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.

1976: Staubach-to-Pearson Propels Cowboys Past Bills

The Dallas Cowboys were off to a solid 8-1 start as they met the Buffalo Bills on November 15, 1976, but they had also been having trouble scoring in recent contests. Head Coach Tom Landry’s team, perennially a contender and coming off of a NFC Championship season, was nevertheless as formidable on both sides of the ball as the record would suggest. QB Roger Staubach was of the highest caliber and had highly-productive WR Drew Pearson (pictured at right) as his favorite target. There were injury problems among the running backs, but enough depth to keep the ground attack going, while the defense continued to be solid.

Buffalo was stumbling along at 2-7 and had yet to win under Head Coach Jim Ringo, the all-time great center who was elevated from offensive line coach after Lou Saban resigned five games into the season. HB O.J. Simpson remained the key to the offense and was still a formidable runner, but QB Joe Ferguson and FB Jim Braxton were both sidelined by injuries and QB Gary Marangi and FB Jeff Kinney were not as able.

While the game was a sellout, only 51,779 fans showed up for the nationally-televised contest (that was not blacked out locally) on a cold Monday night at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys were focused on containing O.J. Simpson, but the Bills took the opening kickoff and drove effectively as Gary Marangi completed passes of 14 and 9 yards to WR Bob Chandler and 10 yards to Simpson, who also contributed short runs along the way. But the advance stopped at the Dallas 26 and George Jakowenko missed to the right on a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Neither team was able to come close to scoring for the remainder of the period, with the Cowboys unable to get out of their end of the field. The Bills blitzed heavily and went with an eight-man front, thus hampering the Dallas running game and forcing Roger Staubach to go to the air.

Midway through the second quarter, and following a 13-yard punt return by rookie WR Butch Johnson, Dallas put together the game’s first scoring drive. HB Preston Pearson (pictured at left) had a catch for 25 yards and ran for a 14-yard gain around end. He finished off the 54-yard series with a two-yard touchdown carry and Efren Herrera added the extra point.

The Bills were pinned deep in their own territory on their next series and punted but got a break when Johnson couldn’t handle the erratically-bouncing kick and LB Dan Jilek recovered at the Dallas 42. Three plays later, Marangi threw to TE Reuben Gant, who broke two tackles on the way to the end zone for a 27-yard TD. Jakowenko’s point after tied the score at 7-7.

The Cowboys regained possession at their own 39 following the ensuing kickoff with just 26 seconds remaining in the first half. Staubach, who had completed only four of 12 passes thus far, fired to Drew Pearson for a 40-yard gain to the Buffalo 31. On the next play, Staubach threw to Pearson again, who had gotten behind SS Doug Jones and pulled the ball in for a 21-yard touchdown. Herrera added the PAT and Dallas took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

Johnson returned the second half kickoff 74 yards to the Buffalo 14, but Staubach lost two yards when the ball slipped away as he was trying to pass and, while he recovered, a penalty backed Dallas back farther. Facing fourth-and-33, the Cowboys faked a field goal and Herrera punted.

Later in the period, Dallas again advanced into Buffalo territory, but after the drive stalled at the 14, Herrera’s field goal attempt from 31 yards hooked to the left and missed. Still, Buffalo wasn’t able to gain any ground against the tough Dallas defense and the tally remained unchanged.

Early in the fourth quarter, Herrera kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it a ten-point contest. With time running down, the Bills put together a drive that included Marangi passes of 12 and 13 yards to Chandler and to Gant for 24 yards to the Dallas five. They had to settle for a 22-yard Jakowenko field goal, however, with 1:57 remaining to play and the Cowboys held on to win by a final score of 17-10.

Buffalo, which never had the lead, held the edge in total yards (250 to 228) and first downs (19 to 14), holding the Cowboys to just 63 rushing yards. Each team turned the ball over one time. Dallas recorded five sacks, to three by the Bills.

