Super Bowl V Championship
The only Super Bowl where the losing team's player was named MVP.
Super Bowl V remains the messiest masterpiece in Dallas Cowboys history. Played on January 17, 1971, at Miami’s Orange Bowl, this NFC champion clash against the Baltimore Colts is defined less by offensive brilliance than by sheer survival. Despite committing six turnovers and missing critical opportunities, the Cowboys clawed their way to a narrow 16-13 victory, securing the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy in a contest often remembered as 'the Greatest Game Ever Lost.'
- Opponent
- Baltimore Colts
- Final Score
- Cowboys 16, Colts 13
- MVP
- Chuck Howley (Linebacker)
- Venue
- Orange Bowl, Miami
- Date
- January 17, 1971
Lore & Background
The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when rookie kicker Mike Clark, who had missed two field goals earlier in the game, drilled a 32-yard attempt with just five seconds remaining on the clock. This kick secured a narrow 16-13 victory for Dallas. The game is perhaps most famously defined by the performance of linebacker Chuck Howley, who recorded two interceptions and recovered a fumble. His dominant defensive play earned him the Super Bowl MVP award, making him the first and only player from the losing team to ever receive the honor in Super Bowl history.
In Their Own Story
The humidity in Miami hung heavy as the clock ticked down to the final seconds of regulation. The scoreboard read a tense 13-13 tie, but the air was thick with frustration; Dallas had turned the ball over six times, and the crowd sensed the dynasty might crumble before it began. Chuck Howley stood on the sideline, his jersey stained with grass and sweat, watching as rookie Mike Clark lined up for what felt like an impossible 32-yard field goal. The snap was clean, the hold perfect, and the ball spiraled through the humid air, sailing just inside the uprights. As the clock hit zero, a roar erupted from the Dallas contingent—a victory snatched from the jaws of disaster, etching their names into history not for perfection, but for survival.
Reader's Guide
This championship marked the definitive turning point for the Dallas Cowboys, transforming them from perennial contenders into a bona fide dynasty. Before Super Bowl V, heartbreak defined their title chase; afterward, resilience became their trademark. The win validated Tom Landry’s defensive philosophy and cemented Roger Staubach’s legacy as a winner who could prevail even when the offense sputtered. It established a culture where winning mattered more than perfection—a mindset that fueled two additional championships within the decade.
Did You Know?
- Chuck Howley is the only player in Super Bowl history to be named MVP while playing for the losing team.
- Super Bowl V set a record with six total turnovers committed by the winning Cowboys alone.
- The game was the first Super Bowl played outside of California or Florida, taking place at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
- Rookie kicker Mike Clark missed two field goals earlier in the game but made the decisive 32-yarder to win it.