NFL game summary 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):

Team		Rush Yds/Gm	Pass Yds/Gm	Tot Yds/Gm	Turnovers
Atlanta Falcons	OFFENSE	103.8 (27)	150.1 (16)	253.9 (26)	41
Atlanta Falcons	DEFENSE	129.2 (8)	147.8 (9)	276.9 (5)	37
Dallas Cowboys	OFFENSE	173.9 (3)	198.5 (3)	372.4 (2)	35
Dallas Cowboys	DEFENSE	107.6 (1)	143.0 (5)	250.6 (2)	36

Line: Cowboys by 15

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Atlanta Falcons (10-8-0)	7	13	0	0	20
Dallas Cowboys (13-4-0)	10	3	7	7	27

( 0- 3) DAL Rafael Septien 34 yard field goal
( 7- 3) ATL Bubba Bean 14 yard rush (Tim Mazzetti kick)
( 7-10) DAL Scott Laidlaw 13 yard rush (Rafael Septien kick)
(10-10) ATL Tim Mazzetti 42 yard field goal
(10-13) DAL Rafael Septien 48 yard field goal
(17-13) ATL Wallace Francis 17 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Tim Mazzetti kick)
(20-13) ATL Tim Mazzetti 22 yard field goal
(20-20) DAL Jackie Smith 2 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septien kick)
(20-27) DAL Scott Laidlaw 1 yard rush (Rafael Septien kick)

                     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

Passing:
ATL: Steve Bartkowski, 8 of 23 for 95 yards and 1 TD (3 int)
DAL: Danny White, 10 of 20 for 127 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Roger Staubach, 7 of 17 for 105 yards

Rushing:
ATL: Bubba Bean, 17 for 72 yards and 1 TD; Haskel Stanback, 9 for 62 yards; George Franklin, 8 for 24 yards; Mike Esposito, 2 for 6 yards
DAL: Scott Laidlaw, 17 for 66 yards and 2 TDs; Tony Dorsett, 14 for 65 yards; Danny White, 3 for -4 yards; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 20 yards; Roger Staubach, 1 for 3 yards; Preston Pearson, 1 for -2 yards

Receiving:
ATL: Wallace Francis, 6 for 66 yards and 1 TD; Billy Ryckman, 1 for 22 yards; Mike Esposito, 1 for 7 yards
DAL: Billy Joe DuPree, 5 for 59 yards; Drew Pearson, 4 for 75 yards; Jackie Smith, 3 for 38 yards and 1 TD; Tony Hill, 3 for 36 yards; Scott Laidlaw, 1 for 15 yards; Tony Dorsett, 1 for 9 yards

Kick returns:
ATL: Dennis Pearson, 2 for 59 yards; Tom Pridemore, 2 for 36 yards; George Franklin, 1 for 29 yards
DAL: Butch Johnson, 4 for 50 yards; Larry Brinson, 1 for 24 yards

Punt returns:
DAL: Butch Johnson, 4 for 32 yards

Interceptions:
ATL: Rolland Lawrence, 1 for 0 yards
DAL: Cliff Harris, 1 for 22 yards; Aaron Kyle, 1 for 15 yards; Randy Hughes, 1 for 0 yards

Punting:
ATL: John James, 6 for 225 yards
DAL: Danny White, 3 for 108 yards

Field Goals:
ATL: Tim Mazzetti, 2/2
DAL: Rafael Septien, 2/3