Roger Staubach went to the air 34 times and completed only 15 for 202 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Drew Pearson was the chief beneficiary, with 9 catches for 135 yards and the TD. Preston Pearson led the ground attack with 29 yards on seven attempts that included a TD and also had the 25-yard gain on his lone reception. Defensively, DE Harvey Martin accounted for three sacks (unofficially, since sacks were not officially compiled in the NFL until 1982).

For the Bills, O.J.Simpson was held to 78 yards on 24 carries, with no run longer than nine yards. Gary Marangi completed 10 of 28 passes for 132 yards and a TD along with one interception. Bob Chandler caught five passes for 63 yards and Reuben Gant (pictured at right) added two receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

“Our offensive performance wasn’t good at all,” summed up Roger Staubach.

“We are not playing real good,” said Coach Landry. “But I remember last year we got beat three or four times when we didn’t play well. It shows you something when you don’t play well and still can win.”

The win gave Dallas a 9-1 record, the franchise’s best start thus far. The Cowboys lost at Atlanta the following week, but won an important showdown with the Cardinals on Thanksgiving and cruised to an 11-3 tally to top the NFC East. They fell to the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. Buffalo kept losing the rest of the way and ended up at the bottom of the AFC East with a 2-12 mark that was the club’s worst in five years.

Roger Staubach had his highest totals to date in pass attempts (369), completions (208), and yards (2715), all of which were eclipsed in the remaining three years of his career, and he was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time. Drew Pearson had 58 catches for 806 yards (13.9 avg.) and six TDs and was a consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl selection.

1974: Defense & Dempsey Key Eagles Upset of Cowboys

The Monday Night Football game on September 23, 1974 featured two NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys, under Head Coach Tom Landry, had been the far more successful of the two clubs, having been to the postseason in each of the preceding eight seasons. They were coming off of a 10-4 record in ’73 and had won their season-opening game over the Falcons handily by a score of 24-0. Moreover, they had won 12 of the last 13 matchups with the Eagles dating back to 1967.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, was once again in rebuilding mode under second-year Head Coach Mike McCormack. The Eagles had been over .500 just twice since last winning a league championship in 1960 and were on their fifth head coach since that time. McCormack replaced Ed Khayat after a dreadful 2-11-1 season in 1972 in which the team produced a total of just 145 points and 12 touchdowns. A major deal was swung to bring veteran QB Roman Gabriel from the Rams, and the offense improved significantly in ’73, although the overall record was still only 5-8-1. For 1974, another major trade was made to upgrade the defense as Philadelphia obtained star MLB Bill Bergey from Cincinnati. In the Week 1 game at St. Louis against the Cardinals, the Eagles gave up just seven points – but scored only three.

There were 64,088 fans at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, and for most of the game they saw both offenses struggle. The Eagles couldn’t move the ball, but star QB Roger Staubach of the Cowboys missed on his first six pass attempts.

However, in the second quarter, Dallas put together a 90-yard drive with three Staubach completions along the way and RB Doug Dennison scored from three yards out. That was it for the first half scoring as the Cowboys led by 7-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Dallas was driving deep into Eagles territory again after a Gabriel pass was intercepted by CB Charlie Waters. Once more at the three yard line Dennison took the handoff, but this time he fumbled when hit by Bergey just short of the goal line. CB Joe “Big Bird” Lavender picked the loose ball up on the bounce and ran 96 yards up the sideline for a touchdown. Instead of the Cowboys being ahead by two touchdowns, in stunning fashion the score was tied at 7-7.


Such was the situation as the game entered the fourth quarter. A poor 26-yard punt by the Cowboys gave Philadelphia good field position, and with just under 12 minutes to play, Tom Dempsey gave the Eagles the lead with a 34-yard field goal.

On the ensuing kickoff, Dallas RB Dennis Morgan returned the kick 36 yards and might have broken free but was tackled by the 265-pound Dempsey, who had played defensive end in junior college. As it was, with 8:34 left, Mac Percival kicked a 26-yard field goal to again tie the score at 10-10.

