With the sting of a second-straight NFC Championship game loss still fresh, the Cowboys got even more bad news prior to the start of the 1982 season.
Defensive stars Charlie Waters and D.D. Lewis both retired in the off-season. The draft class turned out to be mostly a bust as well.
The Cowboys’ first round pick, defensive back Rod Hill from Kentucky State, became the poster child for the Cowboys’ poor decade of drafting in the 1980s.
For whatever reason, Dallas would make head-scratching draft-day gambles throughout the decade. It would set up the eventual decline of the franchise in the mid-to-late 1980s.
What Just Happened
For 17 consecutive seasons, the Cowboys had opened the year with a win. That streak died when the Steelers came to Texas Stadium and won 36-28.
Danny White tossed four touchdown passes, but added two interceptions. The Cowboys’ running game was nowhere to be found either.
The Cowboys rebounded the following week in St. Louis. White threw two touchdowns, Tony Dorsett rushed for 98 yards and Billy Joe Dupree had a six-yard run for a score in a 24-7 win.
But any momentum Dallas had coming off the win ended the second the game did. As soon as the final game of the second week ended, the NFL players went on strike.
The Lost Games
The strike would end up costing seven games, dropping the league schedule from a 16-game affair to just nine games.
By the time the season resumed in November both of the scheduled games against the Giants were lost. Dallas would only play three games against division rivals in 1982.
Because of the abbreviated schedule, divisions were eliminated in 1982. The top eight teams from each conference would advance to the playoffs.
Back With A Vengeance
Once play resumed, the Cowboys took off. Dallas beat Tampa Bay 14-9 in the first game back then cruised to a 31-14 win over the Browns the next week.
Ron Springs rushed for two touchdowns as Dallas tied the Redskins for first in the NFC with a 24-10 win at Washington. It would be the only game the Redskins would lose in 1982.
The Cowboys reminded Bum Phillips that they were not only “America’s Team” but Texas’ team too with a 37-7 whipping over the Oilers in Houston.
A 21-7 win over New Orleans moved Dallas to 6-1. With the tie breaker in hand, Dallas looked to have homefield locked up for the upcoming playoffs.
Crash And Burn
A fumble recovery in the endzone put the Eagles up 7-0 early, and a 10-0 run to close the game, handed Dallas a shocking 24-20 loss.
By the time the Cowboys met the Vikings in the season-finale on Monday Night Football, the Redskins had locked up the No. 1 seed.
Dorsett still provided a highlight for the ages. Despite Springs running off the field to leave Dallas with just 10 men, Dorsett raced for a 99-yard touchdown.
The Cowboys still lost the game though as the Vikings prevailed 31-27. Dallas finished 6-3 and was the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
The Second Time Around
The Cowboys hosted Tampa Bay for the second time in seven weeks and found themselves trailing 17-16 going into the final quarter.
A Monty Hunter 19-yard interception return put the Cowboys ahead to stay. White tossed an insurance touchdown of 10 yards to Timmy Newsome for a 30-17 victory in the wild card round.
In the Divisional round game against the Packers, the Cowboys took a 20-7 lead into the half. The Packers made it interesting in the second half.
James Lofton’s 71-yard scoring run and a Mark Lee 22-yard interception return pulled the Packers to within four points late in the game.
But a Robert Newhouse one-yard run sealed a 37-26 victory and sent the Cowboys to their third straight NFC Championship game. The Redskins were there waiting for them.
Three Strikes, You’re Out
The game was a disaster. John Riggins plowed through the Cowboys defense at will, scoring twice on 140 rushing yards.
Danny White was knocked out of the game and Gary Hogeboom was left to try to rally the team. Down 14-3 at the half, Hogeboom nearly pulled it off.
Touchdown passes to Drew Pearson and Butch Johnson pulled Dallas to 21-17 going into the fourth quarter.
But a Mark Mosely field goal and a Darryl Grant 10-yard interception return gave the Redskins a 31-17 victory. The Cowboys had lost a third straight conference championship game.
For White it would be the closest he would get to leading a team to the Super Bowl as the starter. His victory the week before over the Packers would prove to be his final playoff victory in the NFL.
No one knew it at the time – and there would be winning seasons for the next two years – but the Cowboys had reached their peak.
After playing in 10 of the first 13 NFC Championship games the Cowboys would not win another playoff game for nine years.
It would take a decade – as well as a change in ownership and at head coach – for the Cowboys to make it back to the NFC championship game.
