1977 Dallas Cowboys season

1977 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Clint Murchison, Jr.
General manager	Tex Schramm
Head coach	Tom Landry
Home field	Texas Stadium
Results
Record	12–2
Division place	1st in NFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Bears) 37–7 Won NFC Championship (vs. Vikings) 23–6 Won Super Bowl XII (vs. Broncos) 27–10
←  1976 Cowboys seasons 1978  →

The Cowboys and Broncos in Super Bowl XII

The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the National Football League (NFL). The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football . Rookie running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys (first since 1973) to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. Dallas scored 345 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while its defense only gave up 212 points. Dallas finished with a 12–2 record (tied with 1968 for the best record in the Landry era). The Cowboys made it to their fourth Super Bowl and beat the Denver Broncos to capture their second Super Bowl title. They were the first team from the NFC East Division to win two Super Bowls. Their 15–2 (.882) record (including the postseason) remains the highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history.

As in 1975, the Cowboys did not play this season on Thanksgiving, again replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 1977 Cowboys ranked #17 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. ^{[1] [2]}

Offseason

To improve their running game, the Cowboys orchestrated a big trade with the Seattle Seahawks, moving up in the NFL draft to acquire running back Tony Dorsett, the Heisman Trophy winner from national champion Pittsburgh. ^[3]

With the retirement of Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Breunig became the starting middle linebacker, Randy White was moved to defensive tackle, and Thomas Henderson became a starter at strongside linebacker, turning the defense into a dominant unit.

Draft

Main article: 1977 NFL Draft

1977 Dallas Cowboys draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	2	Tony Dorsett  * †	RB	Pittsburgh	Pick from SEA
2	54	Glenn Carano	QB	UNLV
3	62	Tony Hill  *	WR	Stanford
3	81	Val Belcher	OG	Houston
4	108	Guy Brown	LB	Houston
5	137	Andy Frederick	OT	New Mexico
6	164	Jim Cooper	OT	Temple
7	191	Dave Stalls	DE	Northern Colorado
8	208	Al Cleveland	DE	Pacific
8	221	Fred Williams	RB	Arizona State
9	248	Mark Cantrell	C	North Carolina
10	275	Steve DeBerg	QB	San Jose State
11	305	Don Wardlow	TE	Washington
12	332	Greg Peters	OL	California
Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[4]

Undrafted free agents

1977 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Thomas Bailey	Running back	Tulsa
Artie Belvin	Defensive back	UTEP
Larry Brinson	Running back	Florida
Jeff Butts	Tight end	Oregon
Bruce Huther	Linebacker	New Hampshire
Richard Jacobson	Defensive Line	Hamline
Lucien Johnson	Linebacker	UTEP
Abel Joe	Running back	Cheyney State
Dave Meteer	Offensive line	BYU
Keith Ponder	Defensive back	Northern Michigan
Fred Rayhle	Tight end	Chattanooga

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	Attendance	Recap
1	August 6	San Diego Chargers	W 34–14	1–0	Texas Stadium	59,504	Recap
2	August 13	at Seattle Seahawks	L 17–23 (OT)	1–1	Kingdome	58,789	Recap
3	August 20	Miami Dolphins	L 14–20	1–2	Texas Stadium	58,620	Recap
4	August 27	Baltimore Colts	W 23–21	2–2	Texas Stadium	54,835	Recap
5	September 3	at Houston Oilers	L 14–23	2–3	Astrodome	49,777	Recap
6	September 8	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 30–0	3–3	Texas Stadium	49,824	Recap

