1980 Dallas Cowboys season

Last updated

1980 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner Clint Murchison, Jr.
General manager Tex Schramm
Head coach Tom Landry
Home stadium Texas Stadium
Results
Record12–4
Division place2nd NFC East
PlayoffsWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Rams) 34–13
Won Divisional Playoffs
(at Falcons) 30–27
Lost NFC Championship
(at Eagles) 7–20
The Cowboys playing the Eagles in the 1980 NFC Championship Game 1986 Jeno's Pizza - 05 - Wilbert Montgomery.jpg
The Cowboys playing the Eagles in the 1980 NFC Championship Game

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.

Contents

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 Games

Offseason

NFL Draft

1980 Dallas Cowboys draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
378 Bill Roe   LB Colorado
380 James Jones   RB Mississippi State
4105 Kurt Petersen   OG Missouri
5133 Gary Hogeboom   QB Central Michigan
6162 Timmy Newsome   FB Winston-Salem State
7189 Lester Brown   RB Clemson
8216 Larry Savage   LB Michigan State
9246 Jackie Flowers   WR Florida State
10273 Matthew Teague   LB Prairie View A&M
11300 Gary Padjen   LB Arizona State
12330 Norm Wells   DE Northwestern
      Made roster        Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1980 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Mike BrockOffensive Line Alabama
Dextor Clinkscale Safety South Carolina State
Roy DeanWide receiverAlabama
Anthony Dickerson Linebacker SMU
Mike GlennOffensive Line Utah State
Richard GrimmettOffensive tackle Illinois
Jim HimicOffensive Line West Virginia
Jay HowlettDefensive Line Holy Cross
Kevin KellyOffensive Line Duke
Bill LeerOffensive Line Colorado State
Mike MancusoQuarterback Nebraska–Omaha
Don Smerek Defensive end Nevada
Roosevelt SmithRunning back Michigan

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame SiteAttendanceRecap
1 September 8at Washington Redskins W 17–31–0 RFK Stadium 55,045 Recap
2 September 14at Denver Broncos L 20–411–1 Mile High Stadium 74,919 Recap
3 September 21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 28–172–1 Texas Stadium 62,750 Recap
4 September 28at Green Bay Packers W 28–73–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 54,776 Recap
5 October 5 New York Giants W 24–34–1Texas Stadium59,126 Recap
6 October 12 San Francisco 49ers W 59–145–1Texas Stadium63,399 Recap
7 October 19at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–175–2 Veterans Stadium 70,696 Recap
8 October 26 San Diego Chargers W 42–316–2Texas Stadium60,639 Recap
9 November 2at St. Louis Cardinals W 27–247–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 50,701 Recap
10 November 9at New York Giants L 35–387–3 Giants Stadium 68,343 Recap
11 November 16 St. Louis Cardinals W 31–218–3Texas Stadium52,567 Recap
12 November 23 Washington Redskins W 14–109–3Texas Stadium58,809 Recap
13 November 27 Seattle Seahawks W 51–710–3Texas Stadium57,540 Recap
14 December 7at Oakland Raiders W 19–1311–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,194 Recap
15 December 15at Los Angeles Rams L 14–3811–4 Anaheim Stadium 65,154 Recap
16 December 21 Philadelphia Eagles W 35–2712–4Texas Stadium62,548 Recap

Division opponents are in bold text

Game summaries

Week 1 at Redskins

Week One: Dallas Cowboys (0–0) at Washington Redskins (0–0)
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys730717
Redskins00033

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Game information

Week 2

1234Total
Cowboys0103720
Broncos71714341

Week 3

1234Total
Bucs7100017
Cowboys777728
  • 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

1234Total
Cowboys777728
Packers07007

Week 5

1234Total
Giants00033
Cowboys3140724
  • Date: Sunday Oct 5, 1980
  • Location: Texas Stadium
  • Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C)

Week 6

1234Total
49ers070714
Cowboys142414759
  • 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
  • Television network: CBS

Week 7

1234Total
Cowboys730010
Eagles0100717
  • 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

Week 8

1234Total
Chargers3210731
Cowboys7721742
  • 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
  • Television network: ABC

Week 9

1234Total
Cowboys01031427
Cardinals737724

Week 10

1234Total
Cowboys71414035
Giants72101038
  • 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

1234Total
Cardinals1470021
Cowboys7107731
  • 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

1234Total
Redskins030710
Cowboys700714
  • 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

1234Total
Seahawks00077
Cowboys92102151
  • 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

1234Total
Cowboys793019
Raiders733013

Week 15

1234Total
Cowboys0001414
Rams72110038

Week 16

1234Total
Eagles00101727
Cowboys7147735

[2]

Playoffs

RoundDateOpponentResultGame SiteAttendanceRecap
Wild Card December 28, 1980 Los Angeles Rams (5)W 34–13 Texas Stadium 64,533 Recap
Divisional January 4, 1981at Atlanta Falcons (1)W 30–27 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 60,022 Recap
NFC Championship January 11, 1981at Philadelphia Eagles (2)L 7–20 Veterans Stadium 70,696 Recap

Wildcard Round

1234Total
Rams 670013
Cowboys31014734

Divisional Round

1234Total
Cowboys3702030
Falcons 1077327

Conference Championship

1234Total
Cowboys07007
Eagles 7010320
  • 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
Veterans Stadium during the 1980 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, January 11, 1981. VeteransStadium1981.jpg
Veterans Stadium during the 1980 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, January 11, 1981.

Standings

NFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
Philadelphia Eagles (2)1240.7506–29–3384222L1
Dallas Cowboys (4)1240.7506–29–3454311W1
Washington Redskins 6100.3754–45–7261293W3
St. Louis Cardinals 5110.3132–64–10299350L2
New York Giants 4120.2502–63–9249425L2

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1980 roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Rookies in italics
46 active, 4 inactive

References