All NFL game summaries for 12/30/1978:

Dallas used strong second-half efforts by its defense and backup quarterback Danny White to capture a 27-20 divisional playoff victory over Atlanta on a cloudy, 30-degree day. The defending Super Bowl XII champion Cowboys thus advanced to the NFC championship game for the ninth time in the last 13 years in quest of the fifth title in their 19-year history. White relieved starter Roger Staubach, who suffered a concussion with 38 seconds to go in the first half and the Falcons holding a 20-13 lead. White rallied Dallas to two second-half touchdowns while the Cowboys' defense shut off the Falcons' attack, allowing only 85 net yards in the final half.

In the third quarter, White directed a seven-play, 54-yard drive, capped by tight end Jackie Smith's two-yard touchdown catch, to tie the score at 20-20. The Dallas defense then allowed Atlanta only one first down in the third period. The Cowboys' winning touchdown drive began after Dallas pressured Falcons punter John James, causing a 10-yard punt that gave the Cowboys possession at the Atlanta 30. Five plays later, fullback Scott Laidlaw bulled over from the 1 with 9:46 remaining in the contest. White completed 10 of 20 for 127 yards (one touchdown, one interception) as the Cowboys collected 369 total yards, 242 of them in the second half.

Tight end Billy Joe DuPree caught five passes for 59 yards, while wide receiver Drew Pearson grabbed four for 75 yards. Laidlaw topped Cowboys' rushers with 66 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Running back Tony Dorsett contributed 65 yards on 14 attempts. Staubach completed 7 of 17 passes for 105 yards. The Dallas defense picked up five quarterback sacks, led by defensive end Too Tall Jones and defensive tackle Larry Cole with two each.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Cowboys by 15

                     ATL             DAL
First Downs:         16              26
Rushes-yards:        36-164          37-148
Yards/rush:          4.6             4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     8-23-95-3       17-37-232-1
Sacked-yards:        5-43            1-11
Net pass yards:      52              221
Net yards/pass:      1.9             5.8
Total net yards:     216             369
Total plays:         64 (56% run)    75 (49% run)  
Yards/play:          3.4             4.9
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             6-3
Turnovers:           3               4
Penalties-yards:     7-69            7-65

Attendance: 60,338

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The Steelers moved into the AFC championship game for the fourth time in the last five seasons by eliminating the defending champion Broncos. Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed 16 of 29 passes for a personal postseason career-high 272 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers broke open the 19-10 game with two touchdowns 14 seconds apart in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver John Stallworth, who set an NFL divisional playoff record with a career-high 10 catches for 156 yards, caught a 45-yard touchdown pass with 3:49 elapsed in the final period. Denver's Rick Upchurch fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Pittsburgh linebacker Dennis Winston recovered at the Broncos' 29 yard line. After an incomplete pass and a penalty, Bradshaw connected with wide receiver Lynn Swann on the goal line for a 38-yard score and a 33-10 lead.

Running back Franco Harris gained 105 yards on 24 carries, his fifth 100-yard postseason game (an NFL record), and his two first-half touchdown runs (1 and 18 yards) raised his career total to 12, the most by any player in NFL postseason history. Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense, which permitted an NFL low 195 points during the regular season, held its opponent to under 100 yards rushing for the sixth straight game. The Steelers sacked Denver starting quarterback Craig Morton and backup Norris Weese, who relieved Morton in the second quarter, six times overall and shut out the Broncos with 97 total yards in the final 30 minutes.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Steelers by 7

                     DEN             PIT
First Downs:         15              24
Rushes-yards:        27-87           40-153
Yards/rush:          3.2             3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     12-22-168-0     16-29-272-1
Sacked-yards:        6-37            0-0
Net pass yards:      131             272
Net yards/pass:      4.7             9.4
Total net yards:     218             425
Total plays:         55 (49% run)    69 (57% run)  
Yards/play:          4.0             6.2
Fumbles-lost:        2-2             4-1
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     8-104           11-88

Attendance: 48,921

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