After a half-decade of frustration, the Dallas Cowboys were looking to finally turn the corner in 1965. Armed with a 10-year contract extension, Tom Landry was looking for better days.
The 1965 NFL Draft would only yield two players who would make an impact on the team. Dallas selected Cal quarterback Craig Morton in the first round.
In the 11th round they selected a defensive lineman out of Elizabeth City State. Jethro Pugh would play 14 seasons in Dallas and would become a starter in 1967.
A Winning Start
The Cowboys hosted the Giants to open the season. The defense pitched a shutout as the Giants’ lone points came on a safety in the third quarter.
Perry Lee Dunn rushed for two scores, Dan Reeves added a 2-yard scoring run, and Don Meredith hit Bob Hayes on a 45-yard pass to close out the scoring.
The Cowboys followed up their 31-2 win over the Giants in the Cotton Bowl with another dominating performance the following week at home against the Redskins.
Another 45-yard connection between Hayes and Meredith and an 11-yard scoring run by Hayes highlighted the Cowboys’ offensive attack.
The defense extended its scoreless streak to seven quarters, only a 22-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen to Bobby Mitchell denied the Cowboys the shutout.
Still, after the 27-7 victory, the Cowboys sat at 2-0 on the season and looked to be set for an impressive season. Then Dallas hit the road.
Here We Go Again
The Cowboys traveled to St. Louis in Week 3 and forgot to bring their offense with them. Dallas would muster only two Danny Villanueva field goals inside 30 yards on offense.
Mel Renfro’s 90-yard interception return would account for the Cowboys only touchdown of the game. The Cardinals got all the points they would need on two first quarter scores for a 20-13 win.
The loss would start Dallas on a five-game losing skid. The team would fall to the Eagles at home, 35-24, before dropping three in a row on the road.
The Browns would score the first 17 points of the game and coast to a 23-17 victory. Then came an ugly game in Green Bay.
Playing the undefeated Packers – with a game-time temperature of 39 degrees (31 wind chill) – the Cowboys offense would turn the ball over five times.
With Don Meredith out, Morton was thrust into the starting role. He would go 10-for-20 with 61 yards and two interceptions.
Morton would be sacked nine times for a loss of 62 yards. Dallas would end the game with minus-1 yard passing.
Don Perkins would rush for 133 yards but Dallas would only generate one field goal.
The Cowboys’ defense did all it could, holding Bart Starr to 4-of-19 passing for 42 yards. He was sacked five times for a loss of 52 yards.
Green Bay would end the game with minus-10 yards passing and only 73 yards rushing. But a pair of Don Chandler field goals and a seven-yard run by Jim Taylor gave the Packers a 13-3 win.
Meredith returned the following week against the Steelers. But a nightmarish second quarter on Halloween saw Pittsburgh quarterback Bill Nelsen shred the Cowboys’ defense.
Nelsen threw three second quarter touchdowns to lead the Steelers to a 22-13 victory. At the midway point of the season, Dallas was 2-5.
Righting The Ship
The Cowboys returned home and survived a shootout with the 49ers. Scoring the last nine points, Dallas upended San Francisco 39-31.
The following week against the Steelers, the defense kept Nelsen in check. Meredith capped a 14-point fourth quarter with a 28-yard pass to Hayes for a 24-17 victory.
The Browns would end the Cowboys’ winning streak with a 24-17 win, fueled by a Leroy Kelly 67-yard punt return for a score. Meredith’s late 45-yard pass to Hayes was not enough to rally the team.
The Redskins would extend Dallas’ losing streak to two games behind two late Jurgensen touchdown passes for a 34-31 win in D.C.
Playoff Push
Hopelessly out of the running for the division with the Browns, the Cowboys still had a shot at finishing at .500. Meredith would throw two touchdown passes a run for a score in a 21-19 win at the Eagles.
In the home finale, Meredith would throw two fourth quarter touchdown passes for a 27-13 win over the Cardinals. It would set up a road game against the Giants with second place in the division on the line.
Meredith would throw three touchdown passes and Obert Logan would add a 60-yard return of a blocked field goal in a 38-20 victory over New York.
The win got the Cowboys to 7-7 for the season. It also earned them their first postseason game.
The Playoff Bowl
Officially known as the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, the second place teams from the East and West Divisions of the NFL would meet to determine the third best team in the NFL.
Bell had served as the NFL Commissioner from 1946 through October 1959. He had died during an NFL game.
The game was played between 1960 and 1969 in Miami. With the exception of 1969, the game was played the week after the NFL Championship game.
In 1965, the Cowboys ended up tied for second in the East with the Giants at 7-7. But their season sweep earned them a berth in the Playoff Bowl game.
Their opponent was the Baltimore Colts, who for some reason played in the West Division, and had tied the Packers at 10-3-1.
Green Bay beat the Colts in the division playoff game then went on to defeat the 11-3 Browns for the NFL Championship.
The Colts took out their frustrations on the Cowboys the following week with a 35-3 victory.
Despite the loss, the Cowboys had their first non-losing season and first playoff game. It was also the first time Dallas had outscored its opponents over the year.
The 1965 season went down as a rousing success. The next season would start a 20-year run of sustained excellence.
