These old games sure remins be of my childhood comming home from church the house would smell like roast my mom was cooking and watching football with my brothers and dad. Thank you dave

I grew up in rual Texas. I vividly remember this game. Roger was gone. I watched this on my little black and white tv. I could get a good clear picture by making sure that the antenna was touching my metal window seal.

this is one of life's true pleasures..2 good teams, great uniforms, NFL playoffs, classic comeback, and Vin Scully in his prime...thank you Dave

Everyone in today’s world has no idea how great of a football announcer Vin Scully was. Just as good as his baseball career.

Two absolute heartbreakers on that same Sunday; Jan. 4, 1981.

A real classic and one of the best play-off games ever! Happy I can watch the full broadcast again after all these years.

THIS is football, the REAL NFL, unlike the "Swiftie" entertainment-laden garbage that we have to suffer through today

I remember watching this game as a kid and thought the Falcons had it under control in the 4th qtr. But the Cowboys showed their true colors with about 4 minutes left. This was Danny White's finest hour for the Dallas Cowboys after Roger Staubach retired the year before. Thank you Dave for including the CBS pregame show. Awesome job my friend!!

This game was a heartbreaker for us in Atlanta. I remember the Falcons were up by 3 with just over two minutes left in the game. All they needed to do was run out the clock (sounds familiar, huh?). A couple plays later, "Too Tall" almost jumps offsides (which would have given them a first down), but manages to catch his feet and tightrope his way down the line, and as the ball is snapped, happens to be right where the play is going. He winds up making the tackle, which stops Atlanta from getting the first down. They end up having to punt, and the rest is history. That was one of the first of many disappointments for years to come. However, 44 years later, they're still my team.

Brents the only announcer living from the iconic NFL TODAY CBS pregame coverage team. Irvs gone, Jimmy & Phyllis.

My dad - who went to first ever Dallas Cowboys home hame - passed away at 35.. few months before this game …. Totally remember. Saw Danny white get so close 3 years in a row..thank you for posting

This is one of 4 games I point to, when explaining to people how good Danny White was. Not great. But really good. This was America's team still in Captain Comeback mode, even without #12 anymore. Great game.

This game made 10 year old me very happy. The next week vs. the Eagles...not so much.

At 2:44:35 this play by Too Tall, which he jumped early, has been talked about in Cowboys lore as key great moment in the game. An accidental one. Very underrated moment. If he doesn’t “tight-rope” the line of scrimmage the Falcons may have kept possession. We don’t know for sure but like they talk about in highlight films it was a big moment. By the way, Too Tall was an even better RUN stopper than pass rusher which is why I feel he deserves strong over due consideration for the HOF! He has an unofficial high number of Batted Balls, too, which is again is an underrated statistic. Great upload! One of my favorite Cowboys games ever!

From Atlanta. Was on my way back to college in Florida after Christmas break and listened to game on the radio. Was upset at loss but had met my future wife only 3 weeks earlier and was in a hurry to get back to her. In 2024 we're still together but know we'll never see the Falcons win the Big One.

As a lifelong Cowboys fan, it's disappointing that I have to watch a 40-year-old game to see my Cowboys win a playoff game.

One of the most underrated great playoff games of all time.

I waited in line overnight, in the rain, (32°) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to be one of the 100 or so people to get tickets to this game. Had great seats on the 40 yard line. Thank you for this upload.

Wow watching William Andrews coming at you with those neck roll pads ! He was scary - what a beast !

CBS went hard with all of their news and sports opens in this era, starting with Apollo and elections, and through the 70s and early 80s with sports and even coverage of early shuttle missions. Awesome stuff.

I grew up in southwest Georgia, Albany, William Andrews played for the Thomasville Bulldogs. When he played your hometown team it was an event, everybody wanted to see him, he is a legend in south Georgia. I was just a boy, dreaming of being William Andrews. Damn, time goes by in a flash.

The 1977 Super defense Falcons on through to say 1982 season were an interesting group that fought to be among the NFC elite. A tough task.

