Super Bowl XIV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams is one of the most classic games in Super bowl history. This game, held on January 20, 1980, was before a record crowd of 103,985 in the Rose Bowl and it featured the excitement of five lead changes and the grace of the aerial acrobatics performed by the wide receivers. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not exactly "flow" to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in six years, suffering four defeats on their 16-game schedule. Their most crushing defeats were by Cincinnati, 34-10, and San Diego, 35-7. In the AFC playoffs, they eliminated Miami, 34-14, and Houston, 27-13. He Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl engagement was their first and capped their seventh consecutive NFC Western Division championship season.

It also marked the first time an NFC West team had qualified for the title game. The Los Angeles regular season record of 9-7 was the poorest of any team ever to reach the Super Bowl. It was only one victory better than division runner up New Orleans' 8-8. The Rams barely outscored their season opponents, 323 points to 309, and in midseason suffered such consecutive one sided defeats as 30-6 to Dallas and 40-16 to San Diego. In the playoffs they squeaked by Dallas, 21-19, before beating Tampa Bay, 9-0, on three field goals by Frank Corral. Los Angeles had undergone its annual quarterback crisis, with Vince Ferragamo, a third-year player, emerging as the starter at season's end. Pat Haden held the job at the beginning of the year, but was felled by a broken finger. Rookie Jeff Rutledge and veteran Bob Lee also had turns behind center before Ferragamo recovered from a broken hand and led the Rams to six victories in seven games, enough to win the NFC West. The Rams were coached by Raymondo Giuseppi Giovanni Baptiste Malavasi, who had replaced George Allen midway through the preseason schedule in 1978. The Pittsburgh Steelers started the game by taking a 3-0 lead early, but after a short kickoff by Matt Bahr the Rams quickly jumped on top, 7-3, with a one-yard touchdown run by Cullen Bryant. The play was set up by a 39-yard run by Wendell Tyler.

On the ensuing kickoff Larry Anderson returned the ball 45 yards, one of five kickoffs he returned that day for a Superbowl record 162 yards. With the good field position it took Bradshaw and the Steelers just nine plays to jump back on top. Franco Harris took the ball in from the one-yard line to give Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead. Before half-time the Rams were able to put two more field goals on the board while keeping the Steelers from scoring any more. At the half the score was Los Angeles Rams 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 10, and the Rams seemed to have all the momentum. When the second half opened up the Pittsburgh Steelers struck quickly on a 47-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann putting the Steelers in front again, 17-13. Ram's free safety Nolan Cromwell seemed to have position to pick off the pass or at least tip it, but he miss-timed his leap and the ball sailed over his head into the arms of Swann. Once again, the lead for the Steelers would not last long. The Rams moved the length of the field and scored another touchdown in only four plays. A 50-yard pass from Ram's quarterback Vince Ferragamo to Billy Waddy moved Los Angeles to the Steeler's 24-yard line. Then with a bit of trickery, Lawrence McCutcheon threw a half back option to wide receiver Ron Smith in the end zone. The Rams were back on top, but a missed extra point made the score 19-17.

Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Terry Bradshaw hit John Stallworth with a long touchdown pass that many believe was the turning point in the game, and once again put the Steelers ahead. This time the score was 24-19. With a little over eight minutes remaining the Rams took possession at their own 16-yard line. The Rams worked their way down to the Steelers 32 before a Ferragamo pass was picked off by Steeler's defensive legend Jack Lambert. With about five minutes left the Steelers had the ball, the lead, and the momentum. Pittsburgh started at their own 30-yard line and on the third play Bradshaw hooked up with Stallworth again, this time for 45 yards. A controversial pass interference call gave the Steelers the ball on the Ram's one-yard line a couple plays later. After punching the ball in the Steelers were up 31-19 and the score would be the same when the game ended. The Pittsburgh Steelers had beaten the Los Angeles Rams in one of the more memorable and exciting football games of all time. On January 20, 1980, Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV at Pasadena. Terry Bradshaw completed 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards and set two passing records as the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team to win four Super Bowls. The game was viewed in a record 35,330,000 homes. Bradshaw, the game's most valuable player for the second straight year, set career Super Bowl records for most touchdown passes 9 and most passing yards 932. Larry Anderson gave the Steelers excellent field position throughout the game with five kickoff returns for a record 162 yards.