1978 Dallas Cowboys season
Encyclopedia
The 1978 Dallas Cowboys
season was their 19th in the NFL. For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys scored 384 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while the defense only gave up 208 points. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football
. The club became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls.
. Staubach finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFL (84.9) by throwing 231 out of 413 completions for 3,190 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 182 yards and another touchdown. Wide receivers Drew Pearson
and Tony Hill
provided the deep passing threats, combining for 90 receptions, 537 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Tight end Billy Joe Dupree
contributed 34 receptions for 509 yards and 9 touchdowns. Running back Tony Dorsett
had another fine season, recording a total of 1703 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scoring a total of 9 touchdowns. Fullback Robert Newhouse
and halfback Preston Pearson
also contributed from the offensive backfield, combining for 1,326 rushing and receiving yards, while Newhouse also scored 10 touchdowns. The Cowboys also had a superb offensive line, led by Herbert Scott
and 12-time Pro Bowl
er Rayfield Wright
The Cowboys' "Doomsday Defense
" finished the season as the top ranked defense in the league against the run by only allowing 107.6 yards per game. Pro Bowl linemen Ed "Too Tall" Jones
, Harvey Martin
and Randy White
anchored the line, while linebackers Bob Breunig
, D. D. Lewis and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson provided solid support. Their secondary, led by safeties Cliff Harris
and Charlie Waters
, along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes
and Aaron Kyle
, combined for 16 interceptions.
The Cowboys started the regular season slowly, winning only six of their first ten games. Both the offense and the defense played ineffectively, including giving up interceptions and fumbles. Dallas finished strong, winning their last six regular season games to post a 12–4 record.
In the aftermath of the season, NFL Films produced its annual highlight reel as it does for every NFL team. Notable of the highlight reel was the title, "America's Team
". It would come to be a label that would define the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of their history. However, the label is most remembered for the Cowboys of this era, appearing in three Super Bowls in four years and claiming a unique spotlight in the American consciousness.
to only 8 completions in 23 attempts and intercepted him 3 times en route to victory. After the Falcons led 20–13 at halftime, the Cowboys scored 14 unanswered points in the second half.
Much of the pregame hype surrounding Super Bowl XIII centered around Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Henderson caused quite a stir before the NFC Championship Game by claiming that the Rams had "no class" and the Cowboys would shut them out. His prediction turned out to be very accurate; the Cowboys did shut them out, aided by Henderson's 68-yard interception return for a touchdown.
In the days leading up the Super Bowl, Henderson began talking about the Steelers in the same manner. He predicted another shutout and then made unfriendly comments about several Pittsburgh players. He put down the talent and the intelligence of Bradshaw, proclaiming "Bradshaw couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'c' and the 'a'". But the Steelers refused to get into a war of words with Henderson. Greene responded by saying the Steelers didn't need to say they were the best, they would just go out on the field and "get the job done".
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
season was their 19th in the NFL. For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys scored 384 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while the defense only gave up 208 points. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. The club became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls.
NFL Draft
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
Larry Bethea Larry Bethea Larry Bethea was an American football defensive lineman who played six years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He later played for the Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders and Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League... |
Defensive End | Michigan State Michigan State University Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,... |
Regular season
The defending Super Bowl champions were again led by quarterback Roger StaubachRoger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. Staubach finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFL (84.9) by throwing 231 out of 413 completions for 3,190 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 182 yards and another touchdown. Wide receivers Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
and Tony Hill
Tony Hill (American football)
Leroy Anthony Hill, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1977 to 1986...
provided the deep passing threats, combining for 90 receptions, 537 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Tight end Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
contributed 34 receptions for 509 yards and 9 touchdowns. Running back Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
had another fine season, recording a total of 1703 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scoring a total of 9 touchdowns. Fullback Robert Newhouse
Robert Newhouse
Robert Fulton Newhouse is a former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys .-College career:...
and halfback Preston Pearson
Preston Pearson
Preston James Pearson is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Baltimore Colts , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Dallas Cowboys . Before his NFL career, he played for the University of Illinois, where he excelled at basketball...
also contributed from the offensive backfield, combining for 1,326 rushing and receiving yards, while Newhouse also scored 10 touchdowns. The Cowboys also had a superb offensive line, led by Herbert Scott
Herbert Scott
Herbert Carnell Scott is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League...
and 12-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er Rayfield Wright
Rayfield Wright
Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:...
The Cowboys' "Doomsday Defense
Doomsday Defense
The Doomsday Defense was the nickname given to the famous defense of the Dallas Cowboys American football team during the dynasty years of the late 1960s - 1970s...
" finished the season as the top ranked defense in the league against the run by only allowing 107.6 yards per game. Pro Bowl linemen Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Ed Jones (American football)
Ed Lee "Too Tall" Jones is a retired American football player in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. By the end of his 15 years with the Cowboys, he was officially credited with 57 quarterback sacks. Unofficially, his career sack total is 106...
, Harvey Martin
Harvey Martin
Harvey Banks Martin was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 until 1983. He started playing football in high school, only because he overheard his father tell his mother that he was ashamed that his son did not play like his friends'...
and Randy White
Randy White (American football)
Randall Lee "Randy" White is a former American football defensive lineman and linebacker. He attended the University of Maryland from 1971 to 1974, and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys from 1975 to 1988. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
anchored the line, while linebackers Bob Breunig
Bob Breunig
Robert Paul Breunig is a former American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League from 1975 to 1984...
