All NFL game summaries for 12/30/1979:
Vince Ferragamo's third touchdown pass of the game, a 50-yarder to Billy Waddy with 2:06 remaining, gave Los Angeles a victory over defending NFC champion Dallas. Ferragamo had touchdown passes of 32 yards to Wendell Tyler and 43 yards to Ron Smith as the Rams built a 14-5 halftime lead. Dallas rebounded with a pair of second-half touchdowns (Ron Springs' one-yard run in the third quarter and Roger Staubach's two-yard pass to Jay Saldi in the fourth period) to take a 19-14 advantage.
With 4:32 left in the game, Los Angeles marched to the Dallas 32 before losing the ball on downs. The Rams' defense held the Cowboys on the ensuing possession, forcing a punt with 2:16 left. The winning touchdown came on the first play following the punt. Ferragamo completed 9 of 21 passes for 210 yards. Waddy had three receptions for 97 yards. Tyler was the game's leading rusher with 82 yards on 19 carries.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 153.8 (7) | 167.1 (17) | 320.8 (13) | 49 |
| DEFENSE | 124.8 (10) | 159.8 (9) | 284.6 (7) | 41 | |
 | OFFENSE | 144.5 (13) | 223.8 (5) | 368.3 (2) | 37 |
| DEFENSE | 132.8 (11) | 157.4 (4) | 290.2 (8) | 25 |
Line: Cowboys by 8½
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams (10-7-0) | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Dallas Cowboys (11-6-0) | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
( 0- 2) DAL Safety, Vince Ferragamo tackled in end zone by Randy White ( 7- 2) LA Wendell Tyler 32 yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Frank Corral kick) ( 7- 5) DAL Rafael Septien 33 yard field goal (14- 5) LA Ron Smith 43 yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Frank Corral kick) (14-12) DAL Ron Springs 1 yard rush (Rafael Septien kick) (14-19) DAL Jay Saldi 2 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) (21-19) LA Billy Waddy 50 yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Frank Corral kick)
LA DAL
First Downs: 16 17
Rushes-yards: 39-159 34-156
Yards/rush: 4.1 4.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 9-21-210-2 13-29-150-1
Sacked-yards: 1-8 1-0
Net pass yards: 202 150
Net yards/pass: 9.2 5.0
Total net yards: 361 306
Total plays: 61 (63% run) 64 (53% run)
Yards/play: 5.9 4.8
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 0-0
Turnovers: 2 1
Penalties-yards: 6-44 6-55
Attendance: 64,792
Passing:
LA: Vince Ferragamo, 9 of 21 for 210 yards and 3 TDs (2 int) DAL: Roger Staubach, 12 of 28 for 124 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Ron Springs, 0 of 1 for 0 yards
Rushing:
LA: Wendell Tyler, 19 for 82 yards; Cullen Bryant, 17 for 67 yards; Nolan Cromwell, 1 for 7 yards; Billy Waddy, 1 for 3 yards; Vince Ferragamo, 1 for 0 yards DAL: Tony Dorsett, 19 for 87 yards; Robert Newhouse, 7 for 21 yards; Ron Springs, 5 for 20 yards and 1 TD; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 27 yards; Roger Staubach, 1 for 3 yards; Preston Pearson, 1 for -2 yards
Receiving:
LA: Billy Waddy, 3 for 97 yards and 1 TD; Ron Smith, 2 for 55 yards and 1 TD; Wendell Tyler, 2 for 40 yards and 1 TD; Preston Dennard, 1 for 15 yards; Cullen Bryant, 1 for 3 yards DAL: Drew Pearson, 3 for 61 yards; Billy Joe DuPree, 2 for 26 yards; Jay Saldi, 2 for 17 yards and 1 TD; Preston Pearson, 2 for 15 yards; Butch Johnson, 1 for 3 yards; Ron Springs, 1 for 2 yards; Tony Hill, 1 for 0 yards
Kick returns:
LA: Eddie Hill, 3 for 64 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 12 yards DAL: Ron Springs, 3 for 61 yards; Steve Wilson, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Eddie Brown, 3 for 17 yards DAL: Steve Wilson, 1 for 8 yards; Wade Manning, 1 for 2 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Eddie Brown, 1 for 21 yards DAL: Cliff Harris, 1 for 22 yards; Dennis Thurman, 1 for 18 yards
