| Team: | Dallas Cowboys |
| Year: | 1977 |
| Record: | 12–2 |
| Division Place: | 1st in NFC East |
| Coach: | Tom Landry |
| General Manager: | Tex Schramm |
| Owner: | Clint Murchison, Jr. |
| Stadium: | Texas Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Bears) 37–7 Won NFC Championship (vs. Vikings) 23–6 Won Super Bowl XII (vs. Broncos) 27–10 |
| Shortnavlink: | Cowboys seasons |
The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the National Football League (NFL). The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Rookie running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys (first since 1973) to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. Dallas scored 345 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while its defense only gave up 212 points. Dallas finished with a 12–2 record (tied with 1968 for the best record in the Landry era). The Cowboys made it to their fourth Super Bowl and beat the Denver Broncos to capture their second Super Bowl title. They were the first team from the NFC East Division to win two Super Bowls. Their record (including the postseason) remains the highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history. The Cowboys became the 4th team in NFL history to win two Super Bowls, joining the Packers, Dolphins, and Steelers.
As in 1975, the Cowboys did not play this season on Thanksgiving, again replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1977 Cowboys ranked #17 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[1] [2]
To improve their running game, the Cowboys orchestrated a big trade with the Seattle Seahawks, moving up in the NFL draft to acquire running back Tony Dorsett, the Heisman Trophy winner from national champion Pittsburgh.[3]
With the retirement of Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Breunig became the starting middle linebacker, Randy White was moved to defensive tackle, and Thomas Henderson became a starter at strongside linebacker, turning the defense into a dominant unit.
See main article: 1977 NFL draft. [4]
| Thomas Bailey | Running back | Tulsa | |
| Artie Belvin | Defensive back | UTEP | |
| Larry Brinson | Running back | Florida | |
| Jeff Butts | Tight end | Oregon | |
| Bruce Huther | Linebacker | New Hampshire | |
| Richard Jