Dallas Cowboys history

Dallas was coming off a surprise trip the Super Bowl in 1975, when a young team came together quickly and made a run out of the wild-card spot. A perennial contender, they had won a championship in 1971 and were looking to add a second ring to their resume. The 1976 Dallas Cowboys overcame adversity and were in position to do just that. But a crucial regular season loss was followed by playoff disappointment.

Cowboy success in 1976 started with the league’s fifth-best defense. Defensive end Harvey Martin had 14 ½ sacks. Strong safety Charlie Waters was a playmaker and a Pro Bowler. Free safety Cliff Harris got All-Pro honors. There were emerging stars like Ed “Too Tall” Jones up front and Bob Breunig at linebacker, combined with old vets, such as middle linebacker Lee Roy Jordan.

Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach continued to lead the offense. Roger finished in the top eight among NFL QBs for both completion percentage (56%) and yard-per-attempt (7.4). His 14-11 TD/INT ratio doesn’t look great by modern standards, but being intercepted just 3.0% of the time in the world of 1976 meant you ranked fourth in the league for avoiding mistakes.

Staubach’s prime target was All-Pro receiver Drew Pearson, who caught 58 passes for 860 yards. Tight end Billy Joe Dupree was a Pro Bowler who caught 42 balls, and whose 16.2 yards-per-catch was exceptional for his position. Scott Laidlaw added 38 catches out of the backfield.

Where Dallas struggled was running the football. Even with an offensive line that had a Pro Bowl right side, in guard Blaine Nye and tackle Rayfield Wright, the running game did not emerge. Doug Dennison’s 542 yards led the team, and Robert Newhouse added 450. Both were below four yards per carry. It’s a key reason the Cowboy offense, while good, settled for being 10^th-best in a 28-team league for points scored.

Dallas opened the season at home against the lowly Philadelphia Eagles. A couple of early Cowboy drives ended up with field goals, but they opened it up in the second quarter. Laidlaw would finish with 104 rushing yards on the day. Staubach went 19/28 for 242 yards and Dallas coasted home to a 27-7 win.

Another bad opponent in the New Orleans Saints was up next. Any problems with the running game still remained in the distant future. The Cowboys outrushed the Saints 198-69. Staubach went 15/22 for 239 yards and made no mistakes. The defense got five sacks. And Dallas got an easy 24-6 win.

The first real test came when the playoff-bound Baltimore Colts came to Dallas for a late afternoon marquee event. The Cowboys got outrushed in this one, 184-92. But Staubach outplayed the eventual MVP, Baltimore quarterback Bert Jones. Staubach went 22/28 for 339 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions. In a back-and-forth affair, the Cowboys got the last word with a field goal and a 30-27 win.

Another soft spot in the schedule was up, with road trips to play a Seattle Seahawks franchise in its first year, followed by the New York Giants. Newhouse had a big day in Seattle, rushing for 120 yards. Even though the Cowboys spotted the Seahawks, looking for their first franchise win, a 13-0 lead, Dallas took the lead by halftime and won 28-13. In the Meadowlands against the Giants, Staubach threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to DuPree that helped put Dallas up 17-0 by half. Playing a consistent, clean game, the Cowboys won 24-14.

At 5-0, another big game in the late Sunday afternoon window was up. Dallas would play the St. Louis Cardinals. An NFC East team prior to 2002, the Cardinals were the two-time defending division champs. Playing on the road, Dallas seemingly did everything they needed to do to win. They outrushed the Cardinals 151-90 and won turnover margin 4-1. Staubach, while a somewhat erratic 21/42, still threw for 250 yards. But the Dallas secondary was carved up by St. Louis quarterback Jim Hart and they took their first loss of the season, 21-17.

A home game with the mediocre Chicago Bears would prove a surprising turning point for the Dallas offense. They continued to play well, and the running game continued to perform well. They outrushed the Bears 241-93. But Staubach was knocked out, with a broken bone in his hand. Danny White came off the bench and played reasonably well. The Cowboys won 31-21. Staubach would come back the following week. But he really wouldn’t be the same, and the ripple effect extended to the rush offense.

In the meantime, Dallas had to go to Washington. The Redskins were a perennial contender, back in the hunt this year. The defense had to step up and they did. The Cowboys held the ‘Skins to just 88 yards rushing, and the offense simply avoided mistakes. Dallas’ 20-7 win was comfortable.

The Giants made their return trip to Dallas. The offense bogged down, and the Cowboys were outrushed 186-96. They never found the end zone. But they got three field goals, and the defense delivered another masterpiece. Dallas escaped with a 9-3 win.

A Monday Night home game with an awful Buffalo Bills team was more the same. The Cowboys couldn’t run the ball. Staubach was erratic. But he made some big plays, with Pearson catching nine balls for 135 yards. It was enough for another escape, 17-10.

But the luck ran out in Atlanta. Playing another poor team, the Cowboys again did not run the ball, and this time they didn’t protect Staubach. He was sacked four times and threw three interceptions. Dallas led 10-0 in the fourth quarter, but the defense finally broke. The Cowboys lost 17-10.

The record was still a healthy 9-2, and prior to 1978, the regular season schedule was only 14 games. Dallas was being chased by St. Louis, who was 8-3, with Washington trailing at 7-4. The Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Cardinals would be massive.

This time, the Cowboy defense kept the St. Louis passing attack under control. Staubach ran for one touchdown and passed for another. The special teams came up with a blocked punt that produced a safety. It was enough to fight out a 19-14 win. The division wasn’t formally clinched, but Dallas had a two-game lead on both rivals with two weeks to go.

Staubach played his best game post-injury in Philadelphia, going 23/40 for 259 yards with no interceptions. The Cowboys cruised to a 26-7 win and locked up the NFC East. Now, it was about securing playoff position. At 11-2, Dallas led the pack for the 1-seed going into the final week. The Minnesota Vikings were in hot pursuit at 10-2-1.

The Cowboys had a difficult finale, hosting the Redskins, who needed to win to edge out the Cardinals for what was then a single wild-card spot. Playing in the late afternoon TV window, it was known that Minnesota had won earlier in the day.

Dallas clung to a 14-13 lead after three quarters. But they again were not controlling the ground game. They weren’t protecting Staubach, who was sacked five times. When Staubach did throw, he was awful—5/22 for 91 yards. Dallas collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost 27-14. Minnesota got homefield advantage. The Cowboys would get a home game in the Divisional Round, but had to settle for the 2-seed.

It turns out, even homefield wouldn’t save Dallas against the Los Angeles Rams. The Cowboys only ran for 85 yards. Staubach threw three interceptions. Once again, the defense kept them in it, and got three picks of their own. The special teams came through, with Waters blocking a punt to set up one touchdown. And, trailing 14-10  late in the game, Waters did it again—a blocked punt set up the Cowboys on the Ram 17-yard line. But they couldn’t finish the job, with a fourth-down pass to DuPree coming up less than a yard short of the marker. The next time Los Angeles had to punt they took no chances and just took a safety. The season ended with a  14-12 loss.

Dallas would rise from the ashes of disappointment. An offseason got Staubach’s hand healthy. And the front office, committed to upgrading the running game, swung a big trade to move up in the draft and pick a future Hall of Fame back in Tony Dorsett. In 1977, it all came together, and the Cowboys won another Super Bowl.

Dallas saw an eight-year streak of making the playoffs come to an end in 1974. The 1975 Dallas Cowboys not only got back on track, but they reached a Super Bowl and began another string of postseason appearances that would last a little bit longer.

There were a lot of changes in store for the 1975 season. Dallas was moving forward without key veteran contributors in running back Calvin Hill and defensive tackle Bob Lilly. The latter retired, while the former went to the fledgling World Football League. With the personnel changes, twelve rookies would make the Cowboy roster. Head coach Tom Landry also made a big strategic change. He instituted the shotgun offense. Today, it’s a standard base formation. Back then, it was a novelty.

The quantity of rookies might have been historic, but the biggest contributors were still the proud veterans. Roger Staubach was 33-years-old, and the future Hall of Fame quarterback had another Pro Bowl season. His 57 percent completion rate ranked sixth in the league, while his 7.7 yards-per-attempt was a stellar third. A 17-16 TD/INT ratio, with a 4.6 interception rate was a little high, but in this era, the latter stat still ranked 10^th among starting quarterbacks.

Staubach’s prime target was a rising young star in Drew Pearson, who caught 46 passes and averaged nearly 18 yards per catch. Jean Fugett at tight end was a reliable option underneath.

The running game shifted to a more fullback-centric approach in Hill’s absence. Robert Newhouse ran for 930 yards, and his 34 receptions were third on the team. Halfback duties were split between Preston Pearson (no relation to Drew) and Doug Dennison. While Preston Pearson was a reliable receiver out of the backfield, both halfbacks were held to fewer than four yards a carry.