Dad was a big NFL fan...and my older Bro....first I watched because of the snacks...1972 around...great memories

YOU'RE THE BEST DAVE, TRULY. Every time I watch one of these it's like stepping into the Twilight Zone because I literally go back to the past. These videos temporarily catapult me to the halcyon days of my youth. Thank you, Dave.

I was a sports junkie and 10 years old for this game. I loved Dorsett. Great to hear Vin Scully.

That NFL today opening is Iconic.

I love watching these game again I was too young to really know what I was watching when they were live

No first down celebrations or gestures from players after they made a 1st down....no look at me celebrations after making just a routine play...no over the top taunting...players back in the day just made plays & just nonchalantly jogged back to the huddle

Thank you so much for posting this. I remember watching this game with my mother who was from Texas, but is no longer with us. Amazing the great memories a simple football game can conjure up. Thank you.

Thanks for the video I remember watching this with my Dad as a kid. I loved Atlanta's old uniforms better from back then. This was when they did put the score on the tv screen for the duration of the game you actually had to pay attention to what was going on. Also now they're showing the playoff game with Miami vs KC on a pay streaming service I'm not doing that should never be like that.

I was born in 1970 and have been a fan since 1977. At the time I thought that the loss to the Cowboys in ‘78 was the worst thing ever. That was until this debacle. I cried for an hour that night. If 46 year old me could have gone back in time in 2016 I would have sat there and cried with my 10 year old self. What a path of heartache and tears it is to be a Falcons fan. It’s a never ending siege but I guess I wouldn’t change a thing. I just want one before I die!

Man you’re taking me back to my childhood! Awesome uploads!

The source recording for this game was in pretty good shape overall. I did the usual work with Topaz - sharpening, doubling the framerate, upscaling to 1080p, and reverting compression artifacts. I used Resolve to adjust contrast and color a bit, but not much else was needed.

The game that Broke my 14 year old heart

This is the first game I remember watching as a young boy and started me being a fan of the Cowboys ever since. People have asked me why the Cowboys and all I can tell them is the first game I remember Dallas won against all odds and I liked that. So here I am January 13,2024 waiting to watch the Cowboys against the Packers Sunday and still just as much a fan now as then. How bout them Cowboys

I just watched this video for the first time, and Drew Pearson was my childhood idol. I actually recorded the postgame interview on a tape recorder, and I still remember word for word Irv talking to Danny and Drew. Thanks, Dave, for bringing back great memories!

Thanks Dave for making these classics so clean and clear on the picture quality...Quite a forgotten playoff game that was exciting and dramatic. Love these red Falcon jerseys. Too bad they didn't gain the prominence they deserve in the era of better jersey material in the 90's.

I was in junior high school when I watched this game. I was so excited for the Falcons , knowing that they would finally get over the hump against the Cowboys, avenging a 27-20 divisional playoffs loss just two years earlier, but it wouldn't be in the cards for Atlanta. They were purely the best team during the 1980 NFL season, finishing 12-4 , and winning the NFC West Division. Steve Bartkowski was the NFC's best Quarterback that year, and I will say up to this day that Alfred Jenkins is still the greatest WIDE Reciever in franchise history. Props to that sensational defensive squad, and the best two back combination in the NFL that year, Lynn Cain and William Andrews.

Although I am a true die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan I do have a lot of respect for Rodger the dodger Staubach... A tremendous talent in his days in Dallas and he gave me a lot of paranoid situations in 2 Superbowls that I will never forget 😊😅😊 ..

I was a big Cowboys fan growing up and remember this game as a kid.

A very underrated playoff game that isn't really talked about as much as it should.

I love watching these old games. I remember wat hung this game as an 11 year old boy, hoping the Cowboys could come back. Thanks for bringing back these memories!!!!

This should have been Atlanta Falcons first Super Bowl. They were picked by John Madden to go all the way. My family had even made reservations in New Orleans, because that was the site for the Super Bowl. Second half the Falcons played conservative and the rest was history. You know it was big game when you had Morris Brown doing the halftime show. I remind the young Falcons fans my hurt goes back 40 plus years with this team.