Coach McCormack considered replacing the ineffective Roman Gabriel with backup John Reaves, as the 34-year-old veteran had completed only four passes and the offense had just one first down. Leaving the ex-Ram in, Gabriel proceeded to throw to RB Po James for a 34-yard gain and WR Harold Carmichael for 13. He gained six yards on a quarterback draw, giving Philadelphia three first downs in the series. However, with the clock down to 3:13, RB Tom Sullivan fumbled and Dallas LB Dave Edwards recovered at his own 11.

Three plays later, the Eagles got the ball back when SS Randy Logan intercepted a Staubach pass intended for WR Drew Pearson at the sideline with 1:49 left. Typical of how most of the game had gone for the Eagles offense, they ran the ball twice for negligible yardage and Gabriel threw an incompletion, necessitating a 45-yard field goal attempt.

Dempsey was again successful and his kick put Philadelphia in front with 25 seconds to play. However, the Cowboys still had a shot and drove from their 18 to the Philadelphia 31 thanks to two Staubach passes to Pearson. But with two seconds left on the clock, Percival missed a 48-yard field goal attempt into the wind that fell short and to the left. The Eagles came away with a hard-fought 13-10 upset win.

Dallas dominated statistically, outgaining Philadelphia (385 yards to 165) and accumulating far more first downs (20 to 5). The Cowboys both outran the Eagles (168 yards to 98) and outpassed them (217 yards to 67) while both teams turned the ball over three times.

Roman Gabriel completed only 6 of 14 passes for 92 yards with one intercepted. Tom Sullivan was the leading rusher with 57 yards on 16 carries and Harold Carmichael the top receiver with two catches for 45 yards. Tom Dempsey, with the two clutch field goals, and Bill Bergey, who was credited with 18 tackles, were the stars of the game, along with Joe Lavender and his team-record fumble return (a record that lasted until 2006).

For the Cowboys, Roger Staubach was successful on 19 of 33 passes for 217 yards, but none were good for scores while two were intercepted. Drew Pearson was the primary offensive weapon as he caught 10 passes for 161 yards. RB Robert Newhouse rushed for 97 yards on 22 attempts.

“The defense and Tom Dempsey won the game,” said Coach McCormack afterward. Each member of the defense and Dempsey received game balls.

The big concern for the Eagles was that, for the second straight week, the offense had not gotten the ball into the end zone. Still, they got off to a 4-1 start before losing six straight games (starting with a 31-24 defeat at the hands of the Cowboys in Dallas). They won their last three (with rookie Mike Boryla starting at quarterback for the benched Gabriel) to salvage a 7-7 record that put them in fourth place in the NFC East.

Dallas went on to have an off-year, losing their next three games before recovering to win 7 of the last 9. The Cowboys finished third in the division with an 8-6 tally and missed the postseason for the first time since 1965.

With his job reportedly on the line coming into the Monday night game against Dallas, Tom Dempsey’s two field goals earned him a reprieve and he finished out the season (the first since 1932 in which the goal posts were at the back of the end zone rather than the goal line) with 10 field goals in 16 attempts. The hefty placekicker born without toes on his right foot, and who had booted a record 63-yard field goal for the Saints in 1970 before coming over to the Eagles in ’71, had been the team’s player representative during the ’74 preseason strike and acrimony had risen between him and owner Leonard Tose. He was traded to the Rams after the season.

Bill Bergey’s dominating performance against the Cowboys was the first of many and he had an outstanding year, garnering consensus first-team All-Pro honors for the first of two consecutive seasons. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl, an honor he would achieve four times while with the Eagles. The leader of the defense (as well as its best player) inspired chants of “Ber-gey, Ber-gey” from the Philadelphia fans that would become a regular feature of games at the Vet during his heyday. (Bergey pictured below)

1981: Cowboys Come from Behind to Beat Falcons in Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 4, 1981 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium featured two teams that had compiled 12-4 records during the 1980 regular season. However, the visiting Dallas Cowboys had been regular participants in the postseason since 1966 (they had only missed in 1974) while the host Atlanta Falcons were making just their second foray into the playoffs.

The Cowboys, coached by Tom Landry, were in transition. Gone was Hall of Fame QB Roger Staubach, who had retired following the ’79 season while still in top form, and replaced by backup Danny White (pictured above). Gone also to retirement was FS Cliff Harris, and questions regarding the secondary dogged the club all season. But Dallas still had RB Tony Dorsett (1185 yards rushing), wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, DT Randy White, and MLB Bob Breunig, plus DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones had returned after a year’s retirement to pursue a boxing career. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East and had easily dispatched the Rams (who had upset them in the 1979 postseason) in the Wild Card playoff game.

Atlanta, under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, had gotten off to a 3-3 start but then put together a nine-game winning streak on the way to placing first in the NFC West. QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured below left) led the league in touchdown passes (31) while placing fifth with 3544 passing yards and fourth with a passer rating of 88.2. RB William Andrews gained 1308 yards on the ground while WR Alfred Jenkins (58 catches, 1035 yards) and rookie TE Junior Miller also earned trips to the Pro Bowl. Two rookie linebackers, Buddy Curry and Al Richardson, had an impact on defense, as did LB Joel Williams, who was unofficially credited with 16 sacks (sacks were not yet an officially-compiled statistic).


The Falcons put together a scoring drive the first time they had the ball, although Jenkins dropped a pass in the end zone and they settled for a 38-yard field goal by Tim Mazzetti. However, on the next Atlanta possession, Jenkins made up for the drop by catching a bomb from Bartkowski for a 60-yard touchdown and 10-0 lead with 4:50 left in the opening period.

Just before the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys got on the board with a Rafael Septien field goal of 38 yards. Dallas tied the score in the second quarter after recovering a Bartkowski fumble at the Atlanta 44, which set up a five-yard TD pass from White to TE Billy Joe DuPree. But later in the period, Bartkowski completed a 50-yard pass to Jenkins to set up a one-yard TD carry by RB Lynn Cain. The Falcons took a 17-10 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, it appeared that Dallas was on the way to another score when Falcons FS Tom Pridemore intercepted a White pass at the Atlanta 15. The Falcons then responded by driving 70 yards and Bartkowski threw to Andrews for a 12-yard touchdown. Atlanta was now ahead by 24-10 with just over seven minutes remaining in the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, RB Robert Newhouse scored for the Cowboys on a one-yard TD plunge, but the Falcons came back with a Mazzetti field goal from 34 yards to make it 27-17 with 6:37 left to play.

With their backs to the wall, the Cowboys drove 62 yards, all on passes by White, the final one a 14-yard touchdown throw to Drew Pearson. It was now a three-point game, and on the ensuing possession the Falcons were stifled by the Dallas defense and had to punt. The Cowboys got the ball on their 30 with 1:48 remaining.

Once again the Dallas offense moved down the field, keyed by a 20-yard pass to WR Butch Johnson. White was playing for a tying field goal, but instead found Pearson for a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Cowboys ahead – but by only three points, since the ensuing extra point attempt failed.

Atlanta had one last chance, but Bartkowski was sacked for a nine-yard loss and completed one of three passes before having to turn the ball over on downs. The Cowboys won by a score of 30-27.

Dallas outgained the Falcons (422 yards to 371) and had more first downs (22 to 18). Both teams turned the ball over twice, while the Cowboys sacked Bartkowski four times as against White being dumped just once.


Danny White completed 25 of 39 passes for 322 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but 15 of 20 for 239 yards of that came in the second half. Drew Pearson (pictured at right) caught 5 passes, four of them in the last two drives, for 90 yards and the two big TDs. Tony Dorsett led the Cowboys in rushing with 51 yards on 10 carries and also had 5 pass receptions for 40 yards.

