1978 Dallas Cowboys season

Infobox NFL_season
team = Dallas Cowboys
year = 1978
record = 12-4
division_place = 1st in NFC East
coach = Tom Landry
stadium = Texas Stadium
playoffs = Lost Super Bowl XIII (Steelers) The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the NFL. For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys scored 384 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while the defense only gave up 208 points. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football. The club became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls.

NFL Draft

Postseason

NFC Divisional Playoff

* Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20Linescore Amfootball
Road=Falcons
R1=7
R2=13
R3=0
R4=0
RT=20
Home=Cowboys
H1=10
H2=3
H3=7
H4=7
HT=27

"at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas"

*TV: CBS

Dallas' "Doomsday Defense" limited Atlanta quarterback Steve Bartkowski to only 8 completions in 23 attempts and intercepted him 3 times en route to victory. After the Falcons led 20-13 at halftime, the Cowboys scored 14 unanswered points in the second half.

NFC Championship Game

* Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cowboys
R1=0
R2=0
R3=7
R4=21
RT=28
Home=Rams
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0
HT=0

"at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles"

*TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
*Referee: Ben Dreith

uper Bowl XIII

Super Bowl XIII can arguably be called the greatest collection of NFL talent ever to gather for a game. In additions to Coaches Noll and Landry, 14 players would go on to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: 9 from Pittsburgh (Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Webster, Greene, Lambert, Ham, and Blount), and 5 from Dallas (Staubach, Dorsett, White, Wright, and Jackie Smith).

Much of the pregame hype surrounded Super Bowl XIII centered around Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Henderson caused quite a stir before the NFC Championship Game by claiming that the Rams had "no class" and the Cowboys would shut them out. His prediction turned out to be very accurate; the Cowboys did shut them out, aided by Henderson's 68-yard interception return for a touchdown.

In the days leading up the Super Bowl, Henderson began talking about the Steelers in the same manner. He predicted another shutout and then made unfriendly comments about several Pittsburgh players. He put down the talent and the intelligence of Bradshaw, proclaiming "Bradshaw couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'c' and the 'a'". But the Steelers refused to get into a war of words with Henderson. Greene responded by saying the Steelers didn't need to say they were the best, they would just go out on the field and "get the job done".

coring summary

*PIT - TD: John Stallworth 28 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 7-0 PIT
*DAL - TD: Tony Hill 39 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 7-7 tie
*DAL - TD: Mike Hegman 37 yard fumble return (Rafael Septien kick) 14-7 DAL
*PIT - TD: John Stallworth 75 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 14-14 tie
*PIT - TD: Rocky Bleier 7 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 21-14 PIT
*DAL - FG: Rafael Septien 27 yards 21-17 PIT
*PIT - TD: Franco Harris 22 yard run (Roy Gerela kick) 28-17 PIT
*PIT - TD: Lynn Swann 18 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) 35-17 PIT
*DAL - TD: Billy Joe DuPree 7 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 35-24 PIT
*DAL - TD: Butch Johnson 4 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septien kick) 35-31 PIT

Awards and Records

* Led NFL in Sacks
* Led NFL, Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed (1,721)
* Led NFL, Most Rushing Yards (2,783)
* Led NFL, Points Scored (384)
* Roger Staubach, NFL Passing Leader
* Roger Staubach, NFC Leader, Touchdown Passes (25)

Milestones

* Tony Dorsett, Second Consecutve 1,000 Yard Rushing Season, (Finished season with 1,325 yards, third in NFL)

References

* [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal1978.htm Cowboys on Pro Football Reference]
* [http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1978-dal Cowboys on jt-sw.com]