Offensive tackle Rayfield Wright, another future Hall of Famer, anchored the line. The defensive side of the trenches had the best player in that famed rookie class—tackle Randy White, destined for Canton himself. Harvey Martin was a quality pass rusher at end, getting 9 ½ sacks.

The back seven was anchored by Pro Bowl free safety Cliff Harris and veteran middle linebacker Lee Roy Jordan. The 34-year-old intercepted six passes.

All in all, Dallas wasn’t dominant, but they were balanced. In a 26-team league, they finished eighth in points scored and ninth in points allowed.

The season opened with a late Sunday afternoon home game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams had reached the NFC Championship Game in 1974, and were headed for  12-2 season this year (the schedule didn’t expand to 16 games until 1978). One of those losses came right here in Big D. The Cowboy defense held the Rams to 20 passing yards. They intercepted three passes, including two by Mel Renfro. Dallas built an 18-0 lead, allowed a meaningless touchdown late in the game and won 18-7.

A challenging early home sequence continued with a visit from the St. Louis Cardinals. A division rival prior to the realignment of 2002, the Cardinals were the defending NFC East champs and would contend again this year. Dallas, aided by a 97-yard kickoff return from rookie Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, took a 28-17 lead. The Cardinals rallied to tie it 31-31 and force overtime.

But Staubach was having a big day. He went 23/34 for 307 yards. Billy Joe DuPree, a young tight end, caught six balls for 100 yards. The last one was a TD pass in overtime that won it, 37-31.

Dallas went on to Detroit, where the Lions were opening the brand-new Silverdome on Monday Night Football. A mediocre team, the Lions hung with the Cowboys and only trailed 15-10 after three quarters. But with Drew Pearson having a big night—six catches for 188 yards—Dallas dominated the fourth quarter and ruined Opening Night in Detroit, 36-10.

The Cowboys didn’t play well in the Meadowlands against a bad New York Giants team, and they trailed 7-6 in the fourth quarter. What they were doing was running the ball. A 196-96 edge in rush yardage was ultimately decisive. Staubach flipped a short touchdown pass to Fugett and Dallas escaped, 13-7.

Riding high at 4-0, a visit from the lowly Green Bay Packers, seemingly light-years away from the glorious Vince Lombardi era that ended just seven years earlier, looked like easy pickings. The Cowboys ran the ball well, with Preston Pearson gaining 101 yards and Newhouse going for 92. But they didn’t take care of the football—four lost fumbles and five turnovers overall. Dallas blew a 17-9 lead and suffered a 19-17 upset loss.

A visit to Philadelphia, another bad team, also turned into a struggle. Dallas didn’t run the ball well and trailed 17-10. Staubach bailed them out by going 27/49 for 314 yards. Roger found Drew Pearson on a touchdown pass to tie the game and a field goal delivered a 20-17 win.

The calendar flipped to November and Dallas was starting to struggle. Three straight games against poor competition had resulted in two narrow escapes and a loss. Now, the Cowboys were going to Washington for a late afternoon date with the Redskins. George Allen’s Redskins had made the playoffs each of the last four years and were again in the hunt.

Dallas built a 14-3 lead. But the national television audience would see a classic game. Washington rallied to tie it 17-17. The Cowboys got six turnovers, one of which was a Pick-6 by Harris that put them up 24-17. But the Redskins were carving up the Dallas pass defense. Washington tied the game 24-24 and then won in overtime, 30-24.

The Cowboys were still 5-2, but the playoff format of the time only allowed for one wild-card and Dallas had stiff competition from both St. Louis and Washington in the NFC East. They needed to get back on track.

A Monday Night home date with the subpar Kansas City Chiefs seemed like the right recipe. But the Cowboys were sloppy, losing five fumbles. They blew a back-and-forth game, 34-31. With the record at 5-3, it might not have been time for panic, but there was certainly urgency in the air.

The next game was on the road against a terrible New England Patriots team. Staubach played efficient football and went 10/14 for 190 yards and no interceptions. Dallas enjoyed a rushing yardage edge of 171-99, and they built a 34-17 lead. The Patriots made a late push, but this week’s 34-31 final saw Dallas end up on the right side.

A balanced running game continued to work at home against Philadelphia, to the tune of 205 yards. Preston Pearson added four catches for 109 yards and the Cowboys won 27-17. Normally, this would be the point that Dallas would look ahead to their customary Thanksgiving feast. But 1975, along with 1977, saw the league give St. Louis the late afternoon Turkey Day spot. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving date became permanent.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving was a windy day in Big D for the rematch with the Giants. Staubach found Fugett for a 54-yard touchdown pass and Dallas built a 14-3 lead after the first quarter. Then, they just salted it away, with no one scoring the rest of the way.

At 8-3, Dallas was playing well again, and the race for the playoffs was red-hot. St. Louis was also 8-3, while Washington was 7-4. The Cowboys had games with both in the immediate future. The next two weeks would decide their fate.

The road trip to St. Louis could not have been a bigger disaster. Dallas dug themselves a 28-3 hole, thanks to two long touchdown passes. The final score of 31-17 was deceptively respectable. The Cardinals were in first place. The Redskins won to pull even with the Cowboys at 8-4.

Stakes for Washington’s visit to Dallas could not have been higher—the winner was going to the playoffs, the loser was going home. Whomever won would be a game ahead with one to play. A Redskin win would secure a head-to-head sweep, while a Cowboy win would ensure that they could still take the tiebreaker based on division record.

The game was on Saturday afternoon in the late time slot. Dallas fell behind 10-0, marking five straight quarters of poor play in the season’s most important games. Staubach turned it around by finding Golden Richards on a 57-yard touchdown pass. Roger then ran for a TD to get a 14-10 lead by halftime.

That 14-10 score held through the third quarter. Dallas added a field goal in the fourth quarter. Moreover, the Cowboys were crushing the ‘Skins on the ground, 204-81. Eventually, Washington broke. A short TD pass from Staubach extended the lead to 24-10. Defensive back Charlie Waters sealed it with a Pick 6. The 31-10 win was sending the Cowboys back to postseason play.

There was still hope of winning the division, but Dallas needed help, and with only four teams per conference in the playoffs, there was no first-round bye at stake. Staubach was dealing with some aching ribs, so Landry let him rest in the final week. It proved a wise decision. St. Louis won anyway. And the Cowboys, behind backup Clint Longley, making his only career NFL start, beat the lowly New York Jets in old Shea Stadium, 31-21.

Dallas was 10-4 and playing well. They were still an eight-point underdog at top-seeded Minnesota. The Vikings had gotten an MVP year from Fran Tarkenton and were the two-time defending NFC champs. The divisional playoff game was the early afternoon kickoff on Sunday.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys trailed 7-0 at halftime. They shifted momentum in the third quarter, getting a tying touchdown run from Dennison, and then a fourth-quarter field goal had Dallas ahead 10-7. But Minnesota drove for a go-ahead touchdown. The Cowboys got the ball on their own 15-yard line with 1:51 left for their final chance.

Staubach was having a good day, finishing at 17/29 for 246 yards and no mistakes. He made two epic throws on this drive. The first one came on 4^th-and-16 to keep the season alive and get the team to midfield. The second was the play this game is remembered for.

Drew Pearson ran a deep route in the final seconds. Near the goal line, he and Minnesota corner Nate Wright fought for position. Pearson won that battle and caught the football for a stunning touchdown. Viking fans argued for offensive pass interference. But to no avail. Dallas had a stunning 17-14 win.

Feeling the momentum, the Cowboys went to Los Angeles to meet the Rams for the NFC Championship. Dallas struck first when Staubach threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Preston Pearson. It was the start of a pattern. Preston Pearson would catch seven passes for 123 yards. Three of those would be for touchdowns. One of those would be in the second quarter, along with a short Staubach-to-Richards  TD pass. The Cowboys were up 21-0 by halftime.

Dallas just kept pounding away. They won the rush yardage battle 195-22. Preston Pearson’s third touchdown blew it open in the third quarter. The lead rose to 34-0. Much like the season opener, L.A. didn’t score until the issue was long decided. With Staubach going 16/26 for 220 yards, this one ended 37-7.

The Cowboys were in the Super Bowl for the first time since their championship season of 1971. Facing the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas took a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Staubach would go 15/24 for 204 yards. But in this game, Roger was also making mistakes. He threw three interceptions, while the Dallas defense couldn’t come up with a takeaway. Even though the secondary only allowed nine completions, they went for 209 yards. Dallas fell behind 21-10, tried to rally, but came up short in a 21-17 defeat.

1975 was still a comeback year for the Cowboys. They had returned to the playoffs, and this started a nine-year string of consecutive postseason appearances. And while Dallas had missed out on winning it all, that wasn’t long in coming—in 1977, the Cowboys captured another Super Bowl championship.

