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1971 Dallas Cowboys season

NFL team season

NFL team season

FieldValue
teamDallas Cowboys
year1971
record11–3
division_place1st NFC East
coachTom Landry
general managerTex Schramm
ownerClint Murchison Jr.
stadiumCotton Bowl
Texas Stadium
playoffsWon Divisional Playoffs
(at Vikings) 20–12
Won NFC Championship
(vs. 49ers) 14–3
Won Super Bowl VI
(vs. Dolphins) 24–3
shortnavlinkCowboys seasons

Texas Stadium (at Vikings) 20–12 Won NFC Championship (vs. 49ers) 14–3 Won Super Bowl VI (vs. Dolphins) 24–3 The 1971 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL), the first at the new Texas Stadium in suburban Irving, Texas, and the 12th season under head coach Tom Landry. The Cowboys led the NFL with 406 points scored. Their defense allowed 222 points.

For the sixth consecutive season, the Cowboys had a first-place finish. They won their second-consecutive NFC championship, then defeated the Miami Dolphins 24–3 in Super Bowl VI to capture their first Super Bowl championship. They were the first team from the NFC to win a Super Bowl since the 1970 merger of the NFL and the American Football League (AFL), and subsequently, the first team from the NFC East division to win the title.

NFL draft

The 1971 NFL draft was one of the worst in the history of the franchise, although the Cowboys recovered draft choices by trading Tody Smith and Ike Thomas to other teams. Third-round selection Bill Gregory played seven seasons with the Cowboys, winning two Super Bowl rings. Eighth-round selection Ron Jessie was cut after the Cowboys acquired San Diego Chargers All-Pro Lance Alworth, but went on to enjoy a long and successful NFL career with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.

Main article: 1971 NFL draft

Preseason

Dallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"WeekDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"DateDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"OpponentDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"ResultDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"RecordDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"Game SiteDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"AttendanceDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"Recap123456
at Los Angeles RamsW 45–211–0Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum87,187Recap
New Orleans SaintsW 36–212–0Cotton Bowl73,560Recap
Cleveland BrownsW 16–153–0Cotton Bowl69,099Recap
at Houston OilersW 28–204–0Houston Astrodome49,078Recap
at Baltimore ColtsW 27–145–0Memorial Stadium22,291Recap
Kansas City ChiefsW 24–176–0Cotton Bowl74,035Recap

Season recap

The Cowboys opened the new Texas Stadium with a 44–21 win over the New England Patriots on Oct. 24. Duane Thomas scored the first touchdown, a 56-yard run two minutes and 16 seconds after the start of the game. Attendance was 65,708 persons.

The team entered the season still having the reputation of "not being able to win the big games" and "next year's champion". The Super Bowl V loss added more fuel to that widely held view. As in the previous season, Dallas had a quarterback controversy as Roger Staubach and Craig Morton alternated as starting quarterback (in a loss to the Bears in game 7, Morton and Staubach alternated plays). The Cowboys were 4–3 at the season midpoint. But after head coach Tom Landry settled on Staubach, the Cowboys won their last seven regular season games to finish with an 11–3 record.

Staubach finished the regular season as the NFL's top rated passer (101.8) by throwing for 1,882 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. He was also a terrific rusher, gaining 343 yards and 2 touchdowns on 41 carries. Said Cold Hard Football Facts of Staubach's 1971 season, "Staubach finally out-jockeyed Craig Morton for the starting gig with the Cowboys in 1971 and instantly produced one of the greatest passing seasons in history. The numbers are not big and gaudy, but they were ruthlessly efficient –- the 104.8 passer rating truly amazing in a season in which the average rating was 62.2. His 8.9 [yards-per-attempt] in the regular season is phenomenal in any era of the NFL, as was his 18 [touchdowns] against a meager 4 [interceptions] (including postseason). The Cowboys did not lose a single one of Staubach's 13 starts in 1971 and –- most impressively –- he lifted the proverbial "team that couldn't win the big game" to its long-awaited first NFL championship.[...]"

Dallas also had an outstanding trio of running backs, Walt Garrison, Duane Thomas, and Calvin Hill, who rushed for a combined total of 1,690 yards and 14 touchdowns during the season. Garrison led the team in receptions during the season. (Thomas, upset that the Cowboys would not renegotiate his contract after his excellent rookie year, had stopped talking to the press and to almost everyone on the team). Wide receivers Bob Hayes and Lance Alworth also provided a deep threat, catching a combined total of 69 passes for 1,327 yards and 10 touchdowns. The offensive line, anchored by all-pro tackle Rayfield Wright, Pro Bowlers John Niland and Ralph Neely, and #64 Tony Liscio who was coaxed out of retirement by Tom Landry after Ralph Neely got injured off the field, was also a primary reason for their success on offense. (Neely had broken his leg in November in a dirt-bike accident, and was replaced first by Gregg and then by Tony Liscio, who came out of retirement.)

