1978 Dallas Cowboys season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Dallas Cowboys 1978 12–4 1st NFC East Tom Landry Tex Schramm Clint Murchison, Jr. Texas Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Falcons) 27–20Won NFC Championship(at Rams) 28–0Lost Super Bowl XIII(vs. Steelers) 31–35 Cowboys seasons The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the National Football League (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 league, while the defense only gave up 208 points, 3rd best in the league. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys became the first franchise to appear in five Super Bowls. Their post season run included a comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons 27–20. As well as a shut out of the Los Angeles Rams 28–0. With their loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIII, they also became the first team to lose a Super Bowl after having won it the previous year. Draft 1978 NFL draft 1978 Dallas Cowboys 1 28 Larry Bethea DE Michigan State yes 2 56 Todd Christensen RB BYU yes yes 3 84 Dave Hudgens OT Oklahoma yes 4 110 Alois Blackwell RB Houston yes 5 138 Rich Rosen OG Syracuse no 6 166 Harold Randolph LB East Carolina no 7 194 Tom Randall DT Iowa State yes 8 222 Homer Butler WR UCLA no 9 250 Russ Williams DB Tennessee no 10 278 Barry Tomasetti OT Iowa no 11 306 Dennis Thurman CB USC yes yes 12 334 Lee Washburn OG Montana Undrafted free agents + 1978 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeTim AbneyDefensive backLincolnTerry AlbrittonDefensive tackleStanfordJef AllenQuarterbackNew HampshireDave BarronLinebackerTennesseeSteve BernardoOffensive LinemanWake ForestDave KraayeveldDefensive endMiltonJoe MoreinoDefensive tackleIdaho State Roster Dallas Cowboys 1978 roster Quarterbacks 18 Glenn Carano 12 Roger Staubach 11 Danny White P Running backs 24 Alois Blackwell 36 Larry Brinson 33 Tony Dorsett 35 Scott Laidlaw 44 Robert Newhouse 26 Preston Pearson Wide receivers 80 Tony Hill 86 Butch Johnson 88 Drew Pearson 82 Robert Steele Tight ends 89 Billy Joe DuPree 81 Jackie Smith Offensive linemen 61 Jim Cooper C/T 67 Pat Donovan T 62 John Fitzgerald C 71 Andy Frederick T 66 Burton Lawless G 64 Tom Rafferty G 60 Tom Randall G 68 Herbert Scott G 70 Rayfield Wright T Defensive linemen 76 Larry Bethea DE/DT 63 Larry Cole DT 72 Ed Jones DE 79 Harvey Martin DE 75 Jethro Pugh DT 65 Dave Stalls DE 54 Randy White DTLinebackers 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 FS/SS 25 Aaron Kyle CB 32 Dennis Thurman CB 46 Mark Washington CB 41 Charlie Waters SS Special teams  1 Rafael Septién KReserve lists 40 Todd Christensen RB (IR) 10px 21 Doug Dennison RB (IR) 10px 87 Jay Saldi TE (IR) 10px 78 Dave Hudgens T (IR) 10px 45 Kenny Randle CB (IR) 10px -- Russ Williams S (IR) 10px Rookies in italics 45 active, 6 inactive Regular season The defending Super Bowl champions were again led by quarterback Roger Staubach. Staubach finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFL (84.9) by throwing 231 out of 413 completions for 3,190 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 182 yards and another touchdown. Wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill provided the deep passing threats, combining for 90 receptions, 537 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Tight end Billy Joe Dupree contributed 34 receptions for 509 yards and 9 touchdowns. Running back Tony Dorsett had another fine season, recording a total of 1703 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scoring a total of 9 touchdowns. Fullback Robert Newhouse and halfback Preston Pearson also contributed from the offensive backfield, combining for 1,326 rushing and receiving yards, while Newhouse also scored 10 touchdowns. The Cowboys also had a superb offensive line, led by Herbert Scott and 6-time Pro Bowler Rayfield Wright The Cowboys' "Doomsday Defense" finished the season as the top-ranked defense in the league against the run by only allowing 107.6 yards per game. Pro Bowl linemen Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvey Martin and Randy White anchored the line, while linebackers Bob Breunig, D. D. Lewis and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson provided solid support. Their secondary, led by safeties Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters, along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle, combined for 16 interceptions. The Cowboys started the regular season slowly, winning only six of their first ten games. Both the offense and the defense played ineffectively, including giving up interceptions and fumbles. Dallas finished strong, winning their last six regular season games to post a 12–4 record. In the aftermath of the season, NFL Films produced its annual highlight reel as it does for every NFL team. Notable of the highlight reel was the title "America's Team". It would come to be a label that would define the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of their history. However, the label is most remembered for the Cowboys of this era, appearing in three Super Bowls in four years. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 4, 1978 Baltimore Colts W 38–0 1–0 Texas Stadium 64,224 Recap 2 September 10 at New York Giants W 34–24 2–0 Giants Stadium 73,265 Recap 3 September 17 at Los Angeles Rams L 14–27 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 65,749 Recap 4 September 24 St. Louis Cardinals W 21–12 3–1 Texas Stadium 62,760 Recap 5 October 2, 1978 at Washington Redskins L 5–9 3–2 RFK Stadium 55,031 Recap 6 October 8 New York Giants W 24–3 4–2 Texas Stadium 63,420 Recap 7 October 15 at St. Louis Cardinals W 24–21 (OT) 5–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 48,991 Recap 8 October 22 Philadelphia Eagles W 14–7 6–2 Texas Stadium 60,525 Recap 9 October 26, 1978 Minnesota Vikings L 10–21 6–3 Texas Stadium 61,848 Recap 10 November 5 at Miami Dolphins L 16–23 6–4 Orange Bowl 69,414 Recap 11 November 12 at Green Bay Packers W 42–14 7–4 Milwaukee County Stadium 55,256 Recap 12 November 19 New Orleans Saints W 27–7 8–4 Texas Stadium 57,920 Recap 13 November 23 Washington Redskins W 37–10 9–4 Texas Stadium 64,905 Recap 14 December 3 New England Patriots W 17–10 10–4 Texas Stadium 63,263 Recap 15 December 10 at Philadelphia Eagles W 31–13 11–4 Veterans Stadium 64,667 Recap 16 December 17 at New York Jets W 30–7 12–4 Shea Stadium 52,532 Recap Division opponents are in bold text Game notes Week 1 Colts(0-1) 0 0 0 0 Cowboys(1-0) 0 21 14 3 September 4 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 8:00 p.m.(ET) 64,224 87 F, wind 8 mph on Jim Tunney Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith ABC yes 2 DAL Doug Dennison 1 yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 7–0 2 DAL Tony Dorsett 91 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 14–0 2 DAL Billy Joe DuPree 8 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 21–0 3 DAL Drew Pearson 38 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 28–0 3 DAL Jay Saldi 1 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 35–0 4 DAL Rafael Septién 48 yard field goal Cowboys 38–0 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Week 2 Cowboys (2-0) 7 14 6 7 Giants (1-1) 0 7 10 7 September 10 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 1:00 p.m. EST 73,265 61 F, wind 14 mph on Fred Wyant Don Criqui, Tom Brookshier, and Sonny Jurgensen CBS Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com yes 1 DAL DuPree 4-yard pass from Staubach (Septién kick) Cowboys 7–0 2 DAL Newhouse 2-yard run (Septién kick) Cowboys 14–0 2 NYG Dixon 4-yard pass from Pisarcik (Danelo kick) Cowboys 14–7 2 DAL Saldi 2-yard pass from Staubach (Septién kick) Cowboys 21–7 3 NYG Hammond 11-yard run (Danelo kick) Cowboys 21–14 3 NYG Danelo 42-yard field goal Cowboys 21–17 3 DAL Newhouse 1-yard run (kick failed) Cowboys 27–17 4 DAL Dorsett 3-yard run (Septién kick) Cowboys 34–17 4 NYG Doornik 1-yard run (Danelo kick) Cowboys 34–24 yes Week 3 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 14 at Los Angeles Rams 27 Sunday, September 17, 1978 4:00pm(ET) Cowboys (2-1) 0 7 0 7 Rams (3-0) 7 7 0 13 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 65,749 67 F, relative humidity 77%, wind 10 mph on Chuck Heberling CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Rams – John Cappelletti 1 yard rush (Frank Corral kick) – 7-0 Rams Second quarter Cowboys – Billy Joe DuPree 14 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 7-7 tie Rams – Ron Jessie 21 yard pass from Pat Haden (Frank Corral kick) – 14-7 Rams Third quarter No Score Fourth quarter Cowboys – Tony Hill 18 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 