Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

To me, it's quite simple, at least at first, to forget that both of these suspenseful games had the same level of stakes - winner goes to the NFC Championship Game! Both were in the divisional round! Not, say, one being a 1st-Rounder as the other would be the divisional; or one being a divisional with the other being...a CCG, etc. Nope, both were actually in the same round of the playoffs!

What make both seem uneven though, if just for a second or two, is that the former was a 9-7 first-year playoff-participant vs a 12-4 defending-World Champ/perennial contender whereas the latter was 12-4 vs 12-4; and the fact that the perennial contender was the visiting team, this time, instead of the franchise still-new-enough to playoff-contention had to add all the more glitter. Oh, and it has a 'name', "Duel in Dixie", whereas the other one doesn't.

Yes, and yet another thing...a 'Hail Mary' to win it in the end! But even despite that, and the game having - again - a 'name', was the '80 divisional between both these franchises actually still a better game? Just like some - and plenty here on these boards (the late-Rupert among them) - feel that the '66 NFL Championship Game between Green Bay and Dallas was actually the even-better game than the 'Ice Bowl' a year later, was that 'forgotten' 12/30/78 contest in Big D actually even-better than 'Duel' as well?

Both were great games and wins for Dallas with one thing in common--Danny White--but the circumstances like you said were different. The Falcons in 1978 were happy to be there in Texas Stadium and played with nothing to lose, while the 80s Falcons team felt they were the better team trying to reach the SB ... Did the team look ahead to playing the Eagles? I dont believe so because any team would get up for the Cowboys, especially at home. This game was better though because the Falcons had far better firepower than the 78' team, and should have won it but the White-to-Drew Pearson combo was clutch, while the Falcons stalled closer to the end. The CBS broadcast had George Allen do the color and he was fun to listen to. I wish Allen had went back to broadcasting after his stint in the USFL. I thought he was as good if not better, than John Madden.

I think the 1980 game was bigger because it had much bigger stakes than we realize. At the time, Atlanta's loss was looked at as a stepping stone to a SB berth in 1981. Time has shown that not to be true. That loss set the Falcons back for years.

By 1980 the Falcons' pass defense was BAD. Well below average. They were always going to be vulnerable in the playoffs because of that.

Maybe they should have run the ball better against Dallas, but 27 points, with 10 in the second half, should have been enough. It's not enough with that quality of pass defense. It didn't get any better for Atlanta in the next few years.

Have to go with the crowd here and take the 1980 rematch. Pulsating 4th quarter with Dallas pulling out the win in hostile territory. In retrospect if the Falcons had won, the NFC Championship game would have been much more competitive as the Falcons had dusted the Eagles in Philly a month earlier with Tim Mazzetti hitting the GWer at the gun.

I think the Falcons would have been the home team in a Eagle-Falcon NFC title game.

Jay Z wrote:By 1980 the Falcons' pass defense was BAD. Well below average. They were always going to be vulnerable in the playoffs because of that.

I agree. CB Rolland Lawrence was past his prime and he retired shortly afterwards.

Teo wrote:

Jay Z wrote:By 1980 the Falcons' pass defense was BAD. Well below average. They were always going to be vulnerable in the playoffs because of that.

I agree. CB Rolland Lawrence was past his prime and he retired shortly afterwards.

That is why they drafted Bobby Butler in Round 1 the next year. They also drafted Georgia S Scott Woerner in Round 3, but I don't think he made too much of an impact with the Falcons (I remember him with the USFL).

Jay Z wrote:By 1980 the Falcons' pass defense was BAD. Well below average. They were always going to be vulnerable in the playoffs because of that.

Maybe they should have run the ball better against Dallas, but 27 points, with 10 in the second half, should have been enough. It's not enough with that quality of pass defense. It didn't get any better for Atlanta in the next few years.

The "Grits Blitz" didn't hold up well with the 1978 passing rule changes.