1978: Cowboys Overcome Missed Opportunities to Defeat Cards in OT

It appeared to be a classic mismatch on October 15, 1978 as the Dallas Cowboys, with a 4-2 record, faced the winless St. Louis Cardinals, who were 0-6 and, going back to the previous season, had lost a total of ten straight contests.

Coached by Tom Landry for the 19th season, the Cowboys were the defending NFL Champions and, while off to a somewhat slow start, they remained formidable. QB Roger Staubach (pictured above) directed an offense that could run the ball effectively with HB Tony Dorsett or strike from the air to wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill. The defense was strong, with the line anchored by DE Harvey Martin and DT Randy White and containing an excellent secondary.

St. Louis had fallen on hard times after winning two division titles under Don Coryell in 1974 and ‘75. Coryell had departed following a 7-7 record in ’77 and Bud Wilkinson, a legendary college coach who had nevertheless been away from the sidelines for many years, was in his place. While the Cardinals had an able quarterback in Jim Hart and a good line, they lacked outside speed at running back. The club had yet to score more than 17 points in a game and the defense had difficulty against the run, giving up 216 yards on the ground in a loss at Dallas three weeks earlier.

There were 48,991 fans in attendance at Busch Memorial Stadium. In the first quarter and following a fumble by Roger Staubach that was recovered by NT Mike Dawson, the Cardinals advanced 47 yards in seven plays. FB Jim Otis ran for the last two and a touchdown, followed by Jim Bakken’s extra point.

Dallas missed an opportunity a few plays later when SS Charlie Waters nearly intercepted a Hart pass with a clear field in front of him, but dropped the ball. Later, however, and following a punt that had the Cowboys starting from their one yard line, the visitors drove 99 yards in 11 plays. Drew Pearson gained 28 yards on a reverse and Staubach completed passes to Tony Hill for 17 yards and TE Billy Joe DuPree for 20 along the way, and capped the series with a six-yard TD throw to FB Robert Newhouse. Rafael Septien tied the score at 7-7.

The Cards put together their own long drive, covering 87 yards, and Otis again capped it with another touchdown, this time from a yard out. Bakken’s point after put the home team back in front by 14-7. In the last minute of the first half, CB Roger Wehrli intercepted a Staubach pass and Jim Hart connected with HB Steve Jones for a 38-yard gain, but he lost his grip on the ball just short of the goal line and, while WR Pat Tilley nearly recovered in the end zone, CB Aaron Kyle recovered instead for the Cowboys. The score remained unchanged at halftime.

Still up by seven points in the third quarter and with a fourth down at their 37, the Cards were forced to punt. However, punter Steve Little dropped the snap and, while he recovered, was unable to run past the line of scrimmage. Dallas quickly capitalized on the next play, utilizing trickery. Tony Dorsett took a handoff, gave the ball to Drew Pearson coming around on an apparent reverse, and the wide receiver then flipped it back to Staubach, who threw long to Tony Hill in the corner of the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown. Septien added the game-tying extra point.

Two minutes later, and following Harvey Martin’s sack of Hart that had Little punting from his own end zone, WR Butch Johnson returned the line-drive kick 23 yards to the St. Louis 15. Helped along by a pass interference penalty, the Cowboys scored when Staubach connected with Hill for another TD, this time from six yards out. Septien’s conversion had the Cowboys in front by 21-14 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter.

St. Louis came back with a nine-play, 68-yard series that stretched into the fourth quarter.  Hart threw to WR Mel Gray for gains of 30 and 19 yards and finished the possession off with a one-yard toss to HB Wayne Morris for a touchdown. Bakken’s conversion knotted the score again at 21-21.

Later in the period, the Cards drove from their 17 to the Dallas 16, but with 2:54 left in regulation, Bakken missed a 33-yard field goal attempt that struck the left upright, one of several instances in which both teams missed opportunities to win in regulation.