14-14 tie Rams – Willie Miller 43 yard pass from Pat Haden (Kick Failed) – 20-14 Rams Rams – Rod Perry 43 yard interception return (Frank Corral kick) – 27-14 Rams Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -4.0 Cowboys Passing Roger Staubach 22/46, 246 Yds, 2 TD, 4 Int, 23 Lng Rushing Tony Dorsett 19 Att, 38 Yards, 0 TD, 13 Lng Robert Newhouse 7 Att, 34 Yards, 0 TD, 12 Lng Roger Staubach 2 Att, 25 Yards, 0 TD, 23 Lng Receiving Billy Joe DuPree 1 Rec, 14 Yds, 1 TD, 14 Lng Drew Pearson 1 Rec, 0 Yds, 0TD, 0 Lng Tony Hill 3 Rec, 41 Yds, 1 TD, 18 Lng Preston Pearson 5 Rec, 72 Yds, 0 TD, 21 Lng Tony Dorsett 6 Rec, 32 Yds, 0 TD, 12 Lng Jay Saldi 1 Rec, 5 Yds, 0 TD, 5 Lng Rams Passing Pat Haden 14/25, 227 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int, 45 Lng Rushing Cullen Bryant 20 Att, 61 Yards, 0 TD, 9 Lng John Cappelletti 15 Att, 39 Yards, 1 TD, 9 Lng Receiving Willie Miller 5 Rec, 68 Yds, 1 TD, 43 Lng Ron Jessie 7 Rec, 144 Yds, 1 TD, 45 Lng The week-3 contest between the Rams and Cowboys was a hard-fought early season match-up between two rivals who hated each other. Twice the Rams led by a touchdown during the game, only to have the Cowboys come back to even up the score. With the game tied at 14–14 in the 4th quarter, QB-Pat Haden connected with WR-Willie Miller for a 43-yard touchdown reception to increase the Rams lead by 6-points. But, after the Rams FG-kicker (Frank Corral) missed the easy extra point the score remained 20–14, leaving the Rams desperately clinging to a 6-point lead against a Cowboys team well known for pulling-out close games late in the 4th-quarter. However, the Rams defense was abruptly put an end by the Cowboys. Their hopes of engineering another last minute victory after DB-Rod Perry intercepted a pass from QB-Roger Staubach and returned it for a 43-yard TD to secure the Rams a 27–14 victory. In response to Perry's game winning interception return, over 65,000 fans that filled Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that day simultaneously erupted into a bedlam of cheers. Then, what started off as a celebration developed into jeering and taunting of the Cowboys during the last few minutes of the game, by both the fans and quite a few of the Rams players too. This provoked a very rare angry response from Staubach, who was seen pointing his finger at the boisterous Rams players on the sideline, telling them that the Cowboys "will get them" the next time they meet each other. Week 4 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed St. Louis Cardinals 12 at Dallas Cowboys 21 Sunday, September 24, 1978 4:00pm(ET) Cardinals (0-4) 7 3 2 0 Cowboys (3-1) 0 7 0 14 Texas Stadium 62,760 76 F, relative humidity 70%, wind 5 mph on Bob Frederic CBS Pat Summerall, Sonny Jurgensen and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Cardinals – Mel Gray 9 yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick) – 7-0 STL Second quarter Cardinals – Jim Bakken 23 yard field goal – 10-0 STL Cowboys – Tony Dorsett 7 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 10-7 STL Third quarter Cardinals – Safety, Thaxton blocked punt out of end zone – 12-7 STL Fourth quarter Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 2 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 14-12 Dal Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 15 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 21-12 Dal Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -17.0 Week 5 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 5 at Washington Redskins 9 Monday, October 2, 1978 9:00pm(ET) Cowboys (3-2) 0 0 3 2 Redskins (5-0) 3 3 3 0 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 55,031 68 F, relative humidity 58%, wind 13 mph on Gene Barth ABC Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Wash – Mark Moseley 52 yard field goal – Dal 0, Wash 3 Second quarter Wash – Mark Moseley 19 yard field goal – Dal 0, Wash 6 Third quarter Dal – Rafael Septién 19 yard field goal – Dal 3, Wash 6 Wash – Mark Moseley 27 yard field goal – Dal 3, Wash 9 Fourth quarter Dal – (DT)Randy White tackled (QB)Joe Theismann in end zone – Dal 5, Wash 9 Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -4.5 Week 6 Giants(3-3) 0 3 0 0 Cowboys(4-2) 7 7 7 3 October 8 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 1:00 p.m. 69 F • Wind 10 mph on Pat Haggerty Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier CBS yes 1 DAL Tony Hill 17 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 7–0 2 NYG Joe Danelo 37 yard field goal Cowboys 7–3 2 DAL Billy Joe DuPree 23 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 14–3 3 DAL Tony Hill 30 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 21–3 4 DAL Rafael Septién 22 yard field goal Cowboys 24–3 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Week 7 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 24 at St. Louis Cardinals 21 Sunday, October 15, 1978 2:00pm(ET) Cowboys (5-2) 0 7 14 0 3 Cardinals (0-7) 7 7 0 7 0 Busch Stadium 48,991 48 F, relative humidity 67%, wind 11 mph on Don Wedge CBS Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Cardinals – Jim Otis 2 yard rush (Jim Bakken kick) – 7-0 STL Second quarter Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 6 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 7-7 tie Cardinals – Jim Otis 1 yard rush (Jim Bakken kick) – 14-7 STL Third quarter Cowboys – Tony Hill 37 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 14-14 tie Cowboys – Tony Hill 6 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 21-14 Dal Fourth quarter Cardinals – Wayne Morris 1 yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick) – 21-21 tie Overtime Cowboys – Rafael Septién 47 yard field goal – 24-21 Dal Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -13.5 Week 8 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Philadelphia Eagles 7 at Dallas Cowboys 14 Sunday, October 22, 1978 2:00pm(ET) Eagles (4-4) 0 0 7 0 Cowboys (6-2) 0 14 0 0 Texas Stadium 60,525 76 F, relative humidity 51%, wind 14 mph on Red Cashion CBS Frank Glieber, Tom Matte, and Bill Mazer Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No Score Second quarter Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 1 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – Dal 7, Eagles 0 Cowboys – Drew Pearson 11 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – Dal 14, Eagles 0 Third quarter Eagles – Keith Krepfle 34 yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) – Dal 14, Eagles 7 Fourth quarter No Score Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -8.0 Week 9 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Minnesota Vikings 21 at Dallas Cowboys 10 Thursday, October 26, 1978 8:30pm(ET) Vikings (5-4) 14 7 0 0 Cowboys (6-3) 0 3 7 0 Texas Stadium 61,848 61 F, relative humidity 58%, wind 11 mph on Fred Wyant ABC Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith Pro-Football-Reference.com Week 10 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 16 at Miami Dolphins 23 Sunday, November 5, 1978 4:00pm(ET) Cowboys (6-4) 0 3 6 7 Dolphins (7-3) 17 3 0 3 Orange Bowl 69,414 70 F, relative humidity 60%, wind 9 mph on Gordon McCarter CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Dolphins – Norm Bulaich 1 yard rush (Garo Yepremian kick) – 3-0 Miami Dolphins – Delvin Williams 1 yard rush (Garo Yepremian kick) – 10-0 Miami Dolphins – Garo Yepremian 45 yard field goal – 17-0 Miami Second quarter Cowboys – Rafael Septién 30 yard field goal – 17-3 Miami Dolphins – Garo Yepremian 23 yard field goal – 20-3 Miami Third quarter Cowboys – Rafael Septién 39 yard field goal – 20-6 Miami Cowboys – Rafael Septién 24 yard field goal – 20-9 Miami Fourth quarter Dolphins – Garo Yepremian 33 yard field goal – 23-9 Miami Cowboys – Billy Joe DuPree 9 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 23-16 Miami Vegas Line Miami Dolphins -1.0 Week 11 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 42 at Green Bay Packers 14 Sunday, November 12, 1978 4:00pm(ET) Cowboys (7-4) 7 14 14 7 Packers (7-4) 7 0 0 7 Milwaukee County Stadium 55,256 31 °F °C, humidity 73%, wind 14 mph on, wind chill 21 °F °C Jim Tunney CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter Packers – Barty Smith 1 yard rush (Chester Marcol kick) – 7-0 Packers Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 14 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 7-7 tie Second quarter Cowboys – Tony Dorsett 9 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 14-7 Cowboys Cowboys – Billy Joe DuPree 8 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 21-7 Cowboys Third quarter Cowboys – Robert Newhouse 3 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 28-7 Cowboys Cowboys – Billy Joe DuPree 18 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – 35-7 Cowboys Fourth quarter Cowboys – Tony Dorsett 33 yard rush (Rafael Septién kick) – 42-7 Cowboys Packers – Steve Odom 18 yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Chester Marcol kick) – 42-14 Cowboys Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -7.0 Cowboys Passing Roger Staubach 19/31, 200 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int, 24 Lng Rushing Tony Dorsett 23 Att, 149 Yds, 2 TD, 33 Lng Robert Newhouse 18 Att, 101 Yds, 2 TD, 14 Lng Scott Laidlaw 6 Att, 33 Yds, 0 TD, 10 Lng Alois Blackwell 6 Att, 29 Yds, 0 TD, 13 Lng Receiving Butch Johnson 4 Rec, 56 Yds, 0 TD, 18 Lng Tony Hill 3 Rec, 41 Yds, 1 TD, 18 Lng Drew Pearson 3 Rec, 29 Yds, 0 TD, 21 Lng Preston Pearson 5 Rec, 35 Yds, 0 TD, 11 Lng Billy Joe DuPree 2 Rec, 26 Yds, 2 TD, 18 Lng Robert Newhouse 4 Rec, 37 Yds, 0 TD, 24 Lng Tony Dorsett 1 Rec, 16 Yds, 0 TD, 16 Lng Packers Passing David Whitehurst 3/16, 31 Yds, 0 TD, 1 Int, 0 Lng Bobby Douglass 3/5, 45 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 0 Lng Rushing Terdell Middleton 9 Att, 29 Yds, 0 TD, 13 Lng Jim Culbreath 3 Att, 14 Yds, 0 TD, 14 Lng Barty Smith 3 Att, 6 Yds, 1 TD, 6 Lng Bobby Douglass 1 Att, 17 Yds, 0 TD, 17 Lng Receiving Rich McGeorge 3 Rec, 41 Yds, 0 TD, 16 Lng James Lofton 1 Rec, 12 Yds, 0 TD, 12 Lng Steve Odom 1 Rec, 18 Yds, 1 TD, 18 Lng Team stats Dal GNB First downs 32 9 Rush-yards-TDs 58–313–4 17–66–1 Net pass yards 224 76 Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT 21-34-234-2-0 7-26-88-1-2 Sacked-yards 2–10 3–12 Total yards 537 142 Turnovers 2 3 Penalties-yards 9-80 6-41 Week 12 Saints(5-7) 7 0 0 0 Cowboys(8-4) 0 14 7 6 November 19 Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas 1:00 p.m. EST 53 F, wind 6 mph on Fred Silva Frank Glieber and Roman Gabriel CBS Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com yes 1 Saints Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Steve Mike-Mayer kick) Saints 7–0 2 Cowboys Tony Dorsett 2-yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Tie 7–7 2 Cowboys Roger Staubach 1-yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 14–7 3 Cowboys Billy Joe DuPree 24-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 21–7 4 Cowboys Rafael Septién 24-yard field goal Cowboys 24–7 4 Cowboys Rafael Septién 26-yard field goal Cowboys 27–7 yes Week 13 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Washington Redskins 10 at Dallas Cowboys 37 Thursday, November 23, 1978 3:30pm(ET) Redskins (8-5) 0 0 3 7 Cowboys (9-4) 13 7 10 7 Texas Stadium 61 F, relative humidity 88%, wind 7 mph on Dick Jorgensen CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -11.5 Week 14 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed New England Patriots 10 at Dallas Cowboys 17 Sunday, December 3, 1978 4:00pm(ET) Patriots (10-4) 7 3 0 0 Cowboys (10-4) 3 0 7 7 Texas Stadium 48 F, relative humidity 70%, wind 16 mph on Cal Lepore NBC Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen Pro-Football-Reference.com Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -6.5 Week 15 Dallas Cowboys 1978 2;text-align:center; collapsed Dallas Cowboys 31 at Philadelphia Eagles 13 Sunday, December 10, 1978 1:00pm(ET) Cowboys (11-4) 14 0 10 7 Eagles (8-7) 7 0 0 6 Veterans Stadium 31 F, relative humidity 51%, wind 18 mph on, wind chill 19 Gene Barth CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier Pro-Football-Reference.com Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -4.5 Week 16 Cowboys (12-4) 7 3 13 7 Jets(8-8) 0 0 0 7 December 17 Shea Stadium • Flushing, New York 1:00 p.m. EST 43 F, wind 23 mph on Ben Dreith Frank Glieber and Tom Matte CBS yes 1 DAL Tony Dorsett 7-yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 7–0 2 DAL Rafael Septién 22-yard field goal Cowboys 10–0 3 DAL Robert Newhouse 1-yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 17–0 3 DAL Tony Dorsett 54-yard fumble return (kick failed) Cowboys 23–0 4 NYJ Jerome Barkum 9-yard pass from Matt Robinson (Pat Leahy kick) Cowboys 23–7 4 DAL Larry Brinson 8-yard run (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 30–7 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Standings Postseason 1978–79 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent Result Game Site Attendance Recap Wild Card First Round Bye Divisional December 30, 1978 F j, Y Atlanta Falcons (4) W 27–20 Texas Stadium 60,338 Recap NFC Championship January 7, 1979 at Los Angeles Rams (1) W 28–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 67,470 Recap Super Bowl January 21, 1979 vs Pittsburgh Steelers (A 1) L 31–35 Orange Bowl 79,484 Recap NFC Divisional Playoff Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20 text-align:center; Dallas Cowboys Falcons 7 13 0 0 Cowboys 10 3 7 7 December 30, 1978 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 4:00 p.m. EST CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier 38 F, relative humidity 97%, wind 15 mph on, wind chill 29 F 60,338 Cal Lepore Vegas Line: Cowboys -15.0 Scoring DAL – field goal Septién 34 DAL 3–0 ATL – Bean 14 run (Mazzetti kick) ATL 7–3 DAL – Laidlaw 13 run (Septién kick) DAL 10–7 ATL – field goal Mazzetti 42 10–10 DAL – field goal Septién 48 DAL 13–10 ATL – Francis 17 pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) ATL 17–13 ATL – field goal Mazzetti 22 ATL 20–13 DAL – Smith 2 pass from D. White (Septién kick) 20–20 DAL – Laidlaw 1 run (Septién kick) DAL 27–20 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 #fff #eee Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0 background-color:#ffffff; color:#002244 ;text-align:center; border:2px solid #002244 Cowboys 0 0 7 21 Rams 0 0 0 0 January 7, 1979 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles 5:00 p.m. EST CBS Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier 67,470 56 F, relative humidity 77%, wind 8 mph on Ben Dreith Pro-Football-Reference.com Scoring Third quarter DAL – Tony Dorsett 5 yard run (Rafael Septién kick) – DAL 7–0 Fourth quarter DAL – Scott Laidlaw 4 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – DAL 14–0 DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 11 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) – DAL 21–0 DAL – Thomas Henderson 68 yard interception return (Rafael Septién kick) – DAL 28–0 Vegas Line Dallas Cowboys -3.5 Cowboys Passing Roger Staubach 13/25, 126 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int, 23 Lng Rushing Tony Dorsett 17 Att, 101 Yards, 1 TD, 53 Lng Scott Laidlaw 10 Att, 20 Yards, 0 TD, 4 Lng Roger Staubach 3 Att, 7 Yards, 0 TD, 11 Lng Robert Newhouse 1 Att, 4 Yards, 0 TD, 4 Lng Receiving Billy Joe DuPree 3 Rec, 48 Yds, 1TD, 23 Lng Drew Pearson 2 Rec, 19 Yds, 0TD, 17 Lng Tony Hill 1 Rec, 9 Yds, 0TD, 9 Lng Preston Pearson 2 Rec, 12 Yds, 0TD, 17 Lng Tony Dorsett 2 Rec, 15 Yds, 0TD, 9 Lng Rams Passing Pat Haden 7/19, 76 Yds, 0 TD, 3 Int, 18 Lng Vince Ferragamo 7/16, 130 Yds, 0 TD, 2 Int, 65 Lng Rushing Cullen Bryant 20 Att, 52 Yards, 0 TD, 11 Lng John Cappelletti 3 Att, 19 Yards, 0 TD, 10 Lng Pat Haden 2 Att, 20 Yards, 0 TD, 18 Lng Receiving Willie Miller 3 Rec, 96 Yds, 0 TD, 65 Lng Billy Waddy 2 Rec, 23 Yds, 0 TD, 14 Lng After a scoreless first half, the Cowboys opened the floodgates in the second half while the "Doomsday Defense" kept top-seeded Rams off of the scoreboard by intercepting Pat Haden three times, including a late pick six by Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, to help Dallas advance to their second straight Super Bowl. This would be the Cowboys' last playoff win wearing their navy blue uniforms until the 2022 season. Super Bowl XIII Dallas Cowboys 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 35 text-align:center; Dallas Cowboys Steelers (AFC) 7 14 0 14 Cowboys (NFC) 7 7 3 14 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida January 21, 1979 NBC Curt Gowdy, Merlin Olsen and John Brodie Pat Haggerty 79,484 Scoring 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 Septién kick) 7–7 tie DAL – TD: Mike Hegman 37-yard fumble return (Rafael Septién 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 Septién 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 Septién kick) 35–24 PIT DAL – TD: Butch Johnson 4-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Rafael Septién kick) 35–31 PIT Super Bowl XIII is frequently cited as one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played.Kostos Nick The Top 10 Super Bowls in NFL History https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1500765-the-top-10-super-bowls-of-all-time 2026-02-02 bleacherreport.com en In additions to Coaches Noll and Landry, 17 players would go on to enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: 10 from Pittsburgh (Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Webster, Greene, Lambert, Ham, Blount, and Shell), and 7 from Dallas (Staubach, Dorsett, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Rayfield Wright, Cliff Harris and Jackie Smith).Hall of Famers in the Super Bowl Pro Football Hall of Fame https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/hall-of-famers-in-the-super-bowl 2026-02-02 pfhof en Much of the pregame hype surrounding 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". Season recap There was a lot of bitter feelings between the Dallas Cowboys and the LA Rams prior to their 1978 NFC Championship contest. Both the Cowboys and Vikings shared a common recent history of eliminating the LA Rams from the playoffs the last 5 seasons in a row. This consigned the Rams to being labeled "next year's champions" for most of the 1970s. So, when the undefeated (2–0) Cowboys traveled to Los Angeles to play the undefeated (2–0) Rams during week 3 of the 1978 regular season, the Rams were looking for blood. Not only did the Rams want to beat the Cowboys for a measure of revenge and early bragging rights, but they could use a victory over last year's Super Bowl champions to make a statement to the media and the rest of the league, "That 1978 was the year the Rams finally win a championship". The week-3 contest between the Rams and Cowboys was a hard-fought, early-season match-up between two rivals who hated each other. Twice the Rams led by a touchdown only to have the Cowboys come back to even the score. With the game tied at 14–14 in the 4th quarter, QB-Pat Haden connected with WR-Willie Miller for a 43-yard touchdown reception to increase the Rams lead by 6 points. But, after the Rams FG-kicker (Frank Corral) missed the easy extra point the score remained 20–14, leaving the Rams desperately clinging to a 6-point lead against a Cowboys team well known for pulling-out close games late in the 4th-quarter. However, the Rams defense abruptly put an end to the Cowboys hopes of engineering another last minute victory after DB-Rod Perry intercepted a pass from QB-Roger Staubach and returned it for a 43-yrd TD to secure the Rams 27–14 victory. In response to Perry's game winning interception return, over 65,000 fans that filled Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that day simultaneously erupted into a bedlam of deafening cheers.The initially raucous celebration soon turned into jeering and taunting of the Cowboys in the final minutes of the game by both fans and several Rams players. The provocation elicited a rare display of anger from Staubach, who was seen pointing toward the boisterous Rams players on the sideline and telling them that the Cowboys would "get them" the next time the teams met. The Cowboys returned to Los Angeles later that same season to play for the NFC Championship against the #1 seeded Rams. Both teams entered the playoffs with a 12–4 regular season record. Both teams defeated their first round opponents at home, which included a Rams 34–10 blowout over their other playoff nemesis, the Minnesota Vikings. And, as a result of that emotionally charged week-3 loss to the Rams, the Cowboys had to win the NFC Championship at the Coliseum in front of 67,470 hostile LA fans to earn a return trip to the Super Bowl to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had already won the AFC Championship against the Houston Oilers earlier that same day. The stage was set for an epic NFC Championship match, and fueling the already combustible tensions was Cowboys LB-Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. Earlier in the week, the national (and international) media had descended upon Thomas Henderson the day after the Cowboys' 27–20 1st-round playoff victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Thomas was more than eager to feed them some controversial meat to chew on. Thomas began the week by suggesting that the reason the Rams never went to a Super Bowl was because they had "no class" as a team and organization. Thomas later claimed the Rams are a team of chokers, and the Rams were going to choke again in their upcoming game against the Cowboys. The much anticipated NFC Championship game between the Rams and Cowboys