viking defensive back Joe Blahak was flagged for running into punter Mitch Hoopes. The Cowboys then faced near disaster when Newhouse lost the ball on a 2nd down run and Blaine Nye managed to recover in a mad scramble for the ball, though the drive was derailed and resulted in another punt. The Vikings began their 2nd possession with 2 Foreman runs before a 3rd and 1 ended with Ed Marinaro coming up short with his first carry. Dallas then went three-and-out (with Hoopes slipping on the Metropolitan Stadium grass on his punt), while the Vikings’ next drive saw the Minnesota escape disaster with a near-interception by Cliff Harris before Tarkenton - evading a near-sack by Jethro Pugh - ran for 16 yards to the Minnesota 43 (the longest Viking gain of the day) just before the first quarter ended. Continuing into the 2nd quarter; a long pass intended for Gilliam was broken up by Mark Washington but on 3rd down Tarkenton found Jim Lash for a first down in Dallas territory. From there, the Vikings drive stalled when Gilliam failed to maintain control of a 3rd down pass as he stepped out of bounds, and with the ball out of Fred Cox’s range, Neil Clabo came in to punt (center Mick Tinglehoff was flagged for going downfield early) and his next punt led to disaster when the punt bounced near Harris, with offensive tackle Pat Donovan making a rookie mistake when Donovan - thinking Harris had touched the ball - tried to fall on it only for Fred McNeill to recover at the Cowboys’ 4. Following a short run by Foreman and Tarkenton calling his own number and running to Dallas’ 1; Foreman closed the drive with a dive into the end zone for the game’s first points and a 7-0 lead with 11:49 left in the first half. Preston Pearson returned the ensuing kickoff to the 34 (with 5 yards added due to a face-mask penalty), followed by Staubach finding Newhouse for a completion inside Viking territory. Three plays later, Doug Dennison picked up another first down after running to the Viking 36. However, the next play saw Staubach flushed out by Doug Sutherland before Eller picked up the sack. After a pass to tight end Jean Fugett (who originally played wide receiver before moving to tight end due to Billy Joe DuPree struggling), on 3rd and 4 Eller picked up another sack, with Toni Frisch’s 49-yard field goal attempt sailing wide left. However, the Vikings’ next possession lasted only two plays before Mel Benfro intercepted a Tarkenton pass at the Viking 49. Ellen tackled Newhouse for a loss on the first play after the turnover, but the Cowboys rebounded with two passes to Golden Richards, the latter leading to a first down at Minnesota’s 33. The Cowboys advanced to the Viking 24, and on 4th and inches Tom Landry gambled and lost as Dennison ran into his own man and was soon trapped for a loss. On 1st down Foreman was quickly swallowed up by Ed “Too Tall” Jones and backup defensive tackle Bill Gregory, and following a misfire on 2nd down to Marinaro, Marinaro caught a pass on 3rd down only to be corralled by Cal Peterson (alternating at left outside linebacker with Dave Edwards) just short of a first down. For the Cowboys’ next possession on this 28-degree afternoon, Staubach found Fugett for a first down before Preston Pearson caught a screen pass and raced 24 yards to the Viking 45 at the 2 minute warning. However, the first play after the screen ended with Eller collecting another sack, with Staubach then running for a short gain before throwing the ball after following a poor snap from center John Fitzgerald, leading to another punt (with the Vikings choosing to run out the clock to go into the locker room with a 7-0 lead). The Vikings opened the 2nd half with the ball at their 25 after veteran fullback Dave Osborn recovered a low kickoff and began with a splash when Marinaro caught a Tarkenton pass and raced to Dallas’ 35 before Lee Roy Jordan made a touchdown-saving tackle. Foreman then was quickly wrapped up by Too Tall on consecutive plays; then on 3rd down Tarkenton’s pass to Gilliam bounced off his fingers, setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt for Cox that missed badly to the right. The Cowboys’ first drive of the half started sluggishly with a short run and another botched snap by Fitzgerald that forced Staubach to scramble. On 3rd down, Staubach found Preston Pearson for a 14-yard completion; with 15 additional yards tacked on thanks to a late hit by Viking linebacker Wally Hilgenberg. Staubach then found Dupree for 17 yards to Minnesota’s 19. A short Staubach