As the clock counted down to less than a minute to play, the Cards lost Hart, who was sacked again by Martin and had to leave the game due to a shoulder injury. With rookie QB Steve Pisarkiewicz now behind center, the Cards punted shortly thereafter and another good return by Johnson gave Dallas excellent field position at the St. Louis 32. Staubach passed to Pearson for 15 yards and, with the ball at the St. Louis 16, it appeared that the Cowboys were on the verge of putting the game away. Newhouse fumbled on the next play, however, and LB Steve Neils recovered for St. Louis. Pisarkiewicz then threw long for Gray, but it was intercepted by FS Cliff Harris. Staubach connected with Pearson to pick up 25 yards and, once again, Dallas had a shot to win. But with the clock down to one second, Septien’s 49-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE John Zook and, following an eventful final minute of regulation, the game headed into overtime.

The Cowboys won the toss to start the extra period and, taking possession at their 23 after the kickoff, Staubach started off with two completions before he had to leave due to injury. It didn’t deter Dallas as Newhouse carried for 13 yards, Dorsett for six, and Septien kicked a 47-yard field goal at 3:28 into the extra period. The Cowboys came away with a hard-fought 24-21 victory.

Dallas led in total yards (418 to 372) and first downs (24 to 21). The Cowboys also recorded three sacks, to one by St. Louis. However, the visitors turned the ball over four times, to three by the Cards, and amassed 12 penalties at a cost of 109 yards while St. Louis was flagged four times.

Roger Staubach completed 23 of 40 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns while giving up two interceptions. Drew Pearson had 7 catches for 101 yards and carried the ball twice for 34 yards while Tony Hill contributed three receptions for 60 yards and two TDs. Tony Dorsett was held to 24 yards on 12 carries and Robert Newhouse topped the Dallas runners with 47 yards on 12 attempts against a surprisingly stiff St. Louis defense. Butch Johnson averaged 15.8 yards on four punt returns.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart (pictured at right) was successful on 17 of 28 throws for 264 yards and a TD while being picked off once. Jim Otis gained 88 yards on 28 rushing attempts that included two touchdowns and Wayne Morris added 30 yards on 13 carries and had a TD among his four pass receptions for 26 yards. Mel Gray gained a team-leading 89 yards on his four catches.

Roger Staubach missed no time with his injury, which was minor, and while it was initially projected that Jim Hart would be out for at least three weeks, he missed just one. The Cowboys won their next game, lost two, and didn’t lose again as they finished atop the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They again reached the Super Bowl before losing to Pittsburgh. The Cardinals fell to 0-8 before turning around and winning six of their last eight contests. St. Louis ended up with a 6-10 tally and placed fourth in the division.

1979: Anderson Runs for 193 Yards but Cards Fall to Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had won 14 straight opening games as they started another season against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 2, 1979. A perennial contender under Head Coach Tom Landry, Dallas had won a second consecutive NFC Championship in ’78 before losing a close contest to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys were still sound on both sides of the ball, with QB Roger Staubach the NFL’s most efficient passer, outstanding receivers in Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, and a defense that was adept at stopping the run as well as rushing opposing passers, although DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones had departed to try his hand at boxing and SS Charlie Waters went down with a knee injury in the preseason. In addition to the losses on defense, if there was a concern heading into the first week of the ’79 regular season, it was that star RB Tony Dorsett was injured and rookie Ron Springs would be filling in.

The Cardinals had gotten off to a miserable 0-8 start in 1978, but won six of their last eight contests on the way to a 6-10 record. Legendary Univ. of Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson had come out of retirement at age 62 and was back for a second year in St. Louis. QB Jim Hart was coming off a year in which he passed for a career-high 3121 yards, WR Pat Tilley had emerged as a quality possession receiver, and the offensive line was anchored by stalwarts in OT Dan Dierdorf, G Bob Young, and C Tom Banks. However, there was a lack of speed at running back, a situation that had been addressed by taking Univ. of Miami RB Ottis Anderson (pictured above) with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

There were 50,855 fans on hand at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cowboys struck first in the opening period when Rafael Septien kicked a 37-yard field goal. They scored again on a four-yard run by FB Robert Newhouse in the second quarter and, with Septien’s extra point, were up by 10-0. However, a 33-yard run by Ottis Anderson set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart to TE Al Chandler. Mike Wood added the PAT and the score was 10-7 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, Septien kicked a 24-yard field goal to extend the Dallas lead to six points. However, a fumble deep in Dallas territory by TE Doug Cosbie was recovered by St. Louis CB Roger Wehrli and set up the second touchdown for the Cardinals which came on an 18-yard pass completion from Hart to Pat Tilley. Wood’s extra point put the home team in the lead by 14-13.