Regular season

• December 4, 1977 – Tony Dorsett becomes the first player in franchise history to rush for at least 200 yards in a game. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dorsett had 23 rushes for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns including an 84-yard touchdown run which was the longest during the 1977 NFL season.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	Attendance	Recap
1	September 18	at Minnesota Vikings	W 16–10 (OT)	1–0	Metropolitan Stadium	47,678	Recap
2	September 25	New York Giants	W 41–21	2–0	Texas Stadium	64,215	Recap
3	October 2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 23–7	3–0	Texas Stadium	55,316	Recap
4	October 9	at St. Louis Cardinals	W 30–24	4–0	Busch Memorial Stadium	50,129	Recap
5	October 16	Washington Redskins	W 34–16	5–0	Texas Stadium	62,115	Recap
6	October 23	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 16–10	6–0	Veterans Stadium	65,507	Recap
7	October 30	Detroit Lions	W 37–0	7–0	Texas Stadium	63,160	Recap
8	November 6	at New York Giants	W 24–10	8–0	Giants Stadium	74,532	Recap
9	November 14	St. Louis Cardinals	L 17–24	8–1	Texas Stadium	64,038	Recap
10	November 20	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 13–28	8–2	Three Rivers Stadium	49,761	Recap
11	November 27	at Washington Redskins	W 14–7	9–2	RFK Stadium	55,031	Recap
12	December 4	Philadelphia Eagles	W 24–14	10–2	Texas Stadium	60,289	Recap
13	December 12	at San Francisco 49ers	W 42–35	11–2	Candlestick Park	55,851	Recap
14	December 18	Denver Broncos	W 14–6	12–2	Texas Stadium	63,752	Recap

Division opponents are in bold text

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Dallas Cowboys (1)	12	2	0	.857	7–1	11–1	345	212	W4
Washington Redskins	9	5	0	.643	4–4	8–4	196	189	W3
St. Louis Cardinals	7	7	0	.500	4–4	7–5	272	287	L4
Philadelphia Eagles	5	9	0	.357	2–6	4–8	220	207	W2
New York Giants	5	9	0	.357	3–5	5–7	181	265	L2

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1977 roster
Quarterbacks 18 Glenn Carano 12 Roger Staubach 11 Danny White P Running backs 36 Larry Brinson 21 Doug Dennison 33 Tony Dorsett 35 Scott Laidlaw FB 44 Robert Newhouse FB 26 Preston Pearson Wide receivers 80 Tony Hill 86 Butch Johnson RS 88 Drew Pearson 83 Golden Richards Tight ends 89 Billy Joe DuPree 87 Jay Saldi		Offensive linemen 61 Jim Cooper C/T 67 Pat Donovan T 62 John Fitzgerald C 71 Andy Frederick T 66 Burton Lawless G 73 Ralph Neely T 64 Tom Rafferty G/C 68 Herbert Scott G 70 Rayfield Wright T Defensive linemen 63 Larry Cole DE 77 Bill Gregory DT 72 Ed Jones DE 79 Harvey Martin DE 75 Jethro Pugh DT 65 Dave Stalls DE 54 Randy White DT		Linebackers 53 Bob Breunig MLB 59 Guy Brown OLB 58 Mike Hegman OLB 56 Thomas Henderson OLB 57 Bruce Huther MLB 50 D. D. Lewis OLB Defensive backs 31 Benny Barnes CB 43 Cliff Harris FS 42 Randy Hughes SS 25 Aaron Kyle CB 20 Mel Renfro CB/S 46 Mark Washington CB 41 Charlie Waters SS Special teams  1 Efrén Herrera K		Reserve lists 52 Jim Eidson G (IR) 81 Percy Howard WR (IR) ## Greg Peters OG (IR) 78 Greg Schaum DT (IR) 30 Charley Young RB (IR) Rookies in italics 45 active, 4 inactive

Game summaries

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

See also: 1977 Minnesota Vikings season

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	0	3	0	7	6	16
Vikings	7	0	0	3	0	10