The Dallas defense (nicknamed the "Doomsday Defense") had given up only one touchdown in the last 25 quarters prior to the Super Bowl. Their defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bob Lilly, who excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and breaking up running plays. Dallas also had an outstanding trio of linebackers: Pro Bowler Chuck Howley, who recorded 5 interceptions and returned them for 122 yards; Dave Edwards 2 interceptions; and Lee Roy Jordan, who recorded 2 interceptions. The Cowboys secondary was led by 2 future hall of fame cornerbacks Herb Adderley (6 interceptions for 182 return yards) and Mel Renfro (4 interceptions for 11 yards). Safeties Cliff Harris and Pro Bowler Cornell Green also combined for 4 interceptions. After the 1971 season, Bob Lilly would play in the last of his last Pro Bowl games, despite being selected after the 1972 and 1973 seasons. Lilly would also score his final career touchdown in a 42–7 smashing of The Philadelphia Eagles. Lilly retired with the NFL record for scoring the most TDs by a defensive lineman with 4.

  • September 26, 1971 – Herb Adderley became the first Cowboy to have three interceptions in one game.
  • October 11, 1971 – The Cowboys earned their first win on Monday Night Football by defeating the New York Giants 20–13, which was also the last game the Cowboys played in the Cotton Bowl.

Schedule

Dallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"WeekDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"DateDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"OpponentDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"ResultDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"RecordDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"Game SiteDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"AttendanceDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"Recap1234567891011121314
September 19at Buffalo BillsW 49–371–0War Memorial Stadium46,206Recap
September 26at Philadelphia EaglesW 42–72–0Veterans Stadium65,358Recap
October 3Washington RedskinsL 16–202–1Cotton Bowl61,554Recap
New York GiantsW 20–133–1Cotton Bowl68,378Recap
October 17at New Orleans SaintsL 14–243–2Tulane Stadium83,088Recap
October 24New England PatriotsW 44–214–2Texas Stadium65,708Recap
October 31at Chicago BearsL 19–234–3Soldier Field55,049Recap
November 7at St. Louis CardinalsW 16–135–3Busch Memorial Stadium50,486Recap
November 14Philadelphia EaglesW 20–76–3Texas Stadium60,178Recap
November 21at Washington RedskinsW 13–07–3RFK Stadium53,041Recap
November 25Los Angeles RamsW 28–218–3Texas Stadium66,595Recap
New York JetsW 52–109–3Texas Stadium66,689Recap
December 12at New York GiantsW 42–1410–3Yankee Stadium62,815Recap
St. Louis CardinalsW 31–1211–3Texas Stadium66,672Recap

Division opponents are in bold text

Standings

Game summaries

Week 1

;Cowboys

  • Craig Morton 10/24, 221 Yds, 2 TD
  • Calvin Hill 22 Rush, 84 Yds, 4 TD
  • Bob Hayes 2 Rec, 91 Yds, TD ;Bills
  • Dennis Shaw 18/30, 353 Yds, 4 TD, 3 INT
  • Wayne Patrick 7 Rush, 30 Yds
  • Marlin Briscoe 3 Rec, 113 Yds, 2 TD

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Last game at the Cotton Bowl

Week 6

Dallas' first game at Texas Stadium.

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Playoffs

Main article: 1971–72 NFL playoffs

Dallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"RoundDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"DateDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"OpponentDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"ResultDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"Game SiteDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"AttendanceDallas Cowboysyear=1971border=2}}"RecapDivisionalNFC ChampionshipSuper Bowl VI
December 25at Minnesota VikingsW 20–12Metropolitan Stadium47,307Recap
January 2San Francisco 49ersW 14–3Texas Stadium63,409Recap
January 16vs Miami DolphinsW 24–3Tulane Stadium81,023Recap

NFC Divisional Playoff

NFC Championship Game

Super Bowl VI

Main article: Super Bowl VI

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1971 roster
Quarterbacks

Awards and records

  • Led NFC, Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed, 1,144 yards
  • Led NFL, 401 Points Scored
  • Led NFL, 5,035 Total Yards Gained
  • Herb Adderley, Three Interceptions in One Game, Club Record
  • Roger Staubach, MVP, Super Bowl VI
  • Roger Staubach, NFL Passing Leader
  • Roger Staubach, Led NFL, 2,786 pass yards
  • Roger Staubach, Bert Bell Award
  • Roger Staubach, NFC Pro Bowl
  • Roger Staubach, All-Pro Quarterback
  • Duane Thomas, NFL Touchdown Leader (13 – 11 Rushing, 2 Receiving)
  • Chuck Howley, NFC Pro Bowl

References

References

  1. [http://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/dallas-cowboys/draft/1971 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2015-Jul-31.
  2. Roger Staubach, "Super Bowl VI", ''Super Bowl: The Game of Their Lives'', Danny Peary, editor. Macmillan, 1997. {{ISBN. 0-02-860841-0
  3. "Cold Hard Football Facts: The Dandy Dozen: 12 best passing seasons in history".
  4. "Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles - September 26th, 1971".
  5. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197110110dal.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]
  6. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197110240dal.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]
  7. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197111070crd.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 30-Jun-2014.
  8. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197111140dal.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2014-Jul-01.
  9. "Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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