1974 Dallas Cowboys season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Dallas Cowboys 1974 8–6 3rd NFC East Tom Landry Tex Schramm Clint Murchison, Jr. Texas Stadium Did not qualify None Cowboys seasons The 1974 Dallas Cowboys season was their 15th in the league, all under head coach Tom Landry. The Cowboys failed to improve on their previous output of 10–4, winning only eight games.1974 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/1974.htm Pro Football Reference 22 November 2021 They missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the only time in 18 seasons (1966–1983) that the Cowboys did not advance to the postseason. The Cowboys opened the season 1–4. Although they finished 7–2, it was not enough to overcome the slow start. The 1974 season featured one of the most memorable Thanksgiving games in Cowboys history. Trailing 16–3 in the second half (and having already lost quarterback Roger Staubach to injury), little used backup Clint Longley threw two touchdown passes to lead the team to a 24–23 victory over the Redskins at Texas Stadium. This was also a season of transition. It was the final season of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly. Also finishing their careers were fullback Walt Garrison and center Dave Manders. Also, it was the final season in Dallas for wide receiver Bob Hayes (who finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers the following year), running back Calvin Hill (who departed for the Hawaiians of the World Football League), defensive end Pat Toomay (who left for the Buffalo Bills), guard John Niland (who left the following year for the Philadelphia Eagles), and quarterback Craig Morton (traded early in the season to the New York Giants) who would later play against the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII as a member of the Denver Broncos. Offseason Draft 1974 NFL draft 1974 Dallas Cowboys 1 1 Ed Jones DE Tennessee State yes yes 1 22 Charley Young RB NC State yes 3 53 Danny White QB Arizona State yes yes 3 72 Cal Peterson LB UCLA yes 4 97 Ken Hutcherson LB Livingston yes 4 101 Andy Adrade LB Northern Michigan no 5 126 John Kelsey OT Missouri Signed with the WFL no 6 151 Jim Bright S UCLA Signed with the WFL no 7 176 Raymond Nester LB Michigan State no 8 205 Mike Holt DB Michigan State no 8 230 Bill Dulin OT Johnson C. Smith no 10 255 Dennis Morgan RB Western Illinois yes 11 280 Harvey McGee WR Southern Mississippi no 12 309 Keith Bobo QB SMU no 13 334 Fred Lima K Colorado no 14 359 Doug Richards DB BYU no 15 384 Bruce Craft OT Geneva College no 16 413 Gene Killian OG Tennessee yes 17 438 Lawrie Skolrood OT North Dakota Signed with the CFL no 1974 NFL Draft https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/draft.htm Pro Football Reference 22 November 2021 Roster Dallas Cowboys 1974 roster Quarterbacks 19 Clint Longley 12 Roger Staubach Running backs 21 Doug Dennison 32 Walt Garrison 35 Calvin Hill 37 Dennis Morgan 44 Robert Newhouse 40 Les Strayhorn 30 Charley Young Wide receivers 22 Bob Hayes 86 Bill Houston 88 Drew Pearson 83 Golden Richards Tight ends 89 Billy Joe DuPree 84 Jean Fugett 87 Ron Howard Offensive linemen 64 Jim Arneson C/G 62 John Fitzgerald C 60 Gene Killian G/T 51 Dave Manders C 73 Ralph Neely T 76 John Niland G 61 Blaine Nye G 78 Bruce Walton T 70 Rayfield Wright T Defensive linemen 63 Larry Cole DE 77 Bill Gregory DT 72 Ed Jones DE 74 Bob Lilly DT 79 Harvey Martin DE 75 Jethro Pugh DT 67 Pat Toomay DELinebackers 52 Dave Edwards OLB 59 Ken Hutcherson OLB 55 Lee Roy Jordan MLB 50 D. D. Lewis OLB 58 Cal Peterson OLB 57 Louie Walker MLB Defensive backs 31 Benny Barnes CB 34 Cornell Green SS 43 Cliff Harris FS 20 Mel Renfro CB 46 Mark Washington CB 41 Charlie Waters CB/S Special teams 10 Duane Carrell P  1 Efrén Herrera KReserve lists 15 Toni Fritsch K (IR) 10px 71 Rodney Wallace T/G (IR) 10px Rookies in italics 46 active, 2 inactive Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 15 at Atlanta Falcons W 24–0 1–0 Atlanta Stadium 52,332 Recap 2 September 23, 1974 at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–13 1–1 Veterans Stadium 64,089 Recap 3 September 29 New York Giants L 6–14 1–2 Texas Stadium 45,841 Recap 4 October 6 Minnesota Vikings L 21–23 1–3 Texas Stadium 57,847 Recap 5 October 13 at St. Louis Cardinals L 28–31 1–4 Busch Memorial Stadium 49,885 Recap 6 October 20 Philadelphia Eagles W 31–24 2–4 Texas Stadium 43,586 Recap 7 October 27 at New York Giants W 21–7 3–4 Yale Bowl 57,381 Recap 8 November 3 St. Louis Cardinals W 17–14 4–4 Texas Stadium 64,146 Recap 9 November 10 San Francisco 49ers W 20–14 5–4 