From 1966 through 1983, the Cowboy franchise, led by head coach Tom Landry, was the standard of consistent excellence. They made the playoffs every year but one in that string. The 1974 Dallas Cowboys season was the odd one out—and even that team would have qualified for postseason play under the standards that came into existence just four years later.

Roger Staubach had a down year, at least by the Hall of Fame standards the quarterback would set throughout his career. Staubach’s 7.1 yards-per-attempt was good enough, ranking ninth among starting QBs. But his 53% completion rate was 14^th, and his 4.2 interception rate was unusually high for him, ranking 12^th.

All decline is relative though, and the Dallas offense was still a good one. Drew Pearson was an emerging star at wide receiver, and the 23-year-old made All-Pro with 62 catches for over 1,000 yards. Golden Richards was a big-play threat and Billy Joe DuPree was a tight end who could stretch the field.

Calvin Hill continued to be the focal point of the Cowboy running game, going for 844 yards and punching a Pro Bowl ticket. He got help from up-and-coming Robert Newhouse and veteran Walt Garrison. The offense line was keyed by a Pro Bowl right side, guard Blaine Nye and tackle Rayfield Wright. The Dallas offense ultimately ranked 8^th in the 26-team league for points scored.

Defensively, the Cowboys had a couple of good young defensive lineman with Harvey Martin and Ed “Too Tall” Jones at the ends. Lee Roy Jordan was a veteran Pro Bowler at linebacker, and Cliff Harris also got Pro Bowl recognition at the free safety spot. The Dallas defense wasn’t great, but it was respectable, at 10^th in the league for points allowed.

A late afternoon kickoff in Atlanta opened the season. The Falcons had contended to the bitter end for a playoff berth in a race that involved Dallas in 1973. But Atlanta would collapse this season and the Cowboys got that rolling. A 411-108 edge in total yards was led by Staubach going 13/27 for 252 yards. The final was 24-0.

On a Monday Night visit to mediocre Philadelphia, Dallas led 7-0 in the third quarter and was on the doorstep of adding more. Then the Eagles returned a fumble 96 yards for a touchdown. On a night when Pearson caught ten balls for 161 yards, and Dallas generally outplayed Philly, they dropped a 13-10 decision

It got worse at home against a New York Giants team that was awful. While Staubach went 20/37 for 256 yards and Pearson’s six catches netted 116 yards, Staubach was also sacked six times and threw three interceptions. Dallas didn’t run the ball and lost turnovers 5-4. They suffered a terrible 14-6 defeat.

And now they had defending NFC champion Minnesota coming to town. The Vikings had come here and beaten Dallas 27-10 in the previous year’s NFC Championship Game, and they took a 20-7 lead after three quarters in this one. Hill would rush for 95 yards and Dallas rallied to take a 21-20 lead. But Staubach also threw four interceptions and that was too much to overcome. A late Minnesota field goal sent Dallas to a third straight loss.

The St. Louis Cardinals, an NFC East rival in the alignment that existed through 2001, would emerge as a contender this year and were off to a 4-0 start. Oddsmakers weren’t sold yet, and still made Dallas a (-3.5) favorite on the road. Staubach would play well, going 19/29 for 236 yards. Pearson would have a big game, catching eight passes for 118 yards. Dallas would rally from a 28-14 deficit to tie it at 28-all. But the defense gave up big plays in the passing game, and once again, a fourth-quarter field goal sent the Cowboys to defeat, 31-28.

A 1-4 start is alarming under any circumstances. Further consider that prior to 1978, only one wild-card per conference could make the playoffs and the regular season was only 14 games. You have the landscape for an all-out fire alarm in Big D.

Rematches were ahead with the Eagles, Giants, and Cardinals, and the Cowboys had already reached the must-win point. They trailed Philly at home, 24-17 in the third quarter. But they were controlling the ground game, with Hill on his way to 140 yards. They were pressuring the quarterback, getting six sacks. Staubach was playing mistake-free football and the tide turned in a 31-24 comeback win.

On the road in New York, Dallas was facing an old friend. Craig Morton had been Staubach’s predecessor at starter until midway through 1971, and his backup the last two seasons. Morton was now with the Giants. The Cowboys got a short touchdown run from Garrison and a 32-yard Staubach-to-Pearson connection staked Dallas to a 14-0 lead. They intercepted Morton three times and churned out a 21-7 win.

St. Louis came to old (then new) Texas Stadium on the first weekend of November. A clean game with no turnovers either way saw Dallas trailing 14-7 in the fourth quarter. A 12-yard TD run from Hill tied it. This time, the late field goal went the Cowboys’ way. They won 17-14 and were back to even at 4-4.

Dallas moved past the .500 mark by muscling up against San Francisco. The Cowboys enjoyed a 221-64 edge on the ground. 132 of those yards came from Hill and he scored the go-ahead touchdown in a 20-14 home win.

The Washington Redskins were a perennial contender in the 1970s, and the Redskins, along with the Cardinals, were who the Cowboys had to catch. Or, they at least had to catch one of them to have any hope of the playoffs. A road trip to D.C. for a late Sunday afternoon kickoff would begin a three-week stretch where they would play the ‘Skins twice.

But it couldn’t have gone worse. Dallas trailed 28-0 by halftime. Forced out of the running game, Staubach was erratic, going 16/38 for 174 yards. He was sacked five times. The Cowboys tried to rally, but the deficit was too big in a devastating 28-21 loss.

Dallas came back home to beat mediocre Houston 10-0 behind a 214-26 advantage on the ground. They were 6-5. St. Louis was leading the division at 9-2 and out of reach. Washington was 8-3. Catching the Redskins wouldn’t be easy, but at the very least, they were coming to Dallas for Thanksgiving.

This would be one of the historic games in the long Cowboy tradition of hosting the late afternoon game on Turkey Day. They were trailing 16-3. Staubach was knocked out of the game. For one day, Longley was a star. He went 11/20 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. His 50-yard strike to Pearson in the fourth quarter pulled out a 23-17 win and kept Dallas’ season alive for the moment.

The Cowboys were only a game back of the Redskins, but the tiebreakers were still working against them—those division losses to the Giants and Eagles early in the year were still taking a toll. So, Dallas needed to win their last two, and Washington had to lose their last two.

Lowly Cleveland came in for a late Saturday afternoon game. Staubach struck quickly, with touchdown passes of 35 and 41 yards to Richards. Staubach would finish 14/24 for 230 yards and three TDs. The Browns closed to within 20-17, but Dallas was also running the ball, to the tune of a 252-87 rush yardage edge. They pulled back away to a 41-17 win.

On Monday Night, Washington was on the road against the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams. The Redskins fell behind early, giving hope to Cowboy fans. But the Rams had nothing to play for, the Redskins had everything, and Washington rallied to win 23-17. Dallas’ string of eight straight playoff appearances was over.

They went on to close the year at Oakland, where the Raiders had the best record in the NFL. Staubach made some big plays throwing for 266 yards. But he was also erratic, at 17/39, and forced to play from behind, in a 24-9 hole. Dallas ultimately lost 27-23.

The final record was 8-6. If the second wild-card, which came into existence in 1978, had been around, Dallas would have gotten a third game with Washington. But by the standards of 1974, they were done.

Landry’s team wouldn’t stay down for long. By 1975, they simply picked up and started another playoff streak, this one lasting nine years. They returned to the Super Bowl in ’75 and won it again in 1977.

For seven straight years, Dallas had been in the playoffs. For three straight years, they had at least reached the NFC Championship Game. While the 1973 Dallas Cowboys weren’t able to return to the top of heap and win a second Super Bowl in three years, they did keep both of the aforementioned streaks going.

It was after Tom Landry settled on Roger Staubach as his quarterback midway through 1971 that the Cowboys won their first championship. Staubach was hurt through all of 1972 before returning to lead a dramatic playoff win. In ’73, Roger’s 8.5 yards-per-attempt were the best in the league and his 63 percent completion rate was second. Where he slipped was interceptions. While a 23-15 TD/INT ratio was fine in the context of this era, his 5.2 percent interception rate only ranked 14^th among the 17 QBs with enough throws to qualify.

Staubach’s big-play targets were the trio of Otto Stowe, Bob Hayes, and a young Drew Pearson. Dallas also had a good up-and-coming tight end in Billy Jo DuPree. The running backs, notably Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison were a big part of the passing game, something that was not the norm in an age where more offenses simply threw the ball downfield.

Hill was one of the league’s better runners, rolling up over 1,100 yards. The veteran Garrison and the youthful Robert Newsome combined to add almost 900 more. They ran behind a tough offensive line, led by All-Pro right tackle Rayfield Wright and left guard John Niland.

