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[christiangeistdorfer]

TOM PRYCE at the 1975 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

[watchingthesuperbowl]

Grading Super Bowl XIX

What was the final score?

San Francisco 38, Miami 16

How much of the game was close? What was the “edge of your seat factor” like? (20 points)

The first 20 minutes of game time were close and gave every indication this could be a great game. Both offenses moved the ball consistently and methodically, chewing up yardage and looking unstoppable. The Dolphins led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, and neither team had a lead larger than four points until Joe Montana scrambled into the end zone to make it 21-10 San Francisco with less than seven minutes left in the first half.

Miami never again got the deficit down to single digits. The closest they came was at the end of the first half when, after an Uwe von Schamann field goal made it 28-13, the Niners fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Dolphins’ Jim Jensen fell on it. That gave von Schamann a chance to kick his second field goal in twelve seconds, which he nailed as time ran out in the half. Miami was within 12 points, but wouldn’t score again all day. That field goal, by the way, was von Schamann’s final kick in a competitive game as a pro football player. (Score: 7 out of 20)

Was there any kind of comeback? Was there ever any indication that the team which was trailing had a chance to come from behind and win? (15 points)

No way. The only spark Miami had in the last three quarters of the game came in the form of the aforementioned two field goals in twelve seconds. Down 28-16 at the half, receiving the second half kickoff, and possessing the highest-scoring offense in the league, you could sort of see how the Dolphins could get back into the game.

But when actual football was played on the field? It would have taken the rosiest rose-colored glasses of all time to expect a Miami comeback. (Score: 4 out of 15)

Did the great players come through with great performances? (15 points)

Yes, to an extent that had only been seen in one previous Super Bowl (XIII).

Joe Montana, a member of the short list for “greatest quarterback who ever lived”, went 24-35 for 331 yards and three touchdowns. Montana also ran the ball for 59 yards and a score.

Dan Marino, also an inner-circle Hall of Famer, was a bit erratic at times but still threw for 318 yards and a touchdown. That’s one of the greatest subpar performances you’ll ever see.

Roger Craig scored three touchdowns, Dwight Clark had 77 yards receiving, Mark Clayton had 92 yards receiving, and Ronnie Lott had a good game. Basically, fans got everything they could have wanted individually from the Dolphins’ and Niners’ stars. Maybe Marino could have been a bit better, maybe Mark Duper underperformed with only 11 yards receiving, but it’s not easy to find another Super Bowl where the star players brought it quite like this one. (Score: 13 out of 15)

Were the teams historically great? (10 points)

Indeed they were.

The ‘84 Dolphins and ‘84 Niners went a combined 29-3 in the regular season, the most total single-season wins in history by two Super Bowl teams. Both teams had inner-circle great quarterbacks and inner-circle great head coaches. By virtually any relevant measure (points scored, yards gained, yards per play), these were the two best offenses in the NFL. Both teams had won multiple conference championships in the 1980s. The Niners had the best defense in the league.

The only black mark against either team is the relatively short period of dominance this Dolphins team displayed. Miami went 56-16-1 from 1981-1985, but before this period hadn’t won a playoff game since 1973. From 1986-1989, Don Shula’s Dolphins posted zero winning seasons and appeared in zero playoff games. That’s a relatively mild quibble, of course, when we’re considering the 1984 version of the Fish. (Score: 9 out of 10)

Were there memorable moments that will be talked about for decades? (10 points)

Eh, not really. There were no singularly great individual plays and the game wasn’t close enough for there to be a pivotal moment. The only thing that comes to mind is the “kickoff return” at the end of the first half when San Francisco offensive lineman Guy McIntyre picked up a squibbed kick, kneeled to down it, changed his mind and decided to run with the ball, and fumbled.

Miami defensive back Lyle Blackwood complained after the game about a blown non-call on an apparent Freddie Solomon fumble was a 14 point swing that may have cost the Dolphins a chance to win. I agree with Blackwood that it should have been ruled a fumble, but I’m not as sure as he was that it would have been returned for a touchdown. Blackwood was running alone down the sideline with the ball, but that’s probably because the play was over. Also, I’m not sure which receivers were on the field, but the Niners had one of the fastest human beings on earth (Renaldo Nehemiah) playing wideout. Nobody outran Skeets on a football field.

I’ve wandered a bit here, I guess. The point is that the McIntyre fumble was a memorable moment and that Lyle Blackwood wanted everybody to remember the Solomon non-fumble. Neither play is legendary or anything, so SB XIX gets a fair-to-poor grade here. (Score: 4 out of 10)

How was the quality of play? Were there a lot of penalties, punts, and turnovers? (15 points)

The first quarter and a half was magnificent. Two legendary quarterbacks matching each other throw for throw, ripping helpless defenses to shreds, marching inexorably towards paydirt. The Miami offense cooled off pretty quickly, though, which left us with one team playing a near-perfect game and the other team struggling to keep pace.

Watching the game, I felt like Miami’s dropoff was a factor of San Francisco playing a great game rather than the Dolphins playing poorly. After all, Marino dealt with a vicious pass rush in his face all night and threw for 318 yards. They weren’t making dumb mistakes, they were just overmatched by an all-time great team firing on all cylinders. (Score: 12 out of 15)

Are there any other factors that add to the greatness the game? This covers things like weather, story line, rivalry matchup, legacy franchises, unexpected results, etc. (15 points)

Maybe it’s because I have a ton of positive memories of being a nine year old Joe Montana fan when this game was played, but I feel like Super Bowl XIX had a ton of fascinating story lines: The 15-1 Niners, a field goal away from a perfect season, playing the 14-2 Dolphins, owners of (at the time) the most dominant passing offense in modern NFL history. Joe Montana vs. Dan Marino. Bill Walsh vs. Don Shula. The Niners playing what was essentially a home Super Bowl at Stanford Stadium. It was Ali-Foreman. It was two legendary heavyweights going toe-to-toe with no quarter given and no quarter asked. It was awesome. (Score: 12 out of 15)

How does the game grade overall? (sum of all previous categories, 100 points)

61 out of 100, which is a high rating for a game that was essentially decided in the second quarter. There was an awful lot of entertainment to be had despite the obvious result.

Ratings and rankings of Super Bowls I-XIX:

1. Super Bowl XIII - Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 - 87 points 2. Super Bowl X - Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 - 80 points 3. Super Bowl VII - Miami 14, Washington 7 - 74 points 4. Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh 16, Minnesota 6 - 68 points 5. Super Bowl XVII - Washington 27, Miami 17 - 67 points 6. Super Bowl XIV - Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19 - 65 points 7. Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21 - 62 points 8. Super Bowl XIX - San Francisco 38, Miami 16 - 61 points 9. Super Bowl III - New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7 - 58 points 10. Super Bowl VI - Dallas 24, Miami 3 - 52 points 11. Super Bowl I - Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 - 50 points 12. Super Bowl XVIII - Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington 9 - 49 points 13. Super Bowl VIII - Miami 24, Minnesota 7 - 47 points 14. Super Bowl XV - Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10 - 44 points 15. Super Bowl IV - Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7 - 43 points T16. Super Bowl II - Green Bay 33, Oakland 14 - 40 points T16. Super Bowl V - Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 - 40 points 18. Super Bowl XII - Dallas 27, Denver 10 - 38 points 19. Super Bowl XI - Oakland 32, Minnesota 14 - 35 points