Punting:
LA: Ken Clark, 5 for 203 yards DAL: Danny White, 8 for 295 yards
Field Goals:
LA: Frank Corral, 0/1 DAL: Rafael Septien, 1/1
LA: Vince Ferragamo, 9 of 21 for 210 yards and 3 TDs (2 int) DAL: Roger Staubach, 12 of 28 for 124 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Ron Springs, 0 of 1 for 0 yards
Rushing:
LA: Wendell Tyler, 19 for 82 yards; Cullen Bryant, 17 for 67 yards; Nolan Cromwell, 1 for 7 yards; Billy Waddy, 1 for 3 yards; Vince Ferragamo, 1 for 0 yards DAL: Tony Dorsett, 19 for 87 yards; Robert Newhouse, 7 for 21 yards; Ron Springs, 5 for 20 yards and 1 TD; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 27 yards; Roger Staubach, 1 for 3 yards; Preston Pearson, 1 for -2 yards
Receiving:
LA: Billy Waddy, 3 for 97 yards and 1 TD; Ron Smith, 2 for 55 yards and 1 TD; Wendell Tyler, 2 for 40 yards and 1 TD; Preston Dennard, 1 for 15 yards; Cullen Bryant, 1 for 3 yards DAL: Drew Pearson, 3 for 61 yards; Billy Joe DuPree, 2 for 26 yards; Jay Saldi, 2 for 17 yards and 1 TD; Preston Pearson, 2 for 15 yards; Butch Johnson, 1 for 3 yards; Ron Springs, 1 for 2 yards; Tony Hill, 1 for 0 yards
Kick returns:
LA: Eddie Hill, 3 for 64 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 12 yards DAL: Ron Springs, 3 for 61 yards; Steve Wilson, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Eddie Brown, 3 for 17 yards DAL: Steve Wilson, 1 for 8 yards; Wade Manning, 1 for 2 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Eddie Brown, 1 for 21 yards DAL: Cliff Harris, 1 for 22 yards; Dennis Thurman, 1 for 18 yards
Punting:
LA: Ken Clark, 5 for 203 yards DAL: Danny White, 8 for 295 yards
Field Goals:
LA: Frank Corral, 0/1 DAL: Rafael Septien, 1/1
The defending Super Bowl champion Steelers opened a 20-0 first-quarter lead on their way to a 34-14 decision over AFC East champion Miami. The Steelers scored on their first three possessions with drives of 62, 62 and 56 yards. Terry Bradshaw completed a personal postseason high of 21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns to John Stallworth (17 yards) and Lynn Swann (20). Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain," which led the AFC in total defense during the regular season, held Miami to 25 rushing yards. Franco Harris, the NFL's all-time postseason rushing leader, carried 21 times for 83 yards and a touchdown.
After Miami narrowed the Pittsburgh lead to 20-7 in the third quarter, Pittsburgh drove 69 yards on 12 plays to increase the margin to 27-7 with 8:58 elapsed in the third period. The victory marked the Steelers' 15th straight at home and their 23rd win in the last 24 games at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers moved to their sixth AFC championship game since 1972 in quest of their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last six years.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 136.7 (17) | 172.7 (14) | 309.4 (16) | 37 |
| DEFENSE | 106.4 (2) | 171.1 (12) | 277.4 (4) | 38 | |
 | OFFENSE | 162.7 (2) | 228.4 (2) | 391.1 (1) | 52 |
| DEFENSE | 106.8 (4) | 160.1 (10) | 266.9 (2) | 42 |
Line: Steelers by 9½
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins (10-7-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4-0) | 20 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
( 0- 7) PIT Sidney Thornton 1 yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) ( 0-13) PIT John Stallworth 17 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) ( 0-20) PIT Lynn Swann 20 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) ( 7-20) MIA Duriel Harris 7 yard pass from Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick) ( 7-27) PIT Rocky Bleier 1 yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) ( 7-34) PIT Franco Harris 5 yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) (14-34) MIA Larry Csonka 1 yard rush (Uwe von Schamann kick)
MIA PIT
First Downs: 16 27
Rushes-yards: 22-25 40-159
Yards/rush: 1.1 4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 22-40-243-2 21-31-230-0
Sacked-yards: 3-19 1-10
Net pass yards: 224 220
Net yards/pass: 5.2 6.9
Total net yards: 249 379
Total plays: 65 (33% run) 72 (55% run)
Yards/play: 3.8 5.3
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 3-3
Turnovers: 2 3
Penalties-yards: 4-35 8-41
Attendance: 50,214
Passing:
MIA: Bob Griese, 14 of 26 for 118 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Don Strock, 8 of 14 for 125 yards (1 int) PIT: Terry Bradshaw, 21 of 31 for 230 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
MIA: Larry Csonka, 10 for 20 yards and 1 TD; Delvin Williams, 8 for 1 yard; Gary Davis, 2 for 12 yards; Bob Griese, 1 for 1 yard; George Roberts, 1 for -9 yards PIT: Franco Harris, 21 for 83 yards and 1 TD; Sidney Thornton, 12 for 52 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Bleier, 4 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Greg Hawthorne, 2 for 15 yards; Anthony Anderson, 1 for -4 yards
Receiving:
MIA: Delvin Williams, 6 for 26 yards; Nat Moore, 5 for 93 yards; Duriel Harris, 3 for 61 yards and 1 TD; Tony Nathan, 3 for 27 yards; Gary Davis, 2 for 24 yards; Bruce Hardy, 2 for 12 yards; Bob Torrey, 1 for 0 yards PIT: John Stallworth, 6 for 86 yards and 1 TD; Franco Harris, 5 for 32 yards; Jim Smith, 4 for 41 yards; Lynn Swann, 3 for 37 yards and 1 TD; Sidney Thornton, 3 for 34 yards
Kick returns:
MIA: Tony Nathan, 4 for 73 yards; Gary Davis, 2 for 14 yards PIT: Larry Anderson, 1 for 26 yards; Greg Hawthorne, 1 for 20 yards
Punt returns:
PIT: Theo Bell, 3 for 31 yards; Dwayne Woodruff, 1 for 0 yards
Interceptions:
PIT: Dirt Winston, 1 for 3 yards; Dwayne Woodruff, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
MIA: George Roberts, 4 for 145 yards PIT: Craig Colquitt, 2 for 59 yards
Field Goals:
MIA: Bob Griese, 14 of 26 for 118 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Don Strock, 8 of 14 for 125 yards (1 int) PIT: Terry Bradshaw, 21 of 31 for 230 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
MIA: Larry Csonka, 10 for 20 yards and 1 TD; Delvin Williams, 8 for 1 yard; Gary Davis, 2 for 12 yards; Bob Griese, 1 for 1 yard; George Roberts, 1 for -9 yards PIT: Franco Harris, 21 for 83 yards and 1 TD; Sidney Thornton, 12 for 52 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Bleier, 4 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Greg Hawthorne, 2 for 15 yards; Anthony Anderson, 1 for -4 yards
Receiving:
MIA: Delvin Williams, 6 for 26 yards; Nat Moore, 5 for 93 yards; Duriel Harris, 3 for 61 yards and 1 TD; Tony Nathan, 3 for 27 yards; Gary Davis, 2 for 24 yards; Bruce Hardy, 2 for 12 yards; Bob Torrey, 1 for 0 yards PIT: John Stallworth, 6 for 86 yards and 1 TD; Franco Harris, 5 for 32 yards; Jim Smith, 4 for 41 yards; Lynn Swann, 3 for 37 yards and 1 TD; Sidney Thornton, 3 for 34 yards
Kick returns:
MIA: Tony Nathan, 4 for 73 yards; Gary Davis, 2 for 14 yards PIT: Larry Anderson, 1 for 26 yards; Greg Hawthorne, 1 for 20 yards
Punt returns:
PIT: Theo Bell, 3 for 31 yards; Dwayne Woodruff, 1 for 0 yards
Interceptions:
PIT: Dirt Winston, 1 for 3 yards; Dwayne Woodruff, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
MIA: George Roberts, 4 for 145 yards PIT: Craig Colquitt, 2 for 59 yards
Field Goals: