1980 Dallas Cowboys season
NFL team season
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The 1980 Dallas Cowboys season was their 21st in the league. The team improved to 12-4 following Roger Staubach's retirement after the 1979 season.[1] They qualified for the 1980 NFL postseason as an NFC Wild Card, yet ultimately lost in the Conference Championship game.
OwnerClint Murchison, Jr.
| 1980 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Clint Murchison, Jr. |
| General manager | Tex Schramm |
| Head coach | Tom Landry |
| Offensive coordinator | Dan Reeves |
| Defensive coordinator | Ernie Stautner |
| Home stadium | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Rams) 34–13 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Falcons) 30–27 Lost NFC Championship (at Eagles) 7–20 |
Going into the final week of the season, Dallas (11–4) played Philadelphia (12–3) at Texas Stadium. Under that season's NFL tiebreakers, Dallas had to beat the Eagles by 25 points or greater to win the NFC East, entering the NFC postseason as the number two seed while Philadelphia would be a wildcard team. The Eagles win NFC East should the Cowboys lose, tie or win by 24 points or fewer.
Dallas was leading the final regular season game 35–10 in the fourth quarter; however, the Eagles scored 17 unanswered points to pull within 35–27. Dallas had to play an extra week in the Wild Card round and as visitors in the following week road game in Atlanta in the Divisional Round. Dallas lost at Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game.
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1980 Dallas Cowboys draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 78 | Bill Roe | LB | Colorado | |
| 3 | 80 | James Jones | RB | Mississippi State | |
| 4 | 105 | Kurt Petersen | OG | Missouri | |
| 5 | 133 | Gary Hogeboom | QB | Central Michigan | |
| 6 | 162 | Timmy Newsome | FB | Winston-Salem State | |
| 7 | 189 | Lester Brown | RB | Clemson | |
| 8 | 216 | Larry Savage | LB | Michigan State | |
| 9 | 246 | Jackie Flowers | WR | Florida State | |
| 10 | 273 | Matthew Teague | LB | Prairie View A&M | |
| 11 | 300 | Gary Padjen | LB | Arizona State | |
| 12 | 330 | Norm Wells | DE | Northwestern | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Brock | Offensive Line | Alabama |
| Dextor Clinkscale | Safety | South Carolina State |
| Roy Dean | Wide receiver | Alabama |
| Anthony Dickerson | Linebacker | SMU |
| Mike Glenn | Offensive Line | Utah State |
| Richard Grimmett | Offensive tackle | Illinois |
| Jim Himic | Offensive Line | West Virginia |
| Jay Howlett | Defensive Line | Holy Cross |
| Kevin Kelly | Offensive Line | Duke |
| Bill Leer | Offensive Line | Colorado State |
| Mike Mancuso | Quarterback | Nebraska–Omaha |
| Don Smerek | Defensive end | Nevada |
| Roosevelt Smith | Running back | Michigan |
| Doug Woodward | Quarterback | Pace |
Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | at Washington Redskins | W 17–3 | 1–0 | RFK Stadium | 55,045 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at Denver Broncos | L 20–41 | 1–1 | Mile High Stadium | 74,919 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 28–17 | 2–1 | Texas Stadium | 62,750 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Green Bay Packers | W 28–7 | 3–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,776 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | New York Giants | W 24–3 | 4–1 | Texas Stadium | 59,126 | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | San Francisco 49ers | W 59–14 | 5–1 | Texas Stadium | 63,399 | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–17 | 5–2 | Veterans Stadium | 70,696 | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | San Diego Chargers | W 42–31 | 6–2 | Texas Stadium | 60,639 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 27–24 | 7–2 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,701 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | at New York Giants | L 35–38 | 7–3 | Giants Stadium | 68,343 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 31–21 | 8–3 | Texas Stadium | 52,567 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Washington Redskins | W 14–10 | 9–3 | Texas Stadium | 58,809 | Recap |
| 13 | November 27 | Seattle Seahawks | W 51–7 | 10–3 | Texas Stadium | 57,540 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Oakland Raiders | W 19–13 | 11–3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 53,194 | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 14–38 | 11–4 | Anaheim Stadium | 65,154 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–27 | 12–4 | Texas Stadium | 62,548 | Recap |
Division opponents are in bold text
Game summaries
Week 1 at Redskins
Week One: Dallas Cowboys (0–0) at Washington Redskins (0–0)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,045
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| • Broncos | 7 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 41 |
- Date: September 14, 1980
- Location: Mile High Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 74,919
- Game weather: Sunny; 67 °F (19 °C)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: Sunday Sept 21, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny; 86 °F (30 °C)
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
- Date: Sunday Sept 28, 1980
- Location: Milwaukee County Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); Wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
- Referee: Fred Silva
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • Cowboys | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 5, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C)
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Cowboys | 14 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 59 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 12, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny; 86 °F (30 °C)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
- Date: October 19
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,696
- Game weather: Sunny; 69 °F (21 °C)
- Referee: Cal Lepore
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | DAL | Hegman recovered fumble in end zone (Septién kick) | DAL 7–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 35 yard field goal | DAL 7–3 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 5 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 10–7 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Septién 33 yard field goal | Tie 10–10 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Smith 15 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–10 | |
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 42 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 26, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear; 55 °F (13 °C)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 2, 1980
- Location: Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear; 49 °F (9 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
| • Giants | 7 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 9, 1980
- Location: Giants Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Overcast; 44 °F (7 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 16, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), wind 18 mph (29 km/h)
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 23, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Cowboys | 9 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 51 |
- Date: Thursday Nov 27, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Raiders | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 53,194
- Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | OAK | Raymond Chester 6 yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick) | OAK 7–0 | |
| Q1 | DAL | Tony Dorsett 20 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) | TIE 7–7 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Rafael Septién 52 yard field goal | DAL 7–10 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Ron Springs 2 yard rush | DAL 7–16 | |
| Q2 | OAK | Chris Bahr 22 yard field goal | DAL 10–16 | |
| Q3 | DAL | Rafael Septién 34 yard field goal | DAL 10–19 | |
| Q3 | OAK | Chris Bahr 38 yard field goal | DAL 13–19 | |
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • Rams | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
- Date: Monday December 15, 1980
- Location: Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA
- Game start: 9:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), wind 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (ABC): Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 27 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: December 21
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 3:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C), wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| 1 | DAL | Danny White 1 yard run (Rafael Septién kick) | Cowboys 7–0 | |
| 2 | DAL | Tony Hill 36 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Cowboys 14–0 | |
| 2 | DAL | Preston Pearson 9 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Cowboys 21–0 | |
| 3 | PHI | Louie Giammona 1 yard run (Tony Franklin kick) | Cowboys 21–7 | |
| 3 | DAL | Drew Pearson 11 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Cowboys 28–7 | |
| 3 | PHI | Tony Franklin 29 yard field goal | Cowboys 28–10 | |
| 4 | DAL | Billy Joe DuPree 15 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Cowboys 35–10 | |
| 4 | PHI | Rodney Parker 30 yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick) | Cowboys 35–17 | |
| 4 | PHI | Tony Franklin 19 yard field goal | Cowboys 35–20 | |
| 4 | PHI | Wilbert Montgomery 6 yard run (Tony Franklin kick) | Cowboys 35–27 | |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | December 28, 1980 | Los Angeles Rams (5) | W 34–13 | Texas Stadium | 64,533 | Recap |
| Divisional | January 4, 1981 | at Atlanta Falcons (1) | W 30–27 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 60,022 | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 11, 1981 | at Philadelphia Eagles (2) | L 7–20 | Veterans Stadium | 70,696 | Recap |
Wildcard Round
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| • Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 28, 1980
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 1:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,533
- Game weather: Sunny; 49 °F (9 °C)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
Divisional Round
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 30 |
| Falcons | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
- Date: Sunday Jan 4, 1981
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 60,022
- Game weather: Sunny; 40 °F (4 °C)
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
| Q1 | ATL | Tim Mazzetti 38 yard field goal | ATL 7–0 | |
| Q1 | ATL | Alfred Jenkins 60 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Tim Mazzetti kick) | ATL 10-0 | |
| Q1 | Dal | Rafael Septién 38 yard field goal | ATL 10-3 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Billy Joe DuPree 5 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Tie 10-10 | |
| Q2 | ATL | Lynn Cain 1 yard rush (Tim Mazzetti kick) | ATL 17-10 | |
| Q3 | ATL | William Andrews 12 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Tim Mazzetti kick) | ATL 24-10 | |
| Q4 | DAL | Robert Newhouse 1 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) | ATL 24-17 | |
| Q4 | ATL | Tim Mazzetti 34 yard field goal | ATL 27-17 | |
| Q4 | DAL | Drew Pearson 14 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | ATL 27-24 | |
| Q4 | DAL | Drew Pearson 23 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | DAL 30-27 | |
Conference Championship
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
- Date: January 11, 1981
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,696
- Game weather: Sunny; 17 °F (−8 °C)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | PHI | Montgomery 42 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Dorsett 3 yard run (Septién kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Franklin 26 yard field goal | PHI 10–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Harris 9 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–7 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 20 yard field goal | PHI 20–7 | |
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Philadelphia Eagles(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 384 | 222 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys(4) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 454 | 311 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 261 | 293 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 4–10 | 299 | 350 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 249 | 425 | L2 |