Stunning quality as always. Thank you Dave

To me, this is the most iconic sports program opening EVER!

ALCOA presents... Fantastic Finishes!

William Andrews was a bad ass. He clobbered my Broncos one year, all by himself.

DAMNIT!! It hurts 44yrs later! Losing to THAT team, of all things!! At the CRIB, no less!

I grew up on The NFL Today. CHARGERS highlights awesome!

Having these games on takes me back. I needed that. Thanks!❤

the more I watch Phyllis George, the more I appreciate her. My Giants-Fan father hated her and her Dallas proclivities, so I never paid much attention to her when I was 10-14 yrs old. but now I watch and enjoy her, especially after her hiatus. she brought a sincere energy to the show. Sure, she ain't giving us x's and o's, but she livens up the studio and the broadcast booth and makes good TV.

You've done it again, Dave. Thank you! As an 8-year-old Eagles fan in 1980, i vividly remember not wanting the Falcons to win. They were downright scary. They'd beaten the Eagles in the regular season and the Eagles did NOT want to play the NFC Championship in Atlanta. I knew we could beat the Cowboys as long as we were home. I was right. 🙂

What a great job. Thanks Dave, more magic delivered right on time. I saw this one when broadcast, same day as Red Right 88 in Cleveland, two great games.

Loved this game when it was played in 1980 and appreciated being able to watch it again. Thank you

A 15 year old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium!! Beatles concert in the summer of 1965 with a state of the art sound systems!

I was a lifelong NFL fan since childhood. I started watching in 1970. I did not realize it until years later, but January 4th, 1981, the date of this game, was the day the NFL began its long slow death spiral in my life. It was taken off life support in 1999.

I remember this game. Worth watching again. Thank You for posting

Man, I remember watching this game at my grandma’s house as a kid. Thanks for the memories!

Dave, thank you so much! You are the best! This is a wonderful upload!! One of my all-time favorite games in Dallas Cowboys history!

Really great football game. Instead of the Falcons emerging as a new power in the NFC, Danny White proved that he, too, could rally the Cowboys to thrilling victories (twice if we count both 1978 and 1980). It also ended up being the beginning of a long string of examples of the Falcons being averse to wins in January.

Keep these coming, Dave! You're the best. This football history junkie (me) loves it!

WOW! This was great! I remember seeing this game when I was 9 years old and getting ready for pee wee football in Memphis, TN. Life was so much more simple then....

8 year old me’s first season watching the NFL, and my state’s team was 12-4 with an exciting future, instilling in me the belief it would always be this way. Then came the heartbreak at the end of this game and the years of futility that followed… 😂

Danny White does not get the credit he deserves for being a really good QB. And I am a Giants fan.

Wow, I was watching highlights of this last night and actually crossed my mind to request this. That's really incredible! Thanks a bunch Dave!!🤝

Dave thank you,thank you for redoing these wonderful games. I absolutely love it and look forward to it now every day.

This was the game that doomed the Falcons' franchise for eternity. I'm glad it was my Cowboys that put the curse on them.

This was the Falcons chance to get into the Super Bowl or least play in the NFC Championship. The Falcons had that lead and momentum and they just sat on the ball and let Dallas come back. That loss for the Falcons was devastating, the window for them closed real quick. Even though they made the playoffs in 1982 strike shortened season, they blew another lead to the Vikings. For the Cowboys, it was just another playoff game to the NFC championship. That was expected from them, but sadly for Danny White, he could never get over the hump and win an NFC Championship and get to the Super Bowl. His best chance was the next year against the 49ers and that horse collar tackle on Drew Pearson saved a touchdown.

aka The Duel in Dixie - one of the NFL's Greatest Games - the 1980 NFC Divisional Playoff. Who can remember it when NFL Films did this game as part of the NFL's Greatest Games series in 2004.

Thank you for this & all the work bringing us classic football! Much appreciated 👍

More incredible work! I know some games are easier then others to clean up but we appreciate you bringing these to us.