at Metropolitan Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: Sunday, September 18, 1977
• Game time: 1:00
• Game weather: 68°, wind 12 mph
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 18-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick) Second quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 40-yard field goal Fourth quarter DAL – Preston Pearson 7-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) MIN – Fred Cox 35-yard field goal Overtime DAL – Roger Staubach 4-yard run (no PAT attempt) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 18/30, 196 yds, TD, lng 23, rate 90.4 MIN – Fran Tarkenton 13/32, 182 yds, TD, 3 INT, lng 25, rate 31.0 Rushing DAL – Preston Pearson 15 att, 63 yds, lng 22 MIN – Chuck Foreman 22 att, 66 yds, lng 9 Receiving DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 4 rec, 57 yds, lng 23 MIN – Chuck Foreman 5 rec, 56 yds, TD, lng 20 Defense DAL - Cliff Harris 2 INT DAL - Thomas Henderson 1 INT Kick returns DAL - Butch Johnson 2 rt, 69 yds, 34.5 y/rt DAL - Larry Brinson 1 rt, 15 yds, 15.0 y/rt MIN - Brent McClanahan 2 rt, 40 yds, 20.0 y/rt MIN - Robert Miller 1 rt, 12 yds, 12.0 y/rt Punt returns DAL - Butch Johnson 4 rt, 28 yds, 7.0 y/rt MIN - Bob Grim 3 rt, 10 yds, 3.3 y/rt Kicking DAL - Efrén Herrera 1 XPM, 1 XPA, 1 FGM, 2 FGA MIN - Fred Cox 1 XPM, 1 XPA, 1 FGM, 2 FGA Punting DAL - Danny White 9 pnts, 352 yds, 39.1 y/pnt MIN - Neil Clabo 5 pnts, 177 yds, 35.4 y/pnt

Week 2: vs. New York Giants

See also: 1977 New York Giants season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	7	14	0	21
Cowboys	14	17	3	7	41

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, September 25, 1977
• Game time: 1:00
• Game weather: 88°, wind 16 mph
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Roger Staubach 2-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Preston Pearson 10-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Second quarter DAL – Doug Dennison 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Tony Dorsett 11-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) NYG – Willie Spencer 1-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 37-yard field goal Third quarter NYG – Bobby Hammond 68-yard punt return (Joe Danelo kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 41-yard field goal NYG – Doug Kotar 3-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 34-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing NYG – Joe Pisarcik 9/23, 129 yds, 2 INT, lng 54, rate 21.8 DAL – Roger Staubach 18/29, 235 yds, TD, lng 4, rate 2.8 Rushing NYG – Larry Csonka 9 att, 39 yds, lng 14 DAL – Tony Dorsett 7 att, 62 yds, 2 TD, lng 6 Receiving NYG – Johnny Perkins 1 rec, 54 yds, lng 14 DAL – Drew Pearson 6 rec, 97 yds, lng 13 Defense DAL - Randy Hughes INT, 8 yds, lng 8 DAL - Aaron Kyle INT, 9 yds, lng 9 DAL - D.D. Lewis INT, 29 yds, lng 29 Kick returns DAL - Larry Brinson 2 rt, 43 yds, 21.5 y/rt NYG - Bobby Hammond 3 rt, 85 yds, 28.3 y/rt NYG - Gordon Bell 2 rt, 48 yds, 24.0 y/rt NYG - Emery Moorehead 1 rt, 24 yds, 24.0 y/rt NYG - Beasley Reece 1 rt, 16 yds, 16.0 y/rt Punt returns DAL - Butch Johnson 6 rt, 61 yds, 10.2 y/rt DAL - Tony Hill 1 rt, 4 yds, 4.0 y/rt NYG - Bobby Hammond 3 rt, 72 yds, 24.0 y/rt, TD Kicking DAL - Efrén Herrera 5 XPM, 5 XPA, 2 FGM, 3 FGA Punting DAL - Danny White 6 pnts, 259 yds, 43.2 y/pnt NYG - Dave Jennings 8 pnts, 331 yds, 41.4 y/pnt

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

See also: 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	7	0	0	7
Cowboys	17	3	3	0	23