, D. D. Lewis and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson provided solid support. Their secondary, led by safeties Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris
Clifford Allen Harris is a former professional American football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for ten seasons.-Professional career:...
and Charlie Waters
Charlie Waters
Charlie Tutan Waters is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970-1981 in the National Football League...
, along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes
Benny Barnes
Benny Jewell Barnes is a former American Football cornerback who played eleven seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
and Aaron Kyle
Aaron Kyle
Aaron Douglas Kyle is a former American Football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos. He played at the prestigious Cass Technical High School graduating in 1974. He played college football at the University of Wyoming and was drafted in the...
, combined for 16 interceptions.
The Cowboys started the regular season slowly, winning only six of their first ten games. Both the offense and the defense played ineffectively, including giving up interceptions and fumbles. Dallas finished strong, winning their last six regular season games to post a 12–4 record.
In the aftermath of the season, NFL Films produced its annual highlight reel as it does for every NFL team. Notable of the highlight reel was the title, "America's Team
America's Team
The term America's Team is a popular nickname in American sports that refers to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator opens with the following introduction: The term is recognized and often used by media...
". It would come to be a label that would define the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of their history. However, the label is most remembered for the Cowboys of this era, appearing in three Super Bowls in four years and claiming a unique spotlight in the American consciousness.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4, 1978 | Baltimore Colts | W 38–0 | |
| 2 | September 10, 1978 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34–24 | |
| 3 | September 17, 1978 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
L 27–14 | |
| 4 | September 24, 1978 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 21–12 | |
| 5 | October 2, 1978 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 9–5 | |
| 6 | October 8, 1978 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24–3 | |
| 7 | October 15, 1978 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24–21 | |
| 8 | October 22, 1978 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 14–7 | |
| 9 | October 26, 1978 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 21–10 | |
| 10 | November 5, 1978 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–16 | |
| 11 | November 12, 1978 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 42–14 | |
| 12 | November 19, 1978 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 27–7 | |
| 13 | November 23, 1978 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 37–10 | |
| 14 | December 3, 1978 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 17–10 | |
| 15 | December 10, 1978 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31–13 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1978 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 30–7 | |
Standings
| NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 384 | 208 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1978 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1978 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time in eighteen years, which ended the longest postseason drought in the franchise’s history and one of the longest in the history of the National Football League.... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 270 | 250 |
| Washington Redskins 1978 Washington Redskins season The 1978 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 9-5 record from 1977. This was Jack Pardee's first season as Head Coach.For the 1978 season, the NFL expanded from a 14-game season to a 16-game season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 273 | 283 |
| St. Louis Cardinals 1978 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season -Schedule:-Standings:-References:**... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 248 | 296 |
| New York Giants 1978 New York Giants season The 1978 New York Giants season was the 54th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The Miracle at the Meadowlands is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans for a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 264 | 298 |
Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 1978 roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Jim Cooper James Hayes Shofner "Jim" Cooper is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the Blue Dog Coalition. He previously represented from 1983 to 1995.... C/T Andy Frederick Andrew Brian Frederick is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and the Chicago Bears. He played college football at the University of New Mexico and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL Draft.... T Burton Lawless Richard Burton Lawless is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1970s and 1980s... G Tom Rafferty Thomas Michael Rafferty is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL. He attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, New York, and went on to start four years for coach Joe Paterno at Penn State University earning All-American honors in 1975.-Early years:Rafferty attended... G Herbert Scott Herbert Carnell Scott is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League... G Rayfield Wright Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Bob Breunig Robert Paul Breunig is a former American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League from 1975 to 1984... MLB Mike Hegman Michael William Hegman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Tennessee State University.... OLB Bruce Huther Bruce Albert Huther is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns, and the Chicago Bears. He played college football at the University of New Hampshire.Huther played high school football at Manchester Regional High School in... MLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Currently vacant Rookies in italics 45 Active, 0 Inactive |
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NFC Divisional Playoff
Dallas' "Doomsday Defense" limited Atlanta quarterback Steve BartkowskiSteve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
to only 8 completions in 23 attempts and intercepted him 3 times en route to victory. After the Falcons led 20–13 at halftime, the Cowboys scored 14 unanswered points in the second half.
NFC Championship Game
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII can arguably be called the greatest collection of NFL talent ever to gather for a game. In additions to Coaches Noll and Landry, 14 players would go on to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: 9 from Pittsburgh (Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Webster, Greene, Lambert, Ham, and Blount), and 5 from Dallas (Staubach, Dorsett, White, Wright, and Jackie Smith).Much of the pregame hype surrounding Super Bowl XIII centered around Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Henderson caused quite a stir before the NFC Championship Game by claiming that the Rams had "no class" and the Cowboys would shut them out. His prediction turned out to be very accurate; the Cowboys did shut them out, aided by Henderson's 68-yard interception return for a touchdown.
In the days leading up the Super Bowl, Henderson began talking about the Steelers in the same manner. He predicted another shutout and then made unfriendly comments about several Pittsburgh players. He put down the talent and the intelligence of Bradshaw, proclaiming "Bradshaw couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'c' and the 'a'". But the Steelers refused to get into a war of words with Henderson. Greene responded by saying the Steelers didn't need to say they were the best, they would just go out on the field and "get the job done".
Awards and records
- Led NFL in Sacks
- Led NFL, Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed (1,721)
- Led NFL, Most Rushing Yards (2,783)
- Led NFL, Points Scored (384)
- Roger Staubach, NFL Passing Leader
- Roger Staubach, NFC Leader, Touchdown Passes (25)
Milestones
- Tony Dorsett, Second Consecutve 1,000 Yard Rushing Season, (Finished season with 1,325 yards, third in NFL)