I was at this game, sitting in the 300 section, with my father. It was cold and windy during the game. The Falcons thought they had this game, but stopped being aggressive on the defense side.

2:45:13 - One of the most underrated plays of the game. With the Falcons needing just 2 yards on 3rd down to keep their drive alive and drain more time off the clock, Ed Jones gets an early jump on the snap, somehow manages to tiptoe along his side of the neutral zone, and stumbles into the exact gap the Falcons are trying to run the play, forcing the RB back to the other side where three Cowboys are waiting to stuff the run and force a punt. Without that fluky occurrence, the Falcons may well be able to run the clock down and give the Cowboys little--or no--time left to mount a comeback.

I'd seen this one online a few times in the past, but you've done a nice job of taking the graininess out of it, Dave - great job again! Loved the pre- and post-game stuff with the old NFL Today crew. I think this one earned the nickname "The Duel in Dixie," and indeed it's still among the classic playoff games in my book. It was easily Danny White's signature win, given the importance of the game and who he had to follow in Dallas. As for the Falcons, this one crushed 'em for the rest of the decade. Sure, they made the playoffs in '82, but that was the strike-shortened season with only nine games played. Given you can't really hit the quarterback anymore, I'd say 1980 was the best Falcons team ever. Matt Ryan played in an easier era for QB's than Steve Bartkowski did. Falcons were the top seed in the NFC and would have hosted Vermeil's Eagles had they held on.

SO SHARP picture quality! Thanks Dave. This was a fantastic playoff. I was rooting for Atlanta, but they blew it at the end. Like the hit song that was playing on the radio frequently at the time this game was played (Bob Seger's "Against The Wind") "Let The Cowboys Ride" 🎶 . But they next week they would be extinguished in Philadelphia.

Awesome vintage video my friend, thanks for sharing this with us.

Jimmy The Greeks' analysis on the Raiders vs Chargers Championship Game was so on point it was prophetic. What the Greek was saying with that prediction was San Diego never took the opportunity to build its team matching the opponents in their AFC West rivals KC, Denver, Oakland and even newcomer Seattle. The Chargers history to that point had always placed a premium on offensive production because to sell the game of football itself in a leisure time city like San Diego they felt (and at the time understandably so) to sell tickets to get their new stadium built and fan base activated, a offensive philosophy needed to be their identity, and that was exactly what they did, and did it exceptionally well. Only one other AFL team adopted that philosophy. The Houston Oilers, and in the beginning of the leagues history it was Houston and San Diego who won 3 of the first 4 Titles. After that the league had caught up, and passed (pun intented) the Chargers and Oilers because the Championship contenders (Buffalo, Kansas City, New York Jets, and Oakland) all won Championships because they were much better on the defensive side and balanced offensively. In addition, they all drafted smart on defense, mostly going to small schools looking for and finding great players and contributors adding depth and the ability to expand defensive philosophies to maximize the players true abilities. This phase of football was not a strong suit for the Chargers, and once the league caught up with Sid Gilmans vertical passing game, the Chargers were exposed because they couldn't win games where the defense shuts them down, keeping the Chargers under 21 points. The Chargers weren't built to be a physical team on defense. This Charger team was. The 1980 Chargers defense was pretty good, but their strength was their defensive line. Several Pro Bowlers were lining up there, the linebackers were average and the secondary was serviceable at best. The Chargers offense that season was legendary when they were playing games, but the reason why the Greek was so confident in Oakland because the Raiders were going to intimidate their offense, turm them over, then play their daring and damgerously effective power running game, and knockout deep passing game that when its movin' n groovin' the Chargers would not be able stop them enough to feel comfortable about totally opening their offense up to put the Raiders away. On the first drive of the game, Raymond Chester caught a deflected pass from Jim Plunkett and sprinted to a cheap touchdown, I knew, the Raiders knew, and we all knew the city of San Diego knew it would take a complete miracle for the Chargers to win, and miracles never happened for the Chargers and Oakland did what Greek knew and that was win. Maybe the Chargers will sleigh that dragon, but their will be at least 1 game in a Charger playoff rin that they will try to give away, and if it doesn't happen...well, maybe they can do it.