All in all, the balanced Cowboy attack scored the second-most points in the NFL. And the defense, which ranked seventh in points allowed, wasn’t bad either. The front four was anchored by 34-year-old Pro Bowl tackle Bob Lilly, who was then flanked by good pass-rushing ends in Pat Toomay and Harvey Martin. Veteran linebacker Lee Roy Jordan was a Pro Bowler. The corners had a Pro Bowler on one side in Mel Renfro and a ballhawk on the other, with Charlie Waters intercepting six passes.

Dallas opened the season in Chicago. With the score tied 3-3 in the second quarter, Staubach threw touchdown passes from 21 yards to Stowe and 18 to Hayes. But they allowed a special teams touchdown and let a poor Bear team tie the game 17-17. Eventually though, the six turnovers collected by the Cowboy defense added up, and they won 20-17.

The home opener was on Monday Night against New Orleans. Dallas took a bad team to the woodshed. Leading 12-3 at the half, the Cowboys blew it open when Newhouse ran for one TD and caught another. The final was 40-3. And the blowouts continued six days later when the St. Louis Cardinals came to town. Staubach went 17/22 for 276 yards and no mistakes. Dallas outrushed St. Louis 250-44 and coasted to a 45-10 win.

A 3-0 record compiled against a weak schedule set the Cowboys up for a Monday Night date in Washington. The Redskins had won the NFC East a year earlier and then took out Dallas in the NFC Championship Game.

The Cowboys got 103 rushing yards from Hill and took a 7-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Staubach had been knocked out and veteran Craig Morton was in. Afte the Redskins tied the game 7-7, Morton made the fatal mistake—he threw a Pick-6 deep in his own end. In a wild final 2 ½ minutes, Dallas managed to get down to the Washington four-yard line and faced a 4^th-and-goal. Morton’s short pass to Garrison was complete, but he was tackled a yard short of the goal line. The Cowboys lost 14-7 and, at least for now, were still the second-best team in their own division.

If Monday Night in Washington had been a defensive battle, the road trip to face an excellent Los Angeles Rams’ team would be a shootout. The problem is that Staubach also threw three interceptions, Dallas lost a couple of fumbles, and they lost the football game 37-31.

After two straight losses to contenders, a home game with the lowly New York Giants was a welcome respite. Hill ran for 123 yards. Dallas let New York hang around into the third quarter before Staubach threw consecutive TD passes that blew it open and led the way to a 45-28 win.

A late afternoon game in Philadelphia should have been more easy pickings. But the Cowboys dug a 10-0 hole early. They committed four turnovers and collected none. The surprise 30-16 loss left them at 4-3. In this era when only one wild-card team made the playoffs, and the regular season schedule was just 14 games, Dallas was in trouble.

They also had a tough game waiting at home, in the playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals. The Cowboys met the urgency of the moment. Staubach went 14/19 for 209 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Jordan intercepted three passes. The 38-10 win was easily Dallas’ best game of the season to date.

The Bengals were situated right in between a schedule spot that was otherwise the Giants and Eagles. Dallas made their return trip to New York. The Cowboy D forced six turnovers, including two interceptions by Waters, and won 23-10. In the home game with Philly, Dallas again dug themselves a 10-0 hole and Staubach would be intercepted three times. But this time, the Cowboy ground attack got ginned up. They ran for 286 yards and pulled away to win 31-10.

We had reached Thanksgiving, and Dallas was 7-3. They were tied for first with Washington in the NFC East and tied for the wild-card with the Atlanta Falcons. The final four weeks would be an intense race for the playoffs.

Given that, having to play the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving was less than ideal. The Dolphins were the defending Super Bowl champs, and en route to a repeat title. Dallas fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, and then Miami’s ruthless defensive efficiency just took over. The Cowboys couldn’t run the ball and they couldn’t get it downfield in the passing game. They lost 14-7. Washington and Atlanta both won on Sunday. With three weeks left, Dallas was on the outside looking in.

A must-win visit to Denver against a pretty good Bronco team had its challenges. The offensive line didn’t clear the way for a running game, nor did they protect Staubach, who was sacked seven times. But Roger made big plays. He went 14/28 for 240 yards and stayed away from mistakes. Pearson caught four balls for 93 yards. It was enough to churn out a 22-10 win.

While the Redskins won to keep the NFC East lead, the Falcons lost. Dallas was back into a tie for the wild-card spot. And as far as Washington goes, they were on their way to Texas Stadium for a high-profile late Sunday afternoon showdown.

The game was tight for the first half and Dallas led 3-0. In the second half, the Cowboy offense got rolling. Hill would ultimately clear the 100-yard mark on the ground and run for a couple touchdowns. Staubach would spread the ball around and go 16/25 for 223 yards. The defense kept dominating. The only Redskin points came on a blocked punt long after the affair was settled. Dallas won 27-7.

There was one game left, with Dallas and Washington both tied at 9-4 and having split head-to-head. Atlanta lost again and was 8-5. The tiebreaker system of the time had net point production much higher than is the case today. The good news for Dallas is that their position in this tiebreaker was commanding. Even if they lost, it would be almost impossible to slip behind the Falcons. And so long as they took care of their own business, they would likely hold the edge on Washington.

The season finale was in St. Louis. In the second quarter, Staubach broke a 3-3 tie with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Pearson. A subsequent field goal made it 13-3 at the half. Dallas was now in control, and they didn’t let up. Newhouse ran for 124 yards. Pearson’s five catches went for 140 yards. Staubach threw two more touchdown passes in the second half. The Cowboys coasted to a 30-3 win and secured the NFC East crown.

Dallas was 10-4, while both Los Angeles and the Minnesota Vikings were 12-2. But the rules prior to 1975 seeded the division winners on a rotation system, rather than by merit. In 1973, it was the NFC East’s turn to have homefield throughout the playoffs. So, the points differential tiebreaker meant the road to the Super Bowl would run through Texas Stadium.

Los Angeles came in for the final game of Divisional Round weekend. The Cowboys were surging, having won their last seven games, and that momentum stayed with them. Hill ran in from three yards out to start the scoring. Pearson caught a short TD pass from Staubach. A field goal gave Dallas a commanding 17-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Rams punched back, but the Cowboy defense made stops when they had to. L.A. got two field goals before the half and another early in the fourth quarter. But there was no two-point conversion in the NFL until 1994, so the 17-9 Cowboy lead was still a two-possession margin.

Even so, Los Angeles got in the end zone to cut the lead to a point. Dallas was deep in their own end. It was time for one more big play. Staubach and Pearson hooked up on an 83-yard touchdown pass. That was the dagger and the Cowboys ultimately closed out a 27-16 win.

Minnesota was up next. Could Dallas take out 12-2 teams in back-to-back weeks? The answer to that would be no. The Cowboys couldn’t get the running game going and Staubach was intercepted four times. The game was still competitive into the fourth quarter, and they only trailed 17-10. It was similar to 1972, when Dallas had only trailed Washington by seven points in the final period. But, like ’72, the fourth quarter saw a collapse. The Vikings tacked on ten points and sent the Cowboys home with a 27-10 loss.

Dallas had reached a point in their development where any year that didn’t end in the Super Bowl felt like a disappointment. But this was still four straight years of reaching the NFC Championship Game. They did take a step back in 1974, missing the playoffs for the only time in the decade. But by 1975, they were back in the Super Bowl. And by 1977, they were back to hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Tom Landry’s Cowboys ended several years of postseason frustration in 1971, when they won the franchise’s first Super Bowl. That championship season was keyed by Landry’s settling on Roger Staubach as his quarterback midway through. The bid for a repeat title took a big hit when Staubach was injured in the preseason. But the 1972 Dallas Cowboys still made the playoffs and—aided by Staubach’s recovery—won a memorable postseason game.

After Staubach separated his shoulder in the preseason, Landry went back to reliable veteran Craig Morton, who had steered the team to the Super Bowl in 1970. Morton was an effective quarterback—his 55 percent completion rate and 7.1 yards-per-attempt were both in the upper one-fourth of the league’s starting QBs. What held Morton back, at least compared to Staubach, was mistakes. Morton was intercepted on 6.2 percent of his passes, a figure that placed him 19^th among the 24 qualifying QBs.

The passing game was further hindered when speedy Bob Hayes was hampered all year with a hamstring injury. Dallas still had a deep threat in Ron Sellers, who caught 31 passes for 653 yards. But the offense as a whole became very focused on the running backs. The tandem of halfback Calvin Hill and fullback Walt Garrison not only combined to rush for over 1,800 yards, but they were the team’s two leading pass-catchers. Both Hill and Garrison made the Pro Bowl.

A big reason the running game was so effective was the presence of a pair of All-Pros on the offensive line, left guard John Niland and right tackle Rayfield Wright. Overall, while the offense took a step back from ’71, when it was the best in the NFL, they still ranked a respectable 10^th in a 26-team league.