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, October 2, 1977
• Game time: 12:00
• Game weather: 74 F, wind 15 mph
• Game attendance: 55,316
• Referee: Bernie Ulman
• TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Alex Hawkins
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 32-yard field goal DAL – Thomas Henderson 79-yard interception return (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Robert Newhouse 17-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Second quarter TB – Richard Wood 37-yard fumble return (Allan Leavitt kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 19-yard field goal Third quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 20-yard field goal Passing TB – Gary Huff 8/23, 107 yards, 2 INT, lng 30, rate 14.2 DAL – Roger Staubach 15/24, 212 yards, INT, lng 24, rate 73.6 Rushing TB – Anthony Davis 15 att, 30 yards, lng 9 DAL – Robert Newhouse 16 att, 73 yards, TD, lng 17 Receiving TB – Morris Owens 4 rec, 57 yards, lng 24 DAL – Preston Pearson 5 rec, 65 yards, lng 21 Defense TB - Richard Wood 1 INT, 29 yards, lng 29 DAL - Thomas Henderson 2 INT, 79 yards, TD Kick returns TB - Isaac Hagins 5 rt, 118 yards, 23.6 y/rt TB - Anthony Davis 1 rt, 19 yards, 19.0 y/rt DAL - Butch Johnson 2 rt, 39 yards, 19.5 y/rt Punt returns TB - Isaac Hagins 2 rt, 1 yd, 0.5 y/rt TB - Danny Reece 1 rt, 3 yds, 3.0 y/rt DAL - Butch Johnson 6 rt, 88 yds, 14.7 y/rt Kicking DAL - Efrén Herrera 2 XPM, 2 XPA, 3 FGM, 4 FGA Punting TB - Dave Green 10 pnts, 415 yds, 41.5 y/pnt DAL - Danny White 5 pnts, 216 yds, 43.2 y/pnt

Week 4: at St. Louis Cardinals

See also: 1977 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	10	3	14	30
Cardinals	10	7	7	0	24

at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: Sunday, October 9, 1977
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 49 F, wind 13 mph
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Alex Hawkins
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter STL – Jim Bakken 32-yard field goal DAL – Efrén Herrera 29-yard field goal STL – Terry Metcalf 62-yard run (Jim Bakken kick) Second quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 77-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) STL – Mel Gray 60-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 40-yard field goal Third quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 44-yard field goal STL – Charles Davis 35-yard fumble return (Jim Bakken kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Golden Richards 17-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 18/29, 153 yards, TD, lng 17, rate 87.3 STL – Jim Hart 9/32, 186 yards, TD, 2 INT, lng 60, rate 35.7 STL - Terry Metcalf 1/2, 9 yards, lng 9, rate 62.5 Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 14 att, 141 yards, 2 TD, lng 77 STL – Terry Metcalf 10 att, 79 yards, TD, lng 32 Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 6 rec, 55 yards, lng 12 STL – Mel Gray 3 rec, 84 yards, TD, lng 60 Defense DAL - Cliff Harris INT, 7 yards, lng 7 DAL - Charlie Waters INT, 3 yards, lng 3

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

See also: 1977 Washington Redskins season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	6	7	3	0	16
Cowboys	0	14	6	14	34

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, October 16
• Game time: 3:00 pm
• Game weather: 56 F, wind 8 mph
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter WSH – Mark Moseley 25-yard field goal WSH – Mark Moseley 40-yard field goal Second quarter DAL – Golden Richards 50-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Robert Newhouse 7-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) WSH – Clarence Harmon 1-yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick) Third quarter WSH – Mark Moseley 53-yard field goal DAL – Efrén Herrera 44-yard field goal DAL – Efrén Herrera 52-yard field goal Fourth quarter DAL – Drew Pearson 59-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Robert Newhouse 6-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing WSH – Billy Kilmer 4/15, 45 yards, INT DAL – Roger Staubach 15/28, 250 yards, 2 TD Rushing WSH – Mike Thomas 15 att, 46 yards DAL – Robert Newhouse 17 att, 71 yards, 2 TD Receiving WSH – Charley Taylor 2 rec, 32 yards DAL – Drew Pearson 6 rec, 157 yards, TD

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

See also: 1977 Philadelphia Eagles season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	6	0	10	16
Eagles	0	7	0	3	10