began as a scoreless defensive struggle for nearly three quarters of play, which included Rams kicker Frank Corral missing two field goal attempts in the first half. However, Dallas eventually broke the scoreless match wide open late in the 3rd quarter after forcing five 2nd-half turnovers that would eventually lead to a 28-point victory for the Cowboys. Earning them the opportunity to defend their NFL championship in Super Bowl XIII. As usual, the Rams defense proved to be a tough nut to crack for the Cowboys offense, but, it all began to go horribly wrong for the Rams after Dallas safety Charlie Waters intercepted a pass and returned it to the Rams 10-yard line with 1:52 left in the 3rd-quarter. Five plays later, RB-Tony Dorsett (who finished the game with 101 rushing yards) scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a 7–0 lead. On the Rams next possession, Charlie Waters snatched his 2nd interception of the game, which quickly set-up Staubach's 4-yard TD pass to FB-Scott Laidlaw, making it a 14–0 contest early in the 4th quarter. On the play that Rams QB-Pat Haden threw his 2nd interception, Haden's passing hand collided with DT-Randy White's helmet as he released the ball. Resulting in a broken right thumb and sidelining Haden for the rest of the game. With 8:30 left in the 4th-quarter and the Rams still down 14–0, backup QB-Vince Ferragamo hit WR-Willie Miller along the sideline for a 65-yard pass, giving the Rams a 1st-down on the Cowboys 10-yard line and a chance to get back in the game. However, on a 1st-and-goal the Rams RB-Cullen Bryant fumbled the handoff and DE-Harvey Martin quickly recovered the ball at the 11-yard line. From there, the Cowboys marched 89 yards to score their 3rd offensive touchdown which featured a 53-yard run by Tony Dorsett, that eventually set-up an 11-yard TD reception from Staubach to TE-Billy Joe Dupree. With the Cowboys sitting comfortably on top a 21–0 lead late in the 4th quarter, the CBS cameras panned over to Thomas Henderson standing on the sideline with their TV microphone on. Seizing the opportunity, Thomas looked directly at the camera and told the several million viewers, "It's 21-0, the Rams are choking, and I ain't through yet.". On the very next Rams possession, Thomas Henderson intercepted Ferragamo's pass along the sideline with 1:19 left in the game and returned it 68 yards for the final touchdown. While the touchdown interception return, and prior comments may have impressed millions of viewers, it was Henderson's celebratory football finger roll over the goal post that angered many others. Henderson's TD celebration was later deemed by the media as "adding insult to injury", which amused Henderson and the millions of Cowboys fans worldwide. However, it also increased the huge divide between those who were already fans of the Cowboys and the people who hated them. With the win over the Rams the Cowboys advanced to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years to play a rematch of Super Bowl X against the Pittsburgh Steelers that would ultimately determine "The Team of the Decade". Thomas Henderson's "controversial" comments before and during the NFC Championship game accelerated his already skyrocketing "Hollywood" persona into that of a pop-cultural phenomenon. Thomas Henderson was later featured on the cover of Newsweek Magazine the week before the Super Bowl, and NBC anointed Henderson the "Muhammad Ali of the NFL" during the pre-game player introductions for Super Bowl XIII. ABC-TV decided to jump on the "Hollywood" Henderson band wagon by inviting him to compete on their popular annual Superstars competition immediately following the 28–0 victory over the Rams. 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 consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season (finished season with 1,325 yards, third in NFL) Publications The Football Encyclopedia 0-312-11435-4 Total Football 0-06-270170-3 Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes 0-446-51950-2 References 30em External links 1978 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site Cowboys 1978 Highlight Film 1 of 2; "America's Team" Cowboys 1978 Highlight Film 2 of 2; "America's Team" Category:NFC East championship seasons Dallas Category:Dallas Cowboys seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Dallas Cowboys