The Cowboy defense was led by a good secondary. Corner Mel Renfro and strong safety Cornell Green were both Pro Bowlers, while young cornerback Charlie Waters intercepted six passes. In the trenches, there was big Bob Lilly, now 33-years-old, but still a Pro Bowl player. The defense ranked sixth in the league for points allowed.

Dallas opened the season at lowly Philadelphia. After a sluggish first half where the Cowboys only led 7-6, they opened up. Morton went 13/29 for 235 yards. A 37-yard touchdown pass to Sellers got some breathing room and a 154-70 edge in rush yardage keyed an easy 28-6 win.

A road trip to New York to face a decent Giants team followed a similar storyline. Dallas led 10-7 at the half and still clung to a 16-14 lead in the fourth quarter. But with a 139-84 advantage on the ground, they ultimately put New York away, 23-14.

Dallas went on to Green Bay, where the Packers would ultimately win a division title. In a game the Cowboys generally played pretty well, they also turned it over five times. That was the primary cause of a 16-13 defeat.

They went on to Pittsburgh, where the Steelers were having a breakout season that would set their tone for the balance of the entire decade. After falling behind 13-3 in the second quarter, the Cowboys put the game in Hill’s hands. The running back not only rushed for 108 yards, but he threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Sellers that delivered a 17-13 win.

The Baltimore Colts had been a top team—in fact, the one who had broken hearts in Dallas in the Super Bowl just two years earlier. But the Colts would collapse this year. Morton carved them up to the tune of 22/30 for 279 yards, with Sellers catching seven balls for 113 yards. The defense dominated in an easy 21-0 win.

At 4-1, the stage was set for a trip to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins, Dallas’ prime challenger in the NFC East. The game started off well. Morton went up top to Sellers from 39 yards and built an early 10-0 lead. Dallas still led 20-7 in the third quarter. But in a fourth quarter that would prove a prelude to this season’s ultimate ending, the defense fell apart. The Redskins scored the final 17 points and won 24-20.

The Detroit Lions were a contender and their Monday Night visit to Texas Stadium was a big one. Morton put the passing game on display early, with a 38-yard TD strike to Billy Parks, then a 33-yard toss to Hill, and the Cowboys led 14-0. Morton finished the night 11/19 for 206 yards and three TDs. Dallas led 28-17 in the fourth quarter and hung on to win, 28-24.

Morton continued to play well in San Diego, against a bad Chargers team. He went 15/21 for 161 yards. Dallas scored a touchdown on special teams and appeared to be coasting home, with a 31-0 lead. But they weren’t running the ball well and couldn’t put this one away. The Bolts roared back, but the Cowboys held on, 34-28.

A sequence of soft opponents continued when the St. Louis Cardinals came to town. Morton hit Sellers with a 41-yard touchdown pass. An early 10-0 edge was stretched to 23-10 by the half. Waters delivered the dagger blow in the third quarter with a Pick-6 that made it 30-10. The final was 33-24.

Hill needed just 15 carries to get 100 yards in Philadelphia. Dallas systematically built the lead, and their 28-7 win had the unusual twist of coming with two safeties. The Cowboys were 7-2 and riding high into Thanksgiving.

San Francisco was whom Dallas ousted in the previous year’s NFC Championship Game. The Cowboys took an early 7-0 lead in the now-traditional late Thursday afternoon feast. But they were turning the ball over—four times, compared to just one for the 49ers. Two of those turnovers were turned directly into touchdowns. This one got away and turned into an ugly 31-10 loss.

The bright side of the loss? Staubach was now healthy enough to get some mop-up duty. Morton was playing well enough that Landry would stick with him. But there was now an option lurking.

At 8-3, Dallas was in good position for the playoffs. While they were two games behind Washington in the NFC East, the Cowboys were a game up on the 7-4 Lions for what was then just a single wild-card. Dallas the tiebreakers from that Monday Night win over Detroit. And in the era of a 14-game schedule, there were just three weeks left.

The Cowboys made their return visit to St. Louis (the Cardinals were an NFC East team through 2001). It was a late afternoon kickoff. The Lions, having kicked off two hours earlier in Green Bay, were in the process of getting slaughtered. The playoffs were there to be clinched, and Dallas took advantage. Hill rushed for 120 yards, Dallas had 209 rush yards as a team, and they coasted to a 27-6 win.  

Washington had also won and thereby clinched the NFC East, so Dallas was locked in as the wild-card with two weeks to go. It took the edge off the Redskins visit to Texas Stadium the following Saturday. The Cowboys kept fine-tuning their ground game—Garrison went for 121 yards on just ten carriers, while Hill added 111 more. Dallas was up 28-3 by halftime and won 34-24. In the season finale at home against the Giants, Morton and Staubach split time in a game the Cowboys basically mailed in. A 23-3 loss meant they ended their regular season at 10-4.

Dallas went to San Francisco for a Saturday kickoff, one day before Christmas Eve. The Divisional Round began earlier that day in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers and Raiders produced one of the NFL’s most famous and controversial endings. The Cowboys and 49ers would play an epic battle themselves.

It didn’t look epic for much of the day, at least for Dallas. They allowed the opening kickoff to be run back for a touchdown. They gave up two more touchdowns in the second quarter. A couple of nice drives had to end in field goals. Trailing 21-6, the Cowboys needed something. Morton threw a 28-yard TD pass to Lance Alworth to make it a game again, 21-13 at the half.

But San Francisco responded in the third quarter. It was 28-13, and the two-point conversion in the NFL was still over two decades away, so this was a three-possession deficit. Morton was only 8/21 for 96 yards and two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, Landry called on Staubach to try and save the season.

Dallas got a field goal to cut the lead to 28-16. With just over a minute to play, Staubach found Parks on a 29-yard touchdown pass. They were back in it but needed the ball back. Then Renfro covered the onside kick. Staubach had a chance, and he made the most of it. A ten-yard touchdown pass to Sellers completed an improbable 30-28 comeback win.

In a stunning quarter of play, Staubach had gone 12/20 for 174 yards.  The veteran Alworth caught seven balls for 136 yards. There was no question anymore who the Cowboy quarterback was. They would get a Round 3 with Washington for the NFC Championship. And if that worked out, the undefeated Miami Dolphins were on the far side in the Super Bowl.

But Roger and the offense were shut down in RFK Stadium. The game was close for three quarters and the Cowboys only trailed 10-3 at the half. But, like the regular season game in Washington, the Dallas defense broke in the fourth quarter. The Redskins rolled up a touchdown, three field goals and pulled away to a 26-3 win. The bid for a repeat title was over.

The Cowboys still continued what was now a string of seven straight playoff years. Staubach had authored what remains one of the most legendary moments of his Hall of Fame career. And Dallas wasn’t going anywhere. They would make the postseason six of the next seven years with Staubach, reach three more Super Bowls, and win another title in 1977.

Since their founding in 1960, the Cowboys had been gradually gaining steam. They lost epic championship games to Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in 1966 and 1967. Dallas returned to the playoffs in 1968 and 1969. In 1970, Tom Landry’s team reached the Super Bowl. They were pounding on the door. But they were also gaining a “can’t win the big one” reputation. The 1971 Dallas Cowboys not only kicked the door down with a Super Bowl championship, but they found the franchise quarterback who would lead them throughout the coming decade and moved into a new stadium to boot.

Roger Staubach had won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 at the Naval Academy. He went on to serve an obligatory five-year stint in the Navy before being able to play professionally with Dallas, starting in 1969. He was behind Craig Morton. Given that the Cowboys were winning games, Morton wasn’t easy to displace, but a quarterback controversy that built to a crescendo by mid-season of 1971 was resolved in Staubach’s favor.

By season’s end, Staubach had a 60 percent completion rate and averaged 8.9 yards-per-attempt. Morton completed 55 percent of his passes for 7.9 yards each. That wasn’t the real difference though, and both statistical lines were good in this era. What separated the two was that Staubach, with a 15-4 TD/INT ratio was only intercepted on 1.9 percent of his passes. By contrast, Morton’s ratio was 7-8, and he had a 5.6 interception percentage.

Whomever was at quarterback had speedy Bob Hayes to throw to. The former track star caught 35 passes for a dazzling 24.0 yards-per-catch. Veteran Lance Alworth added 34 catches. A tight end named Mike Ditka caught 30 more balls. Fullback Walt Garrison was a reliable safety valve, and his 40 receptions led the team.

A balanced running attack was led by Duane Thomas and supported by both Garrison and backup halfback Calvin Hill. When you put it all together, Dallas scored more points than any other NFL team in 1971.

The defense was pretty good too, led by a tough line. All-Pro Bob Lilly was at tackle. Jethro Pugh recorded 13 ½ sacks and Larry Cole was a good pass rusher off the end. Veteran linebacker Chuck Howley made the Pro Bowl and intercepted five passes. An excellent secondary had Pro Bowlers in cornerback Mel Renfroe and strong safety Cornel Green. The Cowboy defense ranked seventh in the 26-team league for points allowed.

Dallas opened the season at a terrible Buffalo team, and the defense was clearly not rounded into form. The Cowboys trailed 30-28 in the third quarter. But they won the rushing yardage battle, 160-66, and the turnover margin by a 4-1 count. Morton played well, going 10/14 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Dallas rallied to a 49-37 win. There were certainly no signs of a quarterback controversy.

Another easy win came at mediocre Philadelphia. Cornerback Herb Adderly intercepted three passes, the rush yardage edge was 150-32 and the final score was 42-7. The Cowboy offense was humming as the Washington Redskins came to town.

The Redskins had been mediocre of late, but this Week 3 game was the first sign that new head coach George Allen was going to make a positive impact. Dallas dug themselves a 14-3 hole. Staubach was summoned into the game. The Cowboys rallied, but being outrushed 200-82 was the prime reason for a 20-16 defeat.

Monday Night Football at home against the New York Giants was historic. It was the last time Dallas would play a home game in the Cotton Bowl. It was also the first time they would win an MNF game, an innovation in only its second year. Both quarterbacks played extensively in a game that was tied 6-6 in the second quarter. Staubach threw a short TD pass, Morton threw a long one, and the Cowboys prevailed 20-13.

Morton got the start at lowly New Orleans and played poorly. He threw two interceptions and dug a 17-0 hole. Staubach came in and went 7/10 for 117 yards and a pair of TDs, but it was too late. Six turnovers overall spelled a 24-14 loss. In an era when there wasn’t a lot of parity, losses like this weren’t dismissed as “it’s just the NFL”, the way they are today. Landry continued to wrestle with his quarterback options.

Texas Stadium would become an iconic place for future generations of NFL fans, a frequent site of high-profile late Sunday afternoon games, prime-time battles, Thanksgiving Day affairs and playoff games. The partially enclosed stadium made its debut on October 24 against New England. Staubach played and was sharp—13/21 for 197 yards, no mistakes and touchdown passes of 35 and 28 yards to Hayes. Dallas won easily 44-21.

Staubach was clearly emerging, but Landry understandably struggled with the notion of benching a trusted veteran. In Chicago, that struggle hit absurd levels. Landry used Staubach and Morton to shuttle the plays in and out from the sidelines, with a different QB each play. Morton did most of the passing and while he made big plays—20/36 for 257 yards—he also threw three interceptions. Staubach was 7/11 for 87 yards. Dallas lost to a mediocre team, 23-19.

We were at the halfway point of what was then a 14-game schedule and Dallas was 4-3. This was an era when only four teams per conference—three division winners and one wild-card—made the playoffs. The Cowboys were in trouble. Landry made his decision—he was riding with Staubach the rest of the way.

It would be a mistake to think that things instantly turned around. Playing at home against a bad St. Louis Cardinals team, the Cowboys trailed 10-6 in the second half. Staubach threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Dikta to get the lead, and Dallas later won the game 16-13 on a late field goal.

The following week was when the Cowboys started to settle in with a consistent victory formula. They hosted the Eagles and won the rushing battle 179-44. Staubach was 14/28 for 176 yards, the turnover edge was 5-1 and the final score was 20-7.

At 6-3, Dallas was right in the thick of a packed playoff race. Washington was 6-2-1, leading the NFC East. In the push for the wild-card, the Detroit Lions were 5-3-1. The NFC West runner-up—either the 5-3-1 Los Angeles Rams or the 6-3 San Francisco 49ers—would also be in the mix.

There was no margin for error and the visit to RFK Stadium to face the Redskins on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving was enormous. Dallas was up to the challenge. Staubach played efficiently, going 11/21 for 151 yards and no mistakes. The rush advantage was 146-65. The defense was magnificent, pitching a 13-0 shutout. The Cowboys were in first place with four weeks to go.

But there was no time to celebrate, because the Rams, at 6-3-1, were coming to Texas Stadium for Thanksgiving Day. Ike Thomas started the party for Dallas by returning the opening kick for a touchdown. That started an excellent back-and-forth game for the national TV audience. Staubach threw a 51-yard touchdown strike to Hayes and later threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Alworth. The ultimate difference though, in the new Staubach era, was turnovers. Dallas didn’t have any, and they collected three. They won the football game, 28-21.

A late Saturday afternoon home date with the New York Jets turned into a rout. Thomas again opened the game by taking the kickoff to the house. Staubach threw a pair of 27-yard touchdown passes to Hill in the first quarter alone. The balance of the Dallas running game can be underscored by this fact—all of the times in this narrative that you read of decisive Cowboy edges on the ground, Thomas’ 112 yards against the Jets were the only time an individual Dallas runner went over 100 yards. They won this one, 52-10.

Washington was keeping pace in the NFC East, although at 9-3, Dallas now had a game and a half lead for the wild-card. They went to New York and jumped all over the Giants. Staubach threw a 46-yard TD pass to Hayes, a 10-yard scoring toss to Hill, and then back to Hayes for an 85-yard strike. Staubach finished 10/14 for 232 yards. The 42-14 win sewed up a playoff spot.

The division title was still out there, and Dallas would play a late Saturday afternoon game in the season finale. They hosted the St. Louis Cardinals (the Cards were an NFC East team prior to the realignment of 2002). Thomas opened the scoring with a 53-yard touchdown run, later added a short scoring burst, and then caught a 34-yard TD pass. Dallas was ahead 21-3 and coasted home, 31-12.

Since committing to Staubach as the starter, the Cowboys had swept seven straight games, closed with an 11-3 mark and were NFC East champs.

There was no seeding in the playoffs prior to 1974. The matchups, including homefield, were set by a pre-determined rotation among the divisions. That inequity meant that Dallas would visit the Minnesota Vikings for the divisional playoffs—even though the Cowboys and VIkes, both 11-3, were the top two teams in the NFC.

On a frigid Christmas Day at old Metropolitan Stadium, the two great teams played a defensive struggle for a half. Dallas led 6-3. But the mistake-free football played under Staubach would again bear fruit. The Cowboys forced five turnovers and committed zero. In the third quarter, Thomas ran in from 13 yards out, and Staubach hit Hayes with a nine-yard TD pass. In spite of being outgained 311-183, Dallas won comfortably, 20-12.

They came back home to play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Championship Game. After a scoreless first quarter, Hill’s 1-yard TD run opened the scoring in the second quarter. The 49ers got a field goal in the third quarter and a tight battle went into the final period at 7-3.

Dallas’ defense was shutting down San Francisco’s running game. The Cowboys would grind out 172 yards, led by Staubach’s 55. The passing game was hindered by allowing six sacks, but a short TD run from Thomas in the fourth quarter helped the Cowboys chisel out a tough 14-3 win. They were going back to the Super Bowl.

Don Shula’s upstart Miami Dolphins were the last opponent. How far the Super Bowl has progressed as an American institution is underscored by the fact that this edition—only the sixth—was played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. How far Dallas had progressed during the 1971 season is underscored by the fact they were installed as a solid six-point favorite.

The first Cowboy drive bogged down near the goal-line. Landry took the points with an early field goal. Staubach found Alworth on a second-quarter touchdown pass that opened up some breathing room at 10-0, but a Miami field goal cut the lead to 10-3 at the half.

What Dallas had going for them was complete dominance of the line of scrimmage. They would win the rushing battle, 252-80, with Thomas’ 95 yards leading the way. And they had Staubach’s mistake-free brand of football. Roger went 12/19 for 119 yards and no interceptions. Thomas ran for a TD in the third quarter to open up the lead to 17-3. In the fourth quarter, Staubach tossed a short scoring pass to Ditka to blow it open. The final was 24-3. Staubach was the game MVP, and the Cowboys were champs.

More than champs, Dallas had ushered in a new era. Staubach would lead the way all the way through the 1970s. The Cowboys had winning seasons every year, made the postseason every year except one, reached the Super Bowl three more times, and won another championship in 1977.

With three Super Bowl championships in the previous four years, Dallas was already a dynasty. All of the key players were back in tow for another shot at the ring. The 1996 Dallas Cowboys were good and they had a few moments where flashes of their championship selves came shining through. But they also lacked consistency and ’96 was the year when the dynasty began to wind down.

It was no fault of the defense. The Cowboy D ranked third in the NFL in points allowed. Deion Sanders, the Hall of Fame cornerback was one big reason. So was Darren Woodson, who wasn’t one of the big names in this era of Cowboy football, but was consistently the best strong safety in the league.

Dallas got a career year from defensive end Tony Tolbert, who made the Pro Bowl with twelve sacks. So even though the Cowboys had suffered personnel losses in free agency—cornerback Larry Brown,  defensive tackle Russell Maryland and linebacker Robert Jones—the defense didn’t miss a beat.