run was then followed by Dennison running to the Viking 7-yard line. Dallas picked up 3 more yards on short runs by Preston Pearson before Dennison finished by hitting pay dirt, running the last four yards to tie the game at 7-7. Trapped at their own 13 after Vikings receiver Sam McCullum struggled to hold on to the ensuing kickoff, Minnesota began with two incompletions before Tarkenton scrambled for 14 yards to Minnesota’s 27. From there, the drive stalled with two misfires and Tarkenton being sacked by rookie Randy White (who came in on passing situations). A poor punt gave Dallas good field position at the Cowboys’ 47, with the Cowboys adding 8 yards on runs by Preston Pearson and Newhouse before Staubach ran for the first down. Another Newhouse run and an end-around by Fugett set up another 3rd down situation before Staubach - as he had on the previous 3rd down - rolled out and ran, this time coming up short of the first down. Once again, the Cowboys went for it on 4th down, this time converting on a short Dennison plunge. Hilgenberg quickly wrapped up Pearson for a short run on first down, but Staubach then found Newhouse for a completion to the Viking 17. However, the drive stalled when Preston Pearson - making a leaping catch on 3rd down - landed short of the first down to set up 4th and 1 as the 3rd quarter expired. The Cowboys converted on a 24-yard field goal by Fritsch on the first play of the 4th quarter to take a 10-7 lead. Brent McClanahan took the ensuing kickoff to Minnesota’s 34 (while the ball came out after a hit by Randy Hughes, McClanahan was clearly down). The Vikings’ drive (derailed by a penalty) sputtered out quickly before the next punt (with Richards running into Cliff Harris on the return). On 2nd down, Staubach managed to find Dennison for a completion despite pressure from Fred McNeill, but another run by Staubach was negated by an illegal procedure penalty, with Staubach’s pass to Richards being dropped. On the next Minnesota possession, a long pass to Gilliam fell incomplete after Mark Washington dropped the potential interception (though Ron Yary was called for an illegal man downfield penalty). Disaster nearly struck again when Foreman - who led the NFL in fumbles with 12 - coughed up the ball, though guard Andy Maurer fell on it. Foreman atoned for the miscue with a catch for a first down. Three plays later, Marinaro - who caught 31 passes his last six games - picked up another first down on a short pass, followed two plays later by Foreman catching a short pass and advancing to the Cowboy 29. Doomsday got crossed up on a reverse to McClanahan that picked up 13 yards to the Dallas 16; with Foreman picking up 10 more yards to set up 1st and goal. Foreman - despite slipping - managed to run to the Dallas 1, where McClanahan - following an initial stop - finished the run on a second effort to put Minnesota back on top 14-10 with 5:24 left in regulation (having used up 6:06 in the process). The Cowboys took over at their 26 but the Purple People Eaters forced a three-and-out (including Alan Page and Jim Marshall “meeting at the quarterback” for a 2nd down sack, a delay of game on another poor snap {saving the Cowboys from a potential turnover} and Staubach having to salvage yet another poor Fitzgerald snap). Minnesota took over at their 45 (for some reason, McCullum decided to pick up the ball after it appeared that it would roll to a stop at the same spot, with the Vikings declining an illegal man downfield flag). The Vikings - seeking to run out the clock - advanced to 3rd and 2 (and forcing the Cowboys to use up their timeouts) only for a odd decision to send Tarkenton on a rollout to lead to a blitzing Charlie Waters, beating a poor block attempt by Foreman, to sack Tarkenton at the 2:00 warning (Tarkenton would later say that was the play that cost Minnesota the game). Starting at their 15 with 1:51 to play; Staubach found Drew Pearson for his first catch of the day (with Pearson quickly stepping out of bounds), followed on 2nd and 1 by Bobby Bryant breaking up a pass to Richards. After another low snap (and nearly running into Rayfield Wright) Staubach found Drew Pearson for a first down (CBS’ Gary Bender incorrectly credited Richards with the catch before being corrected later). Then came yet another poor snap by John Fitzgerald that led to Roger being trapped for an 6-yard loss (and more seriously the clock continued running), resulting in Staubach throwing the ball away and on 3rd and 16 firing too high for Forget, setting