1981 Dallas Cowboys season
NFL team season
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The 1981 Dallas Cowboys season was their 22nd in the league. The team matched their previous output of 12–4, winning their fifth division title in six years.[1] They lost the Conference Championship game for the second straight season.
OwnerClint Murchison, Jr.
| 1981 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Clint Murchison, Jr. |
| General manager | Tex Schramm |
| Head coach | Tom Landry |
| Defensive coordinator | Ernie Stautner |
| Home stadium | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Buccaneers) 38–0 Lost NFC Championship (at 49ers) 27–28 |
The season began with four straight victories, followed by two losses (including a surprising 45–14 blowout loss to the 49ers in week six). The Cowboys rebounded to win 8 of their last 9 games to clinch the NFC East but had to settle for the conference's number two seed behind the 49ers.
The Cowboys easily defeated Tampa Bay in the divisional playoff to earn a rematch with the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. The game was much closer this time, and the Cowboys still held a 27–21 lead with less than a minute to play. However, Joe Montana led a late drive and hit Dwight Clark in the famous "Catch" to give San Francisco a 28–27 lead. On the ensuing Cowboys possession, Danny White completed a pass to Drew Pearson, and was only an arm's length away from breaking free from Eric Wright and most likely scoring a touchdown. Jim Stuckey recovered a White fumble on the next play, then the 49ers ran out the clock for the win.
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1981 Dallas Cowboys draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Howard Richards | OT | Missouri | |
| 2 | 53 | Doug Donley | WR | Ohio State | |
| 3 | 81 | Glen Titensor | OG | BYU | |
| 4 | 91 | Scott Pelluer | LB | Washington State | from San Francisco |
| 4 | 108 | Derrie Nelson | LB | Nebraska | |
| 5 | 137 | Danny Spradlin | LB | Tennessee | |
| 6 | 163 | Vince Skillings | DB | Ohio State | |
| 7 | 173 | Ron Fellows | CB | Missouri | |
| 7 | 191 | Ken Miller | DB | Eastern Michigan | |
| 8 | 218 | Paul Piurowski | LB | Florida State | |
| 9 | 246 | Mike Wilson | WR | Washington State | |
| 10 | 273 | Pat Graham | DT | California | |
| 11 | 302 | Tim Morrison | OG | Georgia | |
| 12 | 329 | Nate Lundy | WR | Indiana | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Downs | Safety | Rice |
| Angelo King | Linebacker | South Carolina State |
| Everson Walls | Cornerback | Grambling State |
| Steve Wright | Tackle | Northern Iowa |
Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | at Washington Redskins | W 26–10 | 1–0 | RFK Stadium | 55,045 | Recap |
| 2 | September 13 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 30–17 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | 63,602 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | at New England Patriots | W 35–21 | 3–0 | Schaefer Stadium | 60,311 | Recap |
| 4 | September 27 | New York Giants | W 18–10 | 4–0 | Texas Stadium | 63,449 | Recap |
| 5 | October 4 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 17–20 | 4–1 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,477 | Recap |
| 6 | October 11 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–45 | 4–2 | Candlestick Park | 57,574 | Recap |
| 7 | October 18 | Los Angeles Rams | W 29–17 | 5–2 | Texas Stadium | 64,649 | Recap |
| 8 | October 25 | Miami Dolphins | W 28–27 | 6–2 | Texas Stadium | 64,221 | Recap |
| 9 | November 1 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–14 | 7–2 | Veterans Stadium | 72,111 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Buffalo Bills | W 27–14 | 8–2 | Texas Stadium | 62,583 | Recap |
| 11 | November 15 | at Detroit Lions | L 24–27 | 8–3 | Pontiac Silverdome | 79,694 | Recap |
| 12 | November 22 | Washington Redskins | W 24–10 | 9–3 | Texas Stadium | 64,587 | Recap |
| 13 | November 26 | Chicago Bears | W 10–9 | 10–3 | Texas Stadium | 63,499 | Recap |
| 14 | December 6 | at Baltimore Colts | W 37–13 | 11–3 | Memorial Stadium | 54,871 | Recap |
| 15 | December 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–10 | 12–3 | Texas Stadium | 64,955 | Recap |
| 16 | December 19 | at New York Giants | L 10–13 (OT) | 12–4 | Giants Stadium | 73,009 | Recap |
Division opponents are in bold text
Game notes
Week 1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
- Date: Sunday Sept 6, 1981
- Location: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 55,045
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| • Cowboys | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
- Date: Sunday Sep 13, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 63,602
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 35 |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
- Date: Monday Sept 21, 1981
- Location: Schaefer Stadium
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 60,311
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), wind 13 mph (21 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith & Howard Cosell
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
- Date: Sunday Sep 27, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 63,449
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), wind 10 mph (16 km/h)
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & Hank Stram
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 4,1981
- Location: Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 49,477
- Game weather: Clear; 64 °F (18 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • 49ers | 21 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 11, 1981
- Location: Candlestick Park
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 57,574
- Game weather: Sunny; 58 °F (14 °C), wind 18 mph (29 km/h)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Cowboys | 12 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 29 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 18, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,649
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), humidity 55%
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Fran Tarkenton, and Don Meredith
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
- Date: Sunday Oct 25, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,221
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), humidity 74%
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 1, 1981
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 72,111
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 27 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 62,583
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) • 20 miles per hour (32 km/h; 17 kn)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell
| 1 | BUF | Jerry Butler 16 yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) | BUF 7–0 | |
| 1 | DAL | Doug Cosbie 12 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Tied 7–7 | |
| 2 | BUF | Curtis Brown 9 yard pass from Joe Cribbs (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) | BUF 14–7 | |
| 3 | DAL | Tony Dorsett 73 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Tied 14–14 | |
| 3 | DAL | Tony Hill 37 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | DAL 21–14 | |
| 3 | DAL | Rafael Septién 47 yard field goal | DAL 24–14 | |
| 3 | DAL | Rafael Septién 31 yard field goal | DAL 27–14 | |
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| • Lions | 0 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
- Date: Sunday Nov 15, 1981
- Location: Pontiac Silverdome
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 79,694
- Game weather: Dome
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: Sunday, November 22, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 3:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 64,587
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C); wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier and Roger Staubach
| 1 | DAL | Butch Johnson 28 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | DAL 7–0 | |
| 2 | DAL | Rafael Septién 25 yard field goal | DAL 10–0 | |
| 2 | WSH | Nick Giaquinto 7 yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick) | DAL 10–7 | |
| 3 | WSH | Mark Moseley 26 yard field goal | Tie 10–10 | |
| 3 | DAL | Doug Cosbie 10 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | DAL 17–10 | |
| 4 | DAL | Ron Springs 1 yard run (Rafael Septién kick) | DAL 24–10 | |
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| • Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: Thursday Nov, 26 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 4:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 63,499
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C); humidity 62%
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 37 |
| Colts | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: Sunday Dec 6, 1981
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 54,871
- Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), wind 20 mph (32 km/h), wind chill 29 °F (−2 °C)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Kelly & John Dockery
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
- Date: Sunday Dec 13, 1981
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,955
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), humidity 83%, wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| • Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
- Date: Saturday Dec 19,1981
- Location: Giants Stadium
- Game start: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 73,009
- Game weather: Overcast; 27 °F (−3 °C), wind chill 13 °F (−11 °C), wind 20 mph (32 km/h)mph
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| 3 | NYG | Tom Mullady 20 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick) | Giants 7–0 | |
| 4 | DAL | Doug Cosbie 3 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| 4 | DAL | Rafael Septién 36 yard field goal | Cowboys 10–7 | |
| 4 | NYG | Joe Danelo 40 yard field goal | Tie 10–10 | |
| OT | NYG | Joe Danelo 35 yard field goal | Giants 13–10 | |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Game Site | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First Round Bye | ||||||
| Divisional | January 2, 1982 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3) | W 38–0 | Texas Stadium | 64,848 | Recap | |
| NFC Championship | January 10, 1982 | at San Francisco 49ers (1) | L 27–28 | Candlestick Park | 60,525 | Recap | |
Divisional Round
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 38 |
- Date: Jan 2,1982
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,848
- Game weather: Sunny; 57 °F (14 °C)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
Conference Championship
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 10 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| • 49ers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: Jan 10,1982
- Location: Candlestick Park
- Game start: 4:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 60,525
- Game weather: Sunny; 43 °F (6 °C), wind 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 367 | 277 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles(4) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 368 | 221 | W1 |
| New York Giants(5) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 8–6 | 295 | 257 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 6–6 | 347 | 349 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 315 | 408 | L2 |