Troy Aikman, the future Hall of Fame quarterback, saw his numbers slip from the championship year of 1995, even though he did make another Pro Bowl at the age of 30.  Aikman’s 64 percent completion rate was still second-best among starting quarterbacks. But his 6.7 yards-per-attempt was mediocre. He was intercepted on 2.8 percent of his passes, which was above average, but still down from ’95.

The loss of tight end Jay Novacek to retirement was a blow to the passing game. Kevin Williams, who had started to emerge late in the season in 1995 as a viable second receiver and deep threat, was limited by injuries. Aikman found himself dumping more passes to new tight end Eric Bjornson and fullback Daryl Johnston. Deion got a little time at receiver, as head coach Barry Switzer looked for answers.

It might have been a complete disaster, but another future Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin, was there to at least provide some stability at receiver. Irvin caught 64 balls, averaged 15 yards a catch and made sure the passing game didn’t disappear.

The same can’t be said of another great player from this era of Cowboy football. Emmitt Smith is one of the great running backs of all time. He had won four rushing titles in the previous five years, including an MVP award in 1993. And he ran for over 1,200 yards in this 1996 season. But if you look below the surface, he averaged less than four yards a pop. This is in spite of four offensive lineman—Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson, Larry Allen and Erik Williams having Pro Bowl years.

It’s Smith’s down season that was the biggest difference between this Cowboy team and those that won Super Bowls in 1992, 1993 and 1995, and was the clear second-best team in 1994. The inability to muscle past opponents is the key reason the Dallas offense ranked a woeful 25^th in the league in points scored.

The problems showed up right away on an opening Monday Night in Chicago. Dallas couldn’t run the ball against a mediocre opponent, lost three fumbles and took a 22-6 Labor Day loss to start the season.

The Cowboys came home and dispatched a bad New York Giants team 27-0, behind early touchdown passes from Aikman to Deion, Kevin Williams and Emmitt. A week later, at home against playoff-bound Indianapolis, the Cowboys built a 21-6 lead in the third quarter. They were getting big days from Tolbert and defensive tackle Leon Lett, who combined for five sacks. But in the fourth quarter, Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh heated up. Dallas melted down in front of the late Sunday afternoon national audience and lost 25-24.

Buffalo had been Dallas’ Super Bowl foil in the 1992-93 seasons and were still a playoff team here in 1996. The Cowboys went on the road for another late afternoon national game. Facing a backup quarterback in Todd Collins, the defense played exceptionally well. The offense did not. Aikman threw three interceptions. Dallas only rushed for 32 yards. They lost 10-7.

At 1-3, the Cowboys were reeling and the rest of the league could see blood in the water. The Philadelphia Eagles had been the top challenger in the NFC East and Dallas had a Monday Night date in Philly to close September. When they dug a 10-0 hole in the first quarter, disaster loomed. But the defense stepped up with six sacks, two by Tolbert, and getting five turnovers. A 23-13 win stopped the bleeding going into the bye week.

The week off seemed to be what the running game needed. Emmitt went for 112 yards in a 17-3 home win over mediocre Arizona. Then a bad Atlanta Falcons team came in the following week, and put the Cowboys in a 25-17 hole in the third quarter. Facing a complete embarrassment, Aikman threw a short touchdown pass to Emmitt and converted the two-point play to tie the game. Then, trailing 28-25, Aikman hit Kelvin Martin on a 60-yard TD strike that salvaged a 32-28 win.

Dallas was back on the right side of .500 at 4-3, but still looked nothing like a Super Bowl contender. And they were entering a crucial four-week stretch of high-profile games.

Jimmy Johnson had been the Dallas coach for the first two Super Bowl titles. He left in a soap opera dispute with owner Jerry Jones. After two years out of the game, Johnson was back on the sidelines in Miami this year. And as luck would have it, the Cowboys and Dolphins were due to play each other on the AFC-NFC rotation. They were in the late Sunday afternoon national window on the final weekend of October.

Dallas moved the ball consistently in the first half, but three deep drives ended in field goals. They trailed 10-9 at the half. But Aikman and Irvin took over. The quarterback finished 33/41 for 363 yards and no interceptions. Irvin, one of his former coaches’ favorites, showed why, with 12 catches for 186 yards. The Cowboys took over the second half and won 29-10.

It was a great time to build on the momentum with the Eagles coming to Big D. Instead, Aikman was outplayed by Philadelphia counterpart Ty Detmer and the Cowboys lost 31-21. They were 5-4.

A road trip to San Francisco was next. The previous four years in the NFL had been defined by the Cowboys and 49ers, clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Dallas trailed this game 17-10 in the fourth quarter. With 49er quarterback Steve Young out, Aikman ended up making the difference. He finished 24/39 for 230 yards, including a late TD pass to Bjornson that tied the game. Dallas won 20-17 in overtime.

The next big contender on the docket was the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys had ousted the Packers from the playoffs each of the previous three seasons. But this year’s Green Bay team was different. The Brett Favre era in Lambeau Field was fully emerging and the Packers were playing the best football of anyone. But they knew they had to be able to beat Dallas.

This writer is originally from southeastern Wisconsin and was gathered with a group of Packer fans who watched this Monday Night game in horror. The Dallas defense was vintage, sacking Favre four times and preventing him from getting the ball down the field. The offense comfortably marched up and down the field. In a rather strange circumstance, they kept kicking field goals—seven of them in all—but was enough to win 21-6.

Now 7-4, with consecutive wins over the 49ers and Packers, Dallas was back in the Super Bowl conversation. It was another great time to build some momentum. But this Cowboy year was different and the following Sunday in the Meadowlands showed it. There was no running game against the Giants. Dallas turned it over five times. A 20-6 loss broke up all the good feelings they had come over the last month.

As we approached Thanksgiving and the final quarter of the season, Dallas was in a jam-packed race in the NFC East. At 7-5, the Cowboys and Eagles each trailed the 8-4 Washington Redskins. The Arizona Cardinals (an NFC East team prior to 2002) were 6-6, but had a potentially favorable tiebreaker situation shaping up.

The very top of the NFC had Green Bay at 9-3, with San Francisco and Carolina (NFC West rivals prior to the ’02 realignment that created the NFC South) at 8-4. Of course Dallas had their own potentially favorable tiebreakers working here. But first, they had to somehow push through the logjam in their own division.

That would start on Thanksgiving, with the Redskins coming into town. It looked like the Cowboys of old, mainly because Emmitt looked like his old self. He muscled his way for 155 yards. The ‘Skins could only muster 46 yards rushing. Dallas won 21-10. That Sunday, the Cardinals lost. The NFC East was down to Dallas, Washington and Philly, all 8-5. It was a mad race to the finish.

Down in Arizona, the Cowboys were sluggish for a half, trailing 6-0 into the third quarter. Aikman found Irvin on a 50-yard touchdown pass. It was the showcase point of a game when Aikman went 15/24 for 255 yards and Irvin’s eight catches produced 198 yards. The Cowboys won 10-6. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Redskins both lost.

Dallas not only had a one-game lead, but the tiebreakers were falling their way. They hosted the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots in the season’s penultimate game. With 22mph winds swirling, neither offense could do much of anything. But the Cowboys won the turnover battle 4-2, which led to them winning a battle of field goals 4-2. The 12-6 win clinched a fifth straight NFC East crown.

The Cowboys were locked into the 3-seed and the Redskins had collapsed, so a potentially high-profile season finale in the final game of Washington’s old RFK Stadium ended up not meaning anything. Switzer mailed this one in and got players some rest. It ended a 37-10 loss.

No one knew quite what to make of this Dallas team going into the playoffs. Their pedigree was unquestioned. So was the fact they had clearly demonstrated an ability to dominate the league’s best teams in this season. But could they string together the four consistent games it would take to win a fourth Super Bowl title in five years?

Minnesota came in for a late afternoon Saturday visit to start the playoffs on the final weekend of December. The championship Cowboys showed up for this one. Emmitt ran for 116 yards. Irvin caught eight balls for over 100 yards. Dallas was ahead 30-0 by halftime and cruised to a 40-15 win.

Carolina had outlasted San Francisco in the NFC West, so the Panthers had the 2-seed. Divisional Round Weekend started when the 49ers were eliminated up in Green Bay. The Cowboys and Panthers took the field on late Sunday afternoon.

All the negative patterns of the regular season came through for Dallas. They didn’t run the ball and dug themselves an early 14-3 hole. They game stayed tight, with the Cowboys pulling to within 14-11, 17-14 and 23-17 at various points. But Aikman threw three interceptions and the season ended with a 26-17 loss.

The dynasty was officially over. It seemed like an inappropriate end. The folks up in Green Bay badly wanted Dallas to have come to Lambeau Field. Losing to San Francisco would have been a worthy final chapter. A defeat to a franchise in its second season of existence wasn’t what any scriptwriter would have produced.