up a 4th and 16 play. Staubach then fired a desperation pass to Drew Pearson at midfield, with the officials making the first of two controversial rulings on this drive, as despite the Vikings arguing that Drew was out of bounds when he made the catch, the officiating crew (led by referee Chuck Heberling) ruled that Viking cornerback Nate Wright forced him out (until the 2008 season, if an official determined that a receiver was being forced out of bounds in mid-air by a defender during a catch, the reception would count). The Cowboys’ next play saw Preston Pearson drop a wide-open pass with 32 seconds left. That set up the most memorable - and controversial - play of the game. On 2nd and 10 at mid-field, Staubach threw the ball as far as he could, with Drew Pearson catching the ball (despite tight coverage by Wright) at the 4 and running in for a touchdown (Staubach - a devout Catholic - would later say of the pass that he was saying a Hail Mary as he threw the ball, resulting in the game’s nickname and the term Hail Mary being used for any desperation pass thrown at the last moment). The controversy stemmed from the fact that Wright fell down, leading to the Vikings - including Paul Krause, the Viking closest to the play - to argue that Pearson should have been called for offensive pass interference (at one point in both the video and a series of photos, Krause can be seen pointing in the direction of what turned out to be an orange {though he apparently thought it was a penalty flag}). No such penalty was called; and it seemed that the Vikings - and their fans - decided to pour out their disgust, as defensive tackle Alan Page was thrown out of the game for unsportsmanlike conduct after arguing the call (with Tarkenton likewise lobbying the officials in vain). More disturbingly, one fan threw a whiskey bottle onto the field that struck field judge Armen Terzian in the forehead, briefly knocking him unconscious (though he would walk off the field and eventually found himself needing 11 stitches) with substitute Charley Musser replacing him for the remaining few moments (in the post-season, the NFL has at least one extra official on hand). McClanahan returned the ensuing kickoff only to the Viking 12 with 18 seconds left; with the Doomsday Defense closing things out with sacks by Too Tall Jones (who nearly got a safety), Harvey Martin trapping Foreman following a screen (with Minnesota using their 2nd timeout) and Jones and Martin clamping down on Tarkenton as the clock expired to preserve the 17-14 victory for the Cowboys. * all sacks unofficial prior to 1982 NOTES 1. Calling the action for CBS was the crew of Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas (whose career records for completions and touchdown passes had just been broken by Tarkenton); with the NFL Today crew of Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Phyllis George (the first year for the current version) on location at Metropolitan Stadium. CBS used an interesting approach with their post-season assignments in 1975, as the previous day (December 27) saw the other NFC Divisional Playoff Game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams called by Frank Glieber and former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram (who had worked most of 1975 alongside legendary Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster and fellow CBS newcomer Vin Scully), while Bender and Unitas worked this game (ahead of a slate of play-by-play men that included Lindsey Nelson, Don Criqui and {in his only year with CBS} a young, little-known Al Michaels). For the NFC Championship Game, Scully - instead of working alongside Stram - would team up with Nelson’s normal broadcast partner, former Washington Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. CBS’ lead NFL crew of Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshire would not work a single post-season game prior to Super Bowl X. 2. For the Cowboys, Roger Staubach finished with 246 yards and the aforementioned Hail Mary as the game-winning touchdown pass along with running for 24 yards. Running backs Doug Dennison, Preston Pearson and Robert Newhouse finished with almost identical rushing yardage totals (36 yards and a touchdown for Dennison, Pearson with 34 yards - both on 11 carries while Newhouse had 12 carries for 33 yards). Preston Pearson also finished with 5 catches (tied for a game-high with the Vikings’ Ed Marinaro) for 77 yards as well as returning 2 kickoffs for 26 yards (while Dennison caught a