DP, truly a gem. Thanks for the memories!

Love and miss this classic CBS intro!

As an NFL fan, I’d always wanted to see this game: great to experience it. As a browns fan, I forgot Red Right 88 was the exact same f@cking day. Damn your incompetence, Don Cockroft!

I cried when we lost. I was 6. It was my first year of little league. Little did I know that was just building callouses for the next 40 years of tragedy.

Loved the CBS pre game show when you heard that music you knew was time for some football

I still remember this day when I watched those games as a 13 year old kid who LOVED pro football. I was rooting REAL hard for the Browns and the Falcons that day. I hated Dallas and the Raiders, and the crowds and enthusiasm in Cleveland and Atlanta, which hadn't hosted Divisional Round Playoff games in my memory up to that point (Atlanta only hosted a wild card game in '78, and the Browns had last hosted a divisional playoff game when I was too young to remember it), were sold out and full of energy. This was new ground, the Steelers and Rams had won the AFC Central and NFC West for 6 straight years, and now it was the Browns and Falcons with the top spot. Next up, the Raiders and Cowboys, who seemed to play in the Conference title games every year (and literally almost always did). The Browns and Falcons both jumped out on top, held the lead for most of the game, and then lost their games late in heartbreaking fashion. It was a brutal day for a kid who wasn't going to be a kid for very much longer. I would also soon come to realize that my home state's New York Giants could actually play winning football in the NFL, as I had just assumed they were going to be terrible forever. Alas, in retrospect, even though the results were crushing for me then, it was a privilege to see two GREAT playoff games that have stood the test of time as true classics.

Love Bradshaw and Staubach on the NFL today segments. can see the future great broadcaster in Bradshaw.

Thank you for sharing! Excellent work on the quality!

This was a year of heartbreak for 2, maybe 3 teams. The two are this Atlanta team who played so well and got the #1 seed, only to lose like this. The other was an exciting Browns team losing to the Raiders on an infamous bad play, "Red Right 88". One can also argue the Raiders win over the Chargers in the AFC Championship was in a season the Chargers had maybe their best squad ever. Three bad turnovers killed them in that loss.

Thank you for these treasures Dave💚

Thank you Dave! I watched this game as a 12 yr old Cowboys fan! I sure thought Bartkowski and the falcons had them but Drew Pearson was as always, "Mr Clutch"!!!!

I was 13 when I saw this game I've been a fan ever since

The video quality here really captured the essence of what I recall analog TV was like back in that era when using rabbit ears antenna for over-the-air reception; when the TV transmitter tower was 30 miles away with some hills in-between.

The Cowboys' last road playoff win until the 1991 NFC Wild Card.

I remember watching this dramatic game when it was played. Being a life long Cowboys' fan, I was thrilled with the W. I have always wondered why this game is held in higher regard especially by die hard Cowboys' fans. Yes, the Cowboys went on to lose the NFC Championship game to the hated Eagles. One of three in a row (Eagles, 49ers, Redskins).

Love the beginning when men are hitting each other in sharp uniforms. Just a dream and a memory.

Thanks again Dave Volsky. Once again I step into the time machine, back to age 14, glued to the screen, no doubt sulking postgame that the Cowboys did it to my home team again. "I wish - that - I knew what I know now - when I was younger...." -The Faces. Never thought I'd miss those days, but I surely do.

Can it be 44 yrs. ago that this game broke all the Falcon fan's hearts , including mine? Also great to see Terry Bradshaw at the half,still can't spell cat if you spot him the c and the t!

Classic… open air stadium, real grass, no instant replay, can see the crispness of the evening with the player’s breath, a well officiated and highly competitive played game (although a little over produced by CBS). Awesome job with the upload, keep up the great work!

As a Cowboys fan, this game was a classic. The Falcons were the #1 seed this year. Thank you for posting this

Wow the Greek was spot on about San Diego vs Oakland ! Saying San Diego will never win it

Awesome content keep up the classic NFL games 👌😀

I love the game of football and I I love these videos! Thank you!