The Cowboys responded with a 79-yard drive. Roger Staubach completed passes of 12 and 21 yards along the way and the series concluded with Ron Springs throwing an option pass to Tony Hill for a 30-yard TD. Dallas failed to add the extra point but was back in front by 19-14 with 12:35 remaining in the game.

The Cards were unable to move on their next series, but on the following possession Anderson broke away for a 76-yard touchdown run, and it seemed as though an upset might be in the making. Wood added the PAT and St. Louis was up by two points with time running down.

DB Wade Manning returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to give Dallas good starting field position at the St. Louis 48. Newhouse gained 14 yards on two carries and Staubach completed a pass to Hill for seven yards. With 1:16 remaining on the clock, Septien booted a 27-yard field goal and the Cowboys came away with a narrow 22-21 win.

Dallas led in total yards (455 to 342) and first downs (24 to 17). Both teams were productive on the ground, with St. Louis piling up 237 rushing yards to 161 for Dallas, but the Cowboys were far more effective through the air, compiling 294 net passing yards to 105 for the Cards. St. Louis also turned the ball over twice, to one turnover suffered by the Cowboys.

Roger Staubach (pictured above) completed 20 of 34 passes for 269 yards and, while he threw for no touchdowns, he also gave up no interceptions. Robert Newhouse gained 108 yards on 18 carries and scored a TD. Ron Springs rushed for just 30 yards on 15 attempts but also threw the 30-yard scoring pass. Tony Hill caught five passes for 113 yards and a score and Drew Pearson was right behind with five receptions for 99 yards.

For the Cardinals, Ottis Anderson was the star on offense with 193 yards on 21 carries that included the one long touchdown run. FB Wayne Morris contributed 41 yards on 10 attempts and had four catches for 28 yards. Jim Hart was successful on 12 of his 29 throws for 112 yards and two TDs, but also gave up two interceptions. Al Chandler had four receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown and Mel Gray and Pat Tilley each pulled in two passes apiece, for 32 and 31 yards, respectively. One of Tilley’s was good for a score.

The narrow escape in St. Louis did not immediately portend trouble for the Cowboys, who got off to a 7-1 start on the way to winning the NFC East for the fourth straight year with an 11-5 record. They were upset by the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. The Cardinals won their next contest but lost the next three on the way to a 5-11 finish and the bottom of the division. Bud Wilkinson failed to last the year and Jim Hart found himself being challenged by former first draft choice Steve Pisarkiewicz.

Ottis Anderson proved to be a bright spot amid the gloom in St. Louis. His outstanding opening week performance was the first of nine 100-yard rushing games on the way to 1605 yards on 331 carries (4.8 avg.). He scored a total of 10 touchdowns (8 rushing, 2 receiving) and received consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. Anderson also was named NFC Player of the Year by The Sporting News and was the Associated Press selection for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

1978: Cardinals Hire Bud Wilkinson as Head Coach

The St. Louis Cardinals had done well under Head Coach Don Coryell, winning the NFC East in 1974 and ’75 and just missing with a 10-4 record in 1976. It was the first time the team had made it to the postseason since 1948, but the Cardinals failed to win any playoff games, and when the club sank to 7-7 in 1977, Coryell was forced to resign.

On March 2, 1978 owner Bill Bidwill announced that collegiate coaching legend Bud Wilkinson would be the new head coach. The news was met with more than a little astonishment. To be sure, Wilkinson was a college coaching icon who had put together a 145-29-4 record at Oklahoma from 1947 thru 1963. In the midst of that was a remarkable 47-game winning streak from 1953-57. The Sooners won eight of ten bowl appearances during that time, as well as three national championships.