single pass for 3 yards plus a kick return for 13 yards and Newhouse had 2 receptions for 25 yards). Jean Fugett caught 2 passes for 13 yards plus gaining 4 yards on a reverse. Drew Pearson’s 4 catches all came on the final drive for 91 yards and the winning score. Golden Richards added 2 catches for 20 yards plus 2 punt returns for 13 yards while Billy Joe DuPree’s lone catch went for 17 yards. Defensively the Cowboys’ main standouts were Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1.5 sacks), Randy White and Charlie Waters (1 sack each), Harvey Martin (0.5 sack) and Mel Renfro (1 interception), while Cliff Harris returned 2 punts for 5 yards. Toni Fritsch made both extra-points and one of two field goal attempts, while Mitch Hoopes had 6 punts for 231 yards (a 38.5 average) 3. For the Vikings, Fran Tarkenton finished with 135 yards and 1 interception along with running for 32 yards. Chuck Foreman ran for a game-high 56 yards and a touchdown along with catching 4 passes for 42 yards. Brent McClanahan ran for 22 yards and Minnesota’s other touchdown along with 2 kick returns for 38 yards, while Ed Marinaro ran for 5 yards on 2 carries along with a game-high (tied with Preston Pearson of Dallas) 5 passes for 64 yards; while John Gilliam and Jim Lash had identical stat lines (1 rec., 15 yards) and Stu Voigt lost a yard on his lone reception. Sam McCullum took a kickoff 3 yards and 3 punts for 4 yards; while Dave Osborn had a kick return for no gain. Defensively, the Vikings’ main contributions came from the front four of the Purple People Eaters, led by 3 sacks for Carl Eller along with 1 sack by Doug Sutherland and half a sack for Alan Page and Jim Marshall, while cornerback Bobby Bryant returned 1 punt for a yard. Fred Cox made both extra-points but missed his only field goal attempt (which had he made it and everything else progressed as it did in real life, the game would have gone into overtime); while Neil Clabo punted 7 times for 277 yards (a 39.6 average). 4. This would be the last game for a number of Vikings in Minnesota including running backs Ed Marinaro (left for the Jets) and Dave Osborn (finishing his career with the division rival Packers), three of the Viking receivers in John Gilliam (left for Atlanta), Clint Haselrig (joined Marinaro with the Jets) and Sam McCullum (taken by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 expansion draft); guards Steve Lawson (went to the 49ers) and Andy Maurer (joined Gilliam in Atlanta), defensive end Bob Lurtsema (traded to Seattle shortly before the 1976 season began in exchange for receiver Ahmad Rashad), linebacker Bob Stein (retired), cornerbacks Pete Athas (cut before the 1976 season and signed by New Orleans) and Joe Blahak (taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the expansion draft, then being cut early in the season and signing late in the year with New England) and safety Terry Brown (briefly signed by Seattle before being let go and finishing his career in Cleveland). Joining McCullum and Lurtsema in Seattle was Vikings defensive line coach Jack Patera, who the Seahawks hired as their first head coach. 5. What had already been a difficult day for Fran Tarkenton with the unexpected defeat would be overshadowed by an even more devastating blow unrelated to the gridiron, as shortly after the game he learned that his father Dallas had died from a massive heart attack while watching the game. 6. In response to the incident that saw Armen Terzian injured in the Hail Mary aftermath; the NFL quickly banned glass bottles from being sold at stadiums. The fan who threw the bottle was eventually arrested, though after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault was fined only $100. 7. As for the Cowboys; no last-second heroics would be needed in the NFC Championship Game, as Dallas - aided by Staubach throwing for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns and the Cowboys defense allowing just 118 yards (a mere 22 on the ground) - routed the Los Angeles Rams 37-7 to ensure a trip to Super Bowl X. In what was perhaps the first close, well-played Super Bowl up to that point - and arguably the most exciting Super Bowl up to then - the Cowboys held a 10-7 halftime lead over the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers only for the Steelers to score 14 unanswered 4th quarter points to take a 21-10 lead late. The Cowboys drew within 21-17 but a late rally was snuffed out, leaving Dallas 4 points away from dethroning the Steelers as Super Bowl champions.