Super Bowl XIV

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Los Angeles Rams entered Super Bowl XIV as the first team to reach the game after posting nine wins or fewer since the NFL expanded to a 16-game season. Their 9–7 regular season record was forged through injuries, including the loss of starting quarterback Pat Haden. Replacement Vince Ferragamo completed 53.8 percent of his passes and threw 14 touchdowns against 9 interceptions, yet led the team to victory in six of their last seven games. Offensively, halfback Wendell Tyler emerged as a star, rushing for 1,109 yards on just 218 attempts for a solid 5.1 yards per carry. The defense was anchored by end Jack Youngblood, who played the postseason with a broken leg and earned his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl selection, alongside linebacker Jim Youngblood, who recorded four interceptions.

In Their Own Story

The game itself was a chaotic seesaw battle where the lead changed seven times, a Super Bowl record that stood as of 2023. It was only the third time in history the winning team trailed at halftime and the first where they were behind entering the fourth quarter. The Rams held a 13–10 lead at the break before Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw connected with Lynn Swann on a 47-yard touchdown pass to take control. Los Angeles regained the lead via a halfback option play, as running back Lawrence McCutcheon threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith. However, Pittsburgh dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points. Bradshaw found John Stallworth for a 73-yard touchdown and ran by Franco Harris from one yard out sealed the win. Despite throwing three interceptions, Bradshaw completed 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.

Reader's Guide

Reaching this stage required the Rams to navigate a difficult playoff path following their injury-plagued regular season. They avenged a previous NFC Championship shutout by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21–19, then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9–0 in the conference title game, scoring only three field goals. In contrast, the Steelers entered as defending champions with a dominant 12–4 record and led the league in total offense (6,258 yards) and scoring (416 points). Their playoff run saw them defeat the Miami Dolphins 34–14 and the Houston Oilers 27–13. The Steelers' defense was equally formidable, limiting opposing running backs Larry Csonka and Earl Campbell to a combined 35 rushing yards across those two games. While the Rams possessed the league's second-ranked offense (6,060 yards), their path to victory was blocked by a Steelers team looking to become the first to win four Super Bowls.

Did You Know?

• The game set a Super Bowl attendance record of 103,985 spectators.
• It was the first Super Bowl played in the home market of one of the participants (Pasadena is 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles).
• Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood played the postseason with a broken leg.
• The lead changed four times during the game, tying the record set by Super Bowl XIII; the record as of 2023 is five lead changes (Super Bowl LVII).
• Quarterback Vince Ferragamo completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions during the regular season.