1974 Dallas Cowboys season
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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.[1] They missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the only time in eighteen seasons (1966–1983) that the Cowboys did not advance to the postseason.
The Cowboys began with a 1–4 start and although they went 7–2 afterwards, 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; as 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).
Offseason
Draft
1974 Dallas Cowboys draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Ed Jones * | DE | Tennessee State | |
1 | 22 | Charley Young | RB | NC State | |
3 | 53 | Danny White * | QB | Arizona State | |
3 | 72 | Cal Peterson | LB | UCLA | |
4 | 97 | Ken Hutcherson | LB | Livingston | |
4 | 101 | Andy Adrade | LB | Northern Michigan | |
5 | 126 | John Kelsey | OT | Missouri | Signed with the WFL |
6 | 151 | Jim Bright | S | UCLA | Signed with the WFL |
7 | 176 | Raymond Nester | LB | Michigan State | |
8 | 205 | Mike Holt | DB | Michigan State | |
8 | 230 | Bill Dulin | OT | Johnson C. Smith | |
10 | 255 | Dennis Morgan | RB | Western Illinois | |
11 | 280 | Harvey McGee | WR | Southern Mississippi | |
12 | 309 | Keith Bobo | QB | SMU | |
13 | 334 | Fred Lima | K | Colorado | |
14 | 359 | Doug Richards | DB | BYU | |
15 | 384 | Bruce Craft | OT | Geneva College | |
16 | 413 | Gene Killian | OG | Tennessee | |
17 | 438 | Lawrie Skolrood | OT | North Dakota | Signed with the CFL |
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
[2]
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 | 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 | Cleveland Browns | W 41–17 | 8–5 | Texas Stadium | 48,754 | Recap |
14 | December 14 | at Oakland Raiders | L 23–27 | 8–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 45,840 | Recap |
Division opponents are in bold text [1]
Game summaries
Week 3 vs Giants
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
- Date: September 29
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Game attendance: 45,841
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information | ||
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Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Week 6 vs Eagles
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagles | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
- Game attendance: 43,586
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information | ||
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Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Week 12 vs Redskins
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redskins | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Date: November 28
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,243
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information | ||
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Thanksgiving Day
Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game.
Standings
NFC East | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
St. Louis Cardinals | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 7–1 | 8–3 | 285 | 218 | W1 |
Washington Redskins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–3 | 8–3 | 320 | 196 | W2 |
Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 4–4 | 6–5 | 297 | 235 | L1 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–6 | 242 | 217 | W3 |
New York Giants | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 1–7 | 1–10 | 195 | 299 | L6 |
Roster
Dallas Cowboys 1974 roster | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists Currently vacant Rookies in italics |
Publications
- The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
- Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
- Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2
References
- ^ a b "1974 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "1974 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
External links
- 1974 Dallas Cowboys
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Dallas Cowboys Official Site