Texas Stadium 50,018 Recap 10 November 17 at Washington Redskins L 21–28 5–5 RFK Stadium 54,395 Recap 11 November 24 at Houston Oilers W 10–0 6–5 Houston Astrodome 49,775 Recap 12 November 28 Washington Redskins W 24–23 7–5 Texas Stadium 63,243 Recap 13 December 7, 1974 Cleveland Browns W 41–17 8–5 Texas Stadium 48,754 Recap 14 December 14, 1974 at Oakland Raiders L 23–27 8–6 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 45,840 Recap Division opponents are in bold text Game summaries Week 3 vs Giants 1974 New York Giants season Cowboys–Giants rivalry Dallas Cowboys 1974 2; text-align:center collapsed New York Giants (1–1) at Dallas Cowboys (1–1) September 29 2:00 p.m. Giants 0 14 0 0 Cowboys 0 0 0 6 Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas 45,841 64 F C • Wind 7 mph km/h knot Pro-Football-Reference.com Giants Norm Snead11/17, 128 Yds, TD Joe Dawkins9 Rush, 51 Yds Bob Grim1 Rec, 50 Yds Cowboys Roger Staubach20/37, 256 Yds, TD, 3 INT Robert Newhouse12 Rush, 47 Yds Drew Pearson6 Rec, 116 Yds NYG DAL collapsed 2 Giants RushTD Doug Kotar 2 good Pete Gogolak run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 0 4 Giants RecTD Joe Dawkins Norm Snead 14 good Pete Gogolak run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 0 4 Cowboys RecTD Bob Hayes Roger Staubach 35 no good Mac Percival run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 6 14 6 This would be the last time the Giants defeated the Cowboys until Week 10 of the 1980 season, a streak of 12 straight wins by Dallas. Week 6 vs Eagles Dallas Cowboys 1974 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles (4–1) at Dallas Cowboys (1–4) October 20 1:00 p.m. Eagles 0 17 7 0 Cowboys 0 14 10 7 Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas 43,586 62 F C • Wind 6 mph km/h knot Pro-Football-Reference.com Eagles Roman Gabriel21/36, 285 Yds, 2 TD, INT Po James6 Rush, 24 Yds, TD Harold Carmichael5 Rec, 85 Yds, TD Cowboys Roger Staubach18/27, 224 Yds Calvin Hill26 Rush, 140 Yds, 3 TD Drew Pearson5 Rec, 77 Yds PHI DAL collapsed 2 Cowboys RushTD Calvin Hill 5 good Efrén Herrera run/pass good/failed/incomplete 0 7 2 Eagles RecTD Harold Carmichael Roman Gabriel 14 good Tom Dempsey run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 7 2 Cowboys RushTD Calvin Hill 17 good Efrén Herrera run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 14 2 Eagles RushTD Po James 1 good Tom Dempsey run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 14 2 Eagles FG 39 Tom Dempsey 17 14 3 Cowboys FG 29 Efrén Herrera 17 17 3 Eagles RecTD Don Zimmerman Roman Gabriel 64 good Tom Dempsey run/pass good/failed/incomplete 24 17 3 Cowboys RushTD Calvin Hill 2 good Efrén Herrera run/pass good/failed/incomplete 24 24 4 Cowboys RushTD Roger Staubach 1 good Efrén Herrera run/pass good/failed/incomplete 24 31 24 31 Week 12 vs Redskins Dallas Cowboys 1974 2; text-align:center collapsed Washington Redskins (8–3) at Dallas Cowboys (6–5) November 28 Thursday 4:00 p.m. EST Redskins 3 6 7 7 Cowboys 3 0 14 7 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 63,243 50 F C Jim Tunney Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter DAL – Efrén Herrera 24-yard field goal. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: WSH – Mark Moseley 45-yard field goal. Tie 3–3. Drive: Second quarter WSH – Mark Moseley 34-yard field goal. Redskins 6–3. Drive: WSH – Mark Moseley 39-yard field goal. Redskins 9–3. Drive: Third quarter WSH – Duane Thomas 9-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 16–3. Drive: DAL – Billy Joe Dupree 35-yard pass from Clint Longley (Efrén Herrera kick). Redskins 16–10. Drive: DAL – Walt Garrison 70-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick). Cowboys 17–16. Drive: Fourth quarter WSH – Duane Thomas 19-yard run (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 23–17. Drive: DAL – Drew Pearson 50-yard pass from Clint Longley (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:28. Cowboys 24–23. Drive: Top passers WSH – Billy Kilmer – 8/17, 112 yards, TD DAL – Clint Longley – 11/20, 203 yards, 2 TD Top rushers WSH – Duane Thomas – 18 rushes, 55 yards, TD DAL – Robert Newhouse – 16 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers WSH – Roy Jefferson – 2 receptions, 49 yards DAL – Drew Pearson – 5 receptions, 108 yards, TD Thanksgiving Day Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game. Standings 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 External links 1974 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site Category:Dallas Cowboys seasons Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys