Editing Super Bowl (section)

===1970s: Dominant franchises===
After the [[AFL–NFL merger]] was completed in 1970, three franchises—the Cowboys, [[Miami Dolphins]], and Steelers—would go on to dominate the 1970s, winning a combined eight Super Bowls between them in the decade, with the Steelers winning four of the eight.

The Baltimore Colts, now a member of the AFC, would start the decade by defeating the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, a game which is the only Super Bowl to date in which a player from the losing team won the Super Bowl MVP (Cowboys' linebacker [[Chuck Howley]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197101170clt.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Schuyler |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Chuck Howley of the Cowboys is the only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team. Now he's a Hall of Famer |url=https://apnews.com/article/pro-football-hall-of-fame-chuck-howley-cowboys-dbd4c212ce8851487435b63cb497d0ce |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Beginning with this Super Bowl, all Super Bowls have served as the NFL's championship game.
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 46 - Terry Bradshaw (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The Steelers defeated the Rams in Super Bowl XIV to win an unprecedented four championships in six years.]]

The Cowboys, coming back from a loss the previous season, won [[Super Bowl VI]] over the Dolphins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins - January 16th, 1972 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197201160dal.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> However, this would be the Dolphins' final loss for over a year, as [[1972 Miami Dolphins season|the next year]], the Dolphins would go 14–0 in the regular season and eventually win all their playoff games, capped off with a 14–7 victory in [[Super Bowl VII]], becoming the first and only team in the Super Bowl era to finish an entire perfect regular and postseason undefeated.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl VII - Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins - January 14th, 1973 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197301140mia.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nobles |first=Charlie |date=February 3, 2008 |title=1972 Dolphins: Undefeated on Field, Undeterred Off It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/sports/football/03dolphins.html |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The Dolphins would repeat as league champions by winning [[Super Bowl VIII]] a year later with a 24–7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl VIII - Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins - January 13th, 1974 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197401130mia.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

In the mid to late 1970s, the Steelers became the first NFL dynasty of the post-merger era by winning four Super Bowls ([[Super Bowl IX|IX]], [[Super Bowl X|X]], [[Super Bowl XIII|XIII]], and [[Super Bowl XIV|XIV]]) in six years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings - January 12th, 1975 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197501120min.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl X - Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - January 18th, 1976 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197601180dal.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XIII - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys - January 21st, 1979 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197901210dal.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XIV - Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - January 20th, 1980 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198001200pit.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> They were led by head coach [[Chuck Noll]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chuck Noll Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/NollCh0.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> the play of offensive stars [[Terry Bradshaw]], [[Franco Harris]], [[Lynn Swann]], [[John Stallworth]], and [[Mike Webster]], and their dominant "[[Steel Curtain]]" defense, led by [["Mean" Joe Greene]], [[L. C. Greenwood]], [[Ernie Holmes]], [[Mel Blount]], [[Jack Ham]], and [[Jack Lambert (American football)|Jack Lambert]]. Many of the team's key players were selected in the [[1974 NFL draft|1974 draft]], in which Pittsburgh selected four future Hall of Famers, the most for any team in any sport in a single draft.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2018 |title=Drafting Hall of Fame duos |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/blogs/2018/03/blogs-stories-from-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame-archives-drafting-hall-of-fame-duos/ |access-date=June 13, 2024 |website=Pro Football Hall of Fame}}</ref> A fifth player, [[Donnie Shell]], was signed by Pittsburgh after going unselected in the 1974 NFL draft; he too was later enshrined in the Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Battista |first=Judy |date=January 15, 2020 |title=Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class thick with NFL history |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/pro-football-hall-of-fame-centennial-class-thick-with-nfl-histo-0ap3000001096808 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115160415/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001096808/article/pro-football-hall-of-fame-centennial-class-thick-with-nfl-history |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2020 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> The Steelers were the first team to win three and then four Super Bowls and appeared in six [[AFC Championship Game]]s during the decade, making the playoffs in eight straight seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff History |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/playoffs.htm |access-date=June 15, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Pittsburgh still remains the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice and four Super Bowls in a six-year period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaprales |first=Matt |date=February 19, 2009 |title=Defining "Dynasty": Who Makes The Cut? |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/126754-defining-dynasty-who-makes-the-cut |access-date=June 15, 2024 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=Elliot |date=April 3, 2014 |title=Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers among top NFL dynasties |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/dallas-cowboys-green-bay-packers-among-top-nfl-dynasties-0ap2000000339226 |access-date=June 15, 2024 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Steelers' 1970s dynasty was interrupted only by the Raiders' first Super Bowl win in [[Super Bowl XI]] and the Cowboys' second Super Bowl win in [[Super Bowl XII]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XI - Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings - January 9th, 1977 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197701090min.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XII - Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos - January 15th, 1978 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197801150dal.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Conversely, the Vikings, with their [[Purple People Eaters]] defense, were the only other team to appear in multiple Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX and XI) during the decade but failed to win each one.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Vikings Team Records, Leaders, and League Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/min/index.htm |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>