But it’s what happened. And the cracks that showed in 1996 opened wide in 1997. The Cowboys slipped to 6-10 and Switzer was fired. Even though the franchise would get back into the playoffs in 1998, they were never an elite team and it was never the same. Aikman retired after the 2000 season. The dynasty came to an end in 1996.

Super Bowl victories in 1992 and 1993 had been the culmination of Jimmy Johnson’s historically rapid rebuilding program in Dallas. But the three-peat bid of the 1994 Dallas Cowboys would be quickly awash in uncertainty. Johnson’s feud with owner Jerry Jones boiled to a head, and the head coach was fired. Barry Switzer, a three-time collegiate national champion at Oklahoma, but lacking in NFL experience, took over.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ key rival for supremacy in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, were doing some plotting of their own. The 49ers acquired future Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. The Cowboys had a stiff challenge ahead of them.

Switzer’s strength at Oklahoma was that he simply let great talent play and didn’t overcoach. Dallas had great talent and much of Johnson’s fine coaching staff remained intact. Barry just let the ship stay the course. That ship was led by the Big Three—eventual Hall of Famers in quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin. Aikman’s 65% completion rate and 7.4 yards-per-attempt were each second among starting quarterbacks in 1994, even if his 3.3% interception rate was subpar.

Irving caught 79 passes and averaged nearly 16 yards a catch, as he joined Aikman in the Pro Bowl. Alvin Harper was a big-play receiver whose 33 catches averaged a stunning 25 yards per. Jay Novacek at tight end and Daryl Johnston at fullback were each Pro Bowlers and their combined 91 catches ensured Aikman could always work the short game.

But Emmitt made this offense go and he did so the tune of 1,484 yards. He was 1^st-team All-NFL running behind an all-time great offensive line. Mark Stepnoski at center and Mark Tuinei at left tackle were each Pro Bowlers. Nate Newton at guard was 1^st-team All-NFL .And a rookie tackle named Larry Allen was getting started on what proved to be a Hall of Fame career.

It all added up to the second-most prolific offense in the NFL. And the defense wasn’t far behind, coming in third in the league for points allowed. Charles Haley was 1^st-team All-NFL at defensive end with his 12 ½ sacks. Darren Woodson was another 1^st-teamer at strong safety. Leon Lett punched a Pro Bowl ticket at defensive tackle. Even with Johnson gone, the defense that was his baby, continued to roll on.

Dallas opened the season at Pittsburgh. The Steelers would end up with the 1-seed in the AFC, but they were no match for the Cowboys. Emmitt ran for 171 yards, Aikman went 21/32 for 245 yards, with Irvin catching eight balls for 139 yards. It was vintage Dallas, as they cruised to a 26-9 win.

But a late afternoon home game with the Houston Oilers (today’s Tennessee Titans) did not go well. The Oilers had just parted ways with Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon and were on their way to a horrible season. But Dallas had a hard time breaking free. They only led 13-10 at the half before Aikman found Harper on a 53-yard touchdown pass. The 20-17 win had the feel of a warning sign.

That warning came to fruition the following Monday Night. Facing the Detroit Lions, Emmitt and the Lions’ Barry Sanders had an electric running back duel. Emmitt went for 143 yards, but Sanders ripped off 194. The Cowboys lost in overtime, 20-17.

They went into an early bye week at 2-1, clearly looking vulnerable, but just as clearly with time to get it all figured out. Dallas came out of the bye and blasted the Washington Redskins 34-7, controlling the ball for forty minutes and holding the Redskins to 28 yards rushing. A week later, the Cowboys routed the Arizona Cardinals 38-3 in a late afternoon home game. Neither the Redskins or Cardinals were any good, but at least Dallas was back to blowing out bad teams.

Another late Sunday afternoon home kickoff followed with mediocre Philadelphia. The Cowboys forced five turnovers and won 24-13. A return visit to Arizona (prior to 2002 the Cardinals were in the NFC East along with the division’s four current teams) was a little tougher. After three quarters, Dallas trailed 21-14. Worse, Aikman had been knocked out and backup Rodney Peete was in the game.

Peete played well and went 12/19 for 186 yards. He also threw two touchdown passes, including a 65-yard strike to Irvin to tie it up. Dallas survived 28-21. Another narrow escape on the road followed at Cincinnati. The Bengals were awful, but the Cowboys dug a 14-0 hole. Aikman had returned and rallied the team to a 23-20 win behind six catches for 125 yards from Harper. But this was two weeks in a row of less than inspired football.

Dallas was 7-1 and their “problems” were high-class concerns, to say the least. But when the Super Bowl is the only measure of success and you have a rival the quality of San Francisco, there’s no room for error. And the head-to-head battle with the 49ers was just two weeks away.

The Cowboys hosted the New York Giants on Monday Night and clicked back into gear. Aikman was a sharp 19/24 for 241 yards and no mistakes. Irvin caught seven of those passes for 118 yards, while Emmitt rolled up 163 yards on the ground. The final was 38-10. It was time to go to San Francisco.

November 13 at old Candlestick Park was as anticipated as any regular season game could be. The 49ers were 7-2, so Dallas had a one-game lead and could all but salt away the 1-seed with a win here. But it didn’t happen. While Aikman made big plays, he also made mistakes. His final line was 23/42 for 339 yards, but three interceptions. More alarming was San Francisco’s 147-87 edge in rush yardage. The Cowboys lost 21-14.

A home date with Washington followed. A couple of early rushing TDs from Emmitt, along with two interceptions from corner Kevin Smith, paved the way for an easy 31-7 win. But Aikman was again knocked out. So was Peete. With the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast ahead, there was no time to recover.

So it was left to third-stringer Jason Garrett to face the Green Bay Packers and a young Brett Favre. The Cowboys had knocked the Packers out of the playoffs the year before. But without their top quarterbacks, Dallas was in a 24-13 hole. Then Garrett became a Thanksgiving Day legend. He heated up and the Cowboys ripped off 26 straight points. Garrett finished the day 15/26 for 311 yards. Dallas won 42-31.

A road trip to Philadelphia began December. The Cowboys clung to a 24-19 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were driving. Woodson saved the day. He intercepted a pass on the six-yard line and raced 94 yards to the house, sealing the win.

Dallas was up to 11-2. They had blown away the NFC East, which didn’t even produce a second playoff team, much less a viable challenger to the Cowboys. San Francisco was also 11-2. Both teams had blown away the field for what were then two first-round byes. Dallas just needed a break to get to the top seed.

They hosted the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns, coached by Bill Belichick for a late afternoon Saturday game. Belichick’s defense prevented Aikman from getting the ball down the field. The Cowboys turned the ball over four times. Even though Emmitt ran for 112 yards, the Cleveland running game was also respectable. Dallas lost 19-14.

San Francisco won the following day and again the following Sunday. By the time the Cowboys played again, on Monday Night in New Orleans, they were locked into the 2-seed. They knocked off the mediocre Saints 24-16, mailed on the finale on the road at the Giants in a 15-10 loss and went into the postseason at 12-4.

For the second straight year, the Packers beat the Lions in the wild-card round and earned a ticket to Dallas for the divisional playoffs. I was living in Wisconsin at the time. While the loyal Packer fans were realistic about their chances, they were hopeful that this season—unlike 1993—could at least be a competitive game into the fourth quarter.

For a quarter, Green Bay hung in. Dallas led 7-3 in the second quarter and were backed up on their own six-yard line. Then Aikman hit Harper on a 94-yard strike. Emmitt had to go to the sidelines with a hamstring problem, but it didn’t matter. Aikman was too hot, going 23/30 for 337 yards. He spread the ball around, with Irvin and Novacek joining Harper with 100 yards receiving on the day. It was 28-9 by halftime and ended 35-9.

The previous day, San Francisco had taken care of their own business in blowing out Chicago. After Dallas’ win, Irvin said what everyone in football knew—that the only point of the regular season was to determine where this particular NFC Championship Game matchup would be played. It was time for the battle.

But there were concerns about Emmitt’s health. He played, but the uncertain footing of Candlestick was not ideal for a running back under even the best of circumstances. And in either case, Dallas would have to throw the very idea of running the ball out the window much earlier than anyone anticipated.

Aikman threw a Pick-6 on the first possession. Two more turnovers followed and they were immediately converted into 49er touchdowns. Dallas was staring at a stunning 21-0 deficit in the first quarter. They battled gamely—especially Irvin, who caught 12 balls for 192 yards. They stayed close enough to keep it interesting. But they also never got closer than ten points and ended up losing 38-28.

The 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl in a blowout. As everyone believed back in August, Dallas and San Francisco were both several lengths ahead of the rest of the league.

Dallas would regroup. Jerry Jones went out and got Deion Sanders for himself and shifted the balance of power back in the Cowboys direction for 1995, when the franchise got another Super Bowl ring.