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

• Date: Sunday, October 23
• Game time: 1:00 pm
• Game weather: 53 F, wind 11 mph
• Referee: Don Wedge
• TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung
• Box Score

Game information

Second quarter PHI – Charlie Smith 12-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Horst Muhlmann kick) DAL – Tony Dorsett 5-yard run (kick failed) Fourth quarter DAL – Charlie Waters 17-yard punt return (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 18-yard field goal PHI – Horst Muhlmann 32-yard field goal Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 15/26, 172 yards PHI – Ron Jaworski 10/23, 104 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 13 att, 48 yards, TD PHI – Tom Sullivan 13 att, 61 yards Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 4 rec, 54 yards PHI – Keith Krepfle 3 rec, 40 yards

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions

See also: 1977 Detroit Lions season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	0	0	0
Cowboys	3	20	7	7	37

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, October 30
• Game time: 1:00
• Game weather: 70 F, wind 11 mph
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 21-yard field goal Second quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 45-yard field goal DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 14-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Scott Laidlaw 18-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 30-yard field goal Third quarter DAL – Jay Saldi 1-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Larry Brinson 20-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing DET – Joe Reed 6/16, 75 yards, INT DAL – Roger Staubach 16/25, 179 yards, 3 TD Rushing DET – Horace King 8 att, 26 yards DAL – Tony Dorsett 13 att, 48 yards Receiving DET – Rick Kane 2 rec, 30 yards DAL – Tony Dorsett 5 rec, 48 yards

Week 8: at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	7	3	24
Giants	0	3	7	0	10

at The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: Sunday, November 6
• Game time: 1:00 pm
• Game weather: 54 F, wind 16 mph
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Alex Hawkins
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Jay Saldi 8-yard fumble return (Efrén Herrera kick) Second quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 51-yard field goal DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 5-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Third quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) NYG – Bobby Hammond 1-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 35-yard field goal Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 14/25, 190 yards, TD NYG – Joe Pisarcik 6/17, 61 yards, INT Rushing DAL – Robert Newhouse 11 att, 41 yards NYG – Larry Csonka 15 att, 47 yards Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 3 rec, 89 yards NYG – Johnny Perkins 4 rec, 34 yards

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	7	14	24
Cowboys	0	14	0	3	17

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Monday, November 14
• Game time: 8:00 pm
• Game weather: 61 F, wind 12 mph
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter STL – Jim Bakken 26-yard field goal Second quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 2-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Third quarter STL – Wayne Morris 1-yard run (Jim Bakken kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 21-yard field goal STL – Mel Gray 49-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick) STL – Jackie Smith 3-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick) Passing STL – Jim Hart 10/24, 141 yards, 2 TD, INT DAL – Roger Staubach 11/20, 102 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing STL – Wayne Morris 21 att, 72 yards, TD DAL – Robert Newhouse 12 att, 61 yards Receiving STL – Mel Gray 3 rec, 76 yards, TD DAL – Drew Pearson 4 rec, 45 yards

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

See also: 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	6	7	0	0	13
Steelers	0	14	14	0	28

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh

• Date: Sunday, November 20
• Game time: 4:00 pm
• Game weather: 48 F, wind 9 mph
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 13-yard run (kick failed) Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 61-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) DAL – Jay Saldi 23-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) PIT – Lynn Swann 9-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Third quarter PIT – John Stallworth 28-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) PIT – Franco Harris 2-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 18/26, 230 yards, TD, 2 INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 7/12, 106 yards, 2 TD Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 17 att, 73 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris 29 att, 179 yards, 2 TD Receiving DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 3 rec, 45 yards PIT – John Stallworth 4 rec, 46 yards, TD

Week 11: at Washington Redskins

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	0	7	7	14
Redskins	0	7	0	0	7

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Date: Sunday, November 27
• Game time: 4:00 pm
• Game weather: 31 F, wind 16 mph
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

Second quarter WSH – Joe Theismann 1-yard run (Mark Moseley kick) Third quarter DAL – Golden Richards 4-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 10/24, 138 yards, TD, INT WSH – Joe Theismann 17/35, 231 yards, INT Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 19 att, 64 yards, TD WSH – Calvin Hill 4 att, 44 yards Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 2 rec, 79 yards WSH – Frank Grant 6 rec, 89 yards

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	7	7	0	14
Cowboys	7	7	3	7	24

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, December 4
• Game time: 1:00 pm
• Game weather: 59 F, wind 12 mph
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Alex Hawkins
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Second quarter PHI – Mike Hogan 51-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) DAL – Drew Pearson 16-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Third quarter PHI – Harold Carmichael 12-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 24-yard field goal Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 84-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing PHI – Ron Jaworski 18/32, 199 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DAL – Roger Staubach 13/26, 183 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing PHI – Mike Hogan 6 att, 25 yards DAL – Tony Dorsett 23 att, 206 yards, 2 TD Receiving PHI – Mike Hogan 3 rec, 59 yards, TD DAL – Preston Pearson 3 rec, 70 yards

Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers

See also: 1977 San Francisco 49ers season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	21	7	14	42
49ers	7	7	7	14	35

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

• Date: Monday, December 12
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 53 F, wind 6 mph
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter SF – Bob Ferrell 1-yard run (Ray Wersching kick) Second quarter DAL – Roger Staubach 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Preston Pearson 36-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) SF – Kenny Harrison 10-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Ray Wersching kick) DAL – Tony Dorsett 20-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Third quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 21-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) SF – Gene Washington 27-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Ray Wersching kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Butch Johnson 22-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) SF – Devlin Williams 1-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Ray Wersching kick) DAL – Preston Pearson 3-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) SF – Paul Seal 47-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Ray Wersching kick) Passing DAL -Roger Staubach 14/19, 220 yards, 3 TD SF – Jim Plunkett 15/29, 263 yards, 4 TD Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 20 att, 92 yards, TD SF – Delvin Williams 17 att, 44 yards Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 4 rec, 61 yards SF – Gene Washington 5 rec, 130 yards, TD

Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

See also: 1977 Denver Broncos season

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	3	3	6
Cowboys	7	0	7	0	14

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: Sunday, December 18
• Game time: 3:00 pm
• Game weather: 52 F, wind 10 mph
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Jack Buck and Len Dawson
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Preston Pearson 22-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) Third quarter DAL – Robert Newhouse 7-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DEN – Jim Turner 22-yard field goal Fourth quarter DEN – Jim Turner 37-yard field goal Passing DEN – Norris Weese 10/19, 94 yards DAL – Roger Staubach 15/20, 160 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing DEN – Norris Weese 6 att, 33 yards DAL – Tony Dorsett 17 att, 50 yards Receiving DEN – Jack Dolbin 5 rec, 85 yards DAL – Preston Pearson 6 rec, 48 yards, TD

Postseason

Main article: 1977–78 NFL playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Game Site	Attendance	Recap
Divisional	December 26, 1977	Chicago Bears (4)	W 37–7	Texas Stadium	63,260	Recap
NFC Championship	January 1, 1978	Minnesota Vikings (3)	W 23–6	Texas Stadium	64,293	Recap
Super Bowl XII	January 15, 1978	vs Denver Broncos (A 1)	W 27–10	Louisiana Superdome	75,583	Recap

NFC Divisional Playoff

See also: 1977 Chicago Bears season

Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	7	7
Cowboys	7	10	17	3	37

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: December 26, 1977
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 63,260
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Doug Dennison 2-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Second quarter DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 28-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 21-yard field goal Third quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 23-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 31-yard field goal DAL – Tony Dorsett 7-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 27-yard field goal CHI – Steve Schubert 34-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick) Passing CHI – Bob Avellini 15/25, 177 yds, TD, 4 INT DAL – Roger Staubach 8/13, 134 yds, TD, INT Rushing CHI – Walter Payton 19 att, 60 yds DAL – Tony Dorsett 17 att, 85 yds, 2 TD Receiving CHI – Steve Schubert 5 rec, 69 yds, TD DAL – Drew Pearson 2 rec, 38 yds