For White, it was the second time that he led the Cowboys to a playoff win over the Falcons - in 1978, after Staubach was injured with Dallas behind in a Divisional playoff game against Atlanta at Texas Stadium, he had rallied the team to a 27-20 victory. But since taking over as the starting quarterback, he had labored in his predecessor’s shadow, making the come-from-behind playoff win particularly gratifying.

The comeback scenario was even more familiar to the eighth-year veteran wide receiver Pearson, who had been part of several of them during the Staubach era – perhaps most notably the last-second “Hail Mary” catch in an NFC Divisional playoff game against the Vikings following the 1975 season.


As for Atlanta, Steve Bartkowski was successful on 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and one picked off. Alfred Jenkins (pictured at left) caught 4 passes for 155 yards and a TD, while WR Wallace Francis contributed 6 receptions for 66 yards. Both Lynn Cain and William Andrews rushed for 43 yards (on 13 and 14 attempts, respectively).

“What can you say? It was just a tremendous thing (the comeback),” Tom Landry said. “When we got down by two touchdowns (24-10) in the third quarter, I thought our chances of coming back were slim. But the ball bounces funny sometimes.”

“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” said Falcons' Coach Bennett. “I still feel we're good enough to go to the Super Bowl. Any team that wins 12 games is good enough. But it's a very empty feeling losing in the playoffs.”

Dallas lost the NFC Championship game the next week to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta dropped off to a disappointing 7-9 record in 1981.

Danny White led the Cowboys to three straight conference championship games, but failed to make it to the Super Bowl and, while he had a fine career, suffered in comparison to the legendary Staubach.

1974: Clint Longley Rallies Cowboys Past Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys were in the midst of a transition season as they hosted the arch-rival Washington Redskins in a Thanksgiving Day game on November 28, 1974 at Texas Stadium. Having started off at 1-4, they won four straight games prior to losing at Washington eleven days earlier. While they beat the Oilers the previous Sunday, Dallas was 6-5 and languishing behind both the Redskins and Cardinals in the NFC East. Head Coach Tom Landry’s club had a great deal of youth on offense, and young defensive ends Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Harvey Martin were still transitioning into the reforming defense.

Head Coach George Allen’s Redskins had won four straight contests and were 8-3 as they sought to keep pace with St. Louis. Whether 40-year-old Sonny Jurgensen or Billy Kilmer, 35 years old and in his 12th season, were at quarterback, Washington scored points. The veteran team was also sound on defense, Allen’s specialty.

The first half was low-scoring. Efren Herrera kicked a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter to put the first points on the board, concluding a drive kept alive by a fake punt in which punter Duane Carrell passed to DB Benny Barnes for a 37-yard gain. But the Redskins had replied with three Mark Moseley field goals, of 45, 34, and 39 yards, to hold a 9-3 lead at halftime.

It seemed as though the Redskins had taken control of the game in the third quarter. Following a fumble on the opening play of the second half by RB Walt Garrison, former Cowboys RB Duane Thomas caught a swing pass from Kilmer and went nine yards for a touchdown. The score was now 16-3, and when Dallas QB Roger Staubach was hit hard by LB Dave Robinson and forced from the game with just under ten minutes remaining in the period, it seemed as though all hope was lost for the Cowboys.

Replacing Staubach at quarterback was Clint Longley (pictured at top), a rookie out of Abilene Christian who had never appeared in a regular season game as a pro. He had actually been chosen by Cincinnati in the 1974 supplemental draft, but was dealt to the Cowboys just prior to the start of training camp. Longley earned the nickname “The Mad Bomber” when he threw an errant pass that hit Coach Landry’s tower during a workout.

Prior to the contest, Washington DT Diron Talbert had told reporters that he hoped Staubach would try running with the ball against the Redskins because if they could knock him out of the game, they would be facing the untested rookie at quarterback. Those words would come back to haunt him.