However, since leaving Oklahoma in 1963, Wilkinson had stayed away from coaching; he ran a losing campaign for the US Senate in 1964, served as director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, and spent ten years as a broadcaster of college football games. There was speculation that, at age 62 (making him the oldest head coach in the NFL at the time), he had been away from active involvement in the game for too long and would have difficulty relating to modern pro football players.

The initial reaction of some of the Cardinals players was not encouraging. Center Tom Banks, already trying to renegotiate his contract, called the hiring “one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen. Insanity prevails.” Eric Williams, a second-year linebacker, summed up the feelings of several players when he stated “Everybody said, ‘Wow, like that dude is old.’”

To Wilkinson’s credit, he won over many of the doubters, including Banks. Known for his low-key and gentlemanly manner, he was an excellent motivator. He kept Coryell’s offensive line coach, Jim Hanifan, who had been a candidate for the head coaching job and fell in line behind the new coach, who in turn recognized that the offense had been one of the team’s strengths.

However, there were problems facing the Cardinals that persuasion couldn’t overcome. Coryell had clashed with Bidwill on personnel matters, and the team had typically drafted poorly. Before Wilkinson was hired, HB Terry Metcalf, an all-purpose talent who was the team’s best outside running threat, left for the Canadian Football League. WR Ike Harris and G Conrad Dobler were traded to New Orleans, weakening both positions.

The naysayers appeared to be vindicated when St. Louis proceeded to lose the first eight games of the ’78 season. Without Metcalf’s breakaway ability, the offense was forced to rely solely on the inside running tandem of FB Jim Otis and RB Wayne Morris – as a result, the Cardinals ranked 25th in team rushing (1954 yards). TE J.V. Cain suffered from a bad heel and the offensive line encountered numerous injury problems. The defense was poor against the run. First draft pick Steve Little, a placekicker/punter out of Arkansas who Wilkinson had promoted as the key to improving the team’s ability to win the battle of field position, suffered from a knee injury and was unable to dislodge veteran placekicker Jim Bakken while proving to be a mediocre punter.

Wilkinson took his share of the heat for the poor start, but he also drew credit when the club turned the season around and went 6-2 the rest of the way. As QB Jim Hart said, “He kept us together. He was always positive. I think people expected us to fall apart when we kept losing, but we didn’t and Bud was the major factor.” Hart, the 34-year-old offensive captain, played his part as he passed for 3121 yards and was voted the club’s MVP by his teammates.

While Wilkinson was able to maintain the team’s morale and, moreover, took a major step toward improving the running game with the drafting of RB Ottis Anderson from the University of Miami in the first round of the ’79 draft, deficiencies in the front office and the meddling of owner Bidwill ultimately brought a premature end to his coaching regime in the second year.

Tragedy in training camp, as Cain died of heart failure, cast an early pall on the 1979 season. Anderson had an immediate impact, rushing for 193 yards in the season opening game against Dallas, but the Cardinals lost that game and were 3-10 when Wilkinson was let go. Bidwill’s insistence on starting Steve Pisarkiewicz, the 1977 first round draft choice out of Missouri, ahead of the savvy veteran Hart at quarterback had been resisted by Wilkinson, and in combination with the failure to build upon the strong second half showing in ’78, was the final straw that led to the legendary coach’s dismissal. He had completed not quite half of the four-year contract he was signed to.

Larry Wilson, the all-time great Cardinals free safety, stepped in as interim coach for the rest of the way. With Pisarkiewicz at quarterback, St. Louis won two of the last three games for an overall 5-11 record and last place finish in the NFC East. The two wins didn’t herald stardom for the young quarterback – he was gone in 1980, finishing out his NFL career as a backup in Green Bay. Jim Hanifan, who had been passed over in favor of Wilkinson in ’78, was elevated to head coach.

As for Bud Wilkinson, the stint with the Cardinals was a mediocre postscript to an outstanding coaching career. His overall record for the 1978 and ’79 seasons was a dismal 9-20. However, he had displayed class and grace under pressure, and also showed that he had not lost his skill as a motivator. But he couldn’t overcome the organization’s failings, which likely doomed his tenure before it even started. And as a postscript, prior to the tenure of Ken Whisenhunt, who became the Cardinals’ coach in 2007, none of Wilkinson’s successors left the club with an overall winning record.