NFC Championship Game

Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	6	0	0	6
Cowboys	6	10	0	7	23

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: January 1, 1978
• Game time: 4:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 64,293
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Alex Hawkins
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Golden Richards 32-yard pass from Roger Staubach (kick failed) Second quarter DAL – Robert Newhouse 5-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) MIN – Fred Cox 32-yard field goal MIN – Fred Cox 37-yard field goal DAL – Efrén Herrera 21-yard field goal Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 11-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing MIN – Bob Lee 14/31, 158 yds, INT DAL – Roger Staubach 12/23, 165 yds, TD, INT Rushing MIN – Chuck Foreman 21 att, 59 yds DAL – Robert Newhouse 15 att, 81 yds, TD Receiving MIN – Sammy White 3 rec, 46 yds DAL – Drew Pearson 4 rec, 62 yds

Super Bowl XII

See also: Super Bowl XII

Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys (NFC)	10	3	7	7	27
Broncos (AFC)	0	0	10	0	10

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

• Date: January 15, 1978
• Game attendance: 75,583
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 3-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick) DAL – Efrén Herrera 35-yard field goal Second quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 43-yard field goal Third quarter DEN – Jim Turner 47-yard field goal DAL – Butch Johnson 45-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efrén Herrera kick) DEN – Rob Lytle 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick) Fourth quarter DAL – Golden Richards 29-yard pass from Robert Newhouse (Efrén Herrera kick) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 17/25, 183 yds, TD DEN – Craig Morton 4/15, 39 yds, 4 INT Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 15 att, 66 yds, TD DEN – Rob Lytle 10 att, 35 yds, TD Receiving DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 4 rec, 66 yds DEN – Jack Dolbin 2 rec, 24 yds

Season recap

With an improved offense and defense, the Cowboys finished with a 12–2 regular season record, breezing through the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 37–7 in the divisional round, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23–6 in the NFC Championship Game and winning Super Bowl XII 27–10 against the Denver Broncos.

Dorsett set a franchise rookie record with 1,007 rushing yards. Defensive end Harvey Martin had one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL player. In a 14-game season he totaled 85 tackles and an estimated league-leading 23 sacks ^[5] (more than Michael Strahan's 22.5 record in 16 games), he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-Pro selection, was a key player in the Cowboys winning Super Bowl XII, and a co-MVP of the game with Randy White.

Awards and records

• Tony Dorsett, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award
• Tony Dorsett, All-Pro Selection
• Efrén Herrera, Five Field Goals Attempted in one Super Bowl game, Super Bowl record
• Harvey Martin, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
• Harvey Martin, NFL Defensive Player of the Year
• Harvey Martin, Led NFL, Sacks (23)
• Drew Pearson, Led NFL Receiving Yards (870)
• Drew Pearson, All-Pro Selection
• Drew Pearson, Pro Bowl Selection
• Roger Staubach, All-Pro Selection
• Roger Staubach, Pro Bowl Selection
• Roger Staubach, Led NFC, Touchdown Passes (18)
• Roger Staubach, NFC Passing Leader
• Randy White, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
• Led NFC, Points Scored (345)
• Led NFC, Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed (1,651)
• Led NFL, Fewest Total Yards Allowed (3,213)
• Led NFL, Total Yards, (4,812)

Publications

• The Football Encyclopedia ISBN   0-312-11435-4
• Total Football ISBN   0-06-270170-3
• Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN   0-446-51950-2

References

1. "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
2. "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.
3. "Tony Dorsett had all the right moves and a brilliant NFL career". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
4. "1977 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved July 15, 2019.
5. DeLuca, Sam (1981). The Football Handbook. Jonathan David Publishers. p. 143. ISBN   0824602749. Defensive tackle Harvey Martin of the Cowboys had 23 sacks in 1977 -as many as the entire San Diego team had in 1976

External links

• 1977 Dallas Cowboys
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Dallas Cowboys Official Site