Longley promptly moved the offense downfield, and capped the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to TE Billy Joe Dupree that narrowed Washington’s lead to 16-10. On the next possession, the Cowboys again drove deep into Redskins territory. When Garrison plowed over for a touchdown from a yard out and Herrera booted the extra point, Dallas was in the lead at 17-16. The previously-subdued Texas Stadium crowd had come alive.

However, Washington was far from finished. Early in the fourth quarter the Redskins regained the lead, again thanks to Thomas, who ran 19 yards for a touchdown and 23-17 tally. It looked as though they would further pad their margin after DE Ron McDole recovered a fumble by Dallas RB Charley Young. Washington moved into field goal range with five minutes remaining on the clock, but “Too Tall” Jones blocked Moseley’s 24-yard attempt.

It seemed as though the break was for nothing when RB Preston Pearson fumbled the ball back to the Redskins. However, Washington’s offense, playing conservatively, ran three plays and punted. Now with 1:45 remaining and no timeouts, Longley and the Cowboys had one more shot.

Washington’s defense seemed on the verge of squelching the threat, but on a fourth-and-six play, Longley passed to WR Bob Hayes for exactly six yards and a first down at the 50 yard line. After tossing an incompletion, Longley then sent WR Drew Pearson long, hit him in stride at the four yard line, and the wide receiver continued on into the end zone. Herrera was successful on the PAT, and the Cowboys had a one-point lead with 28 seconds to play.

There would be no last-second heroics for the Redskins, however, as Dallas recovered a Kilmer fumble on the first play to preserve the 24-23 win.

The Cowboys ended up outgaining Washington, 373 yards to 207, and led in first downs by 23 to 11. But they were nearly undone by giving up five turnovers, as opposed to one by the Redskins.

The flu-ridden Roger Staubach had completed only three of 11 passes for 32 yards with an interception before being forced out of the game – he had even been outpassed by the punter Carrell, with his one completion for 37 yards. But Clint Longley was good on 11 of 20 passes for 203 yards with the two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Drew Pearson (pictured at bottom), who caught the winning TD, had a big day with 5 catches for 108 yards. Billy Joe Dupree added three receptions for 65 yards and a TD. With top runner Calvin Hill out due to injury, RB Robert Newhouse led the Cowboys with 66 yards on 16 attempts.


For Washington, Billy Kilmer went to the air 17 times, completing 8 for 112 yards and a touchdown. Duane Thomas (pictured at left) had 18 rushing attempts for 55 yards and a TD and had the most pass receptions for the club with three, for 24 yards and a score. RB Moses Denson was right behind in the rushing column with 50 yards on 15 carries. WR Roy Jefferson had the most receiving yards, with 49 on his two catches.

“Football is an incredible game,” said Tom Landry afterward. “This is what makes it so unbelievable. Anything can happen in football.”

“I don't have very much to say,” said a disappointed George Allen. “It was probably the toughest loss we ever had.”

The win didn’t salvage the season for the Cowboys – they ended up outside the postseason for the first time since 1965 with an 8-6 record that put them in third place in the NFC East. Washington ended up tied with the Cardinals with a 10-4 mark, but due to St. Louis having swept the season series, the Cards won the division title and the Redskins entered the playoffs as a wild card. They lost to the Rams in the Divisional playoff game.

The astonishing performance off the bench didn’t portend better things for Longley, either. Staubach was back in action the next week and beyond and the young backup was sparsely used through the 1975 season. Following the demise of the World Football League, QB Danny White was acquired and, with his WFL experience and ability to double as the team’s punter, Longley’s roster spot was insecure for ’76. Bad blood had developed between he and Staubach, and when Longley sucker-punched the star quarterback in the locker room during training camp, his career in Dallas swiftly ended. He was dealt to San Diego, where he backed up Dan Fouts and threw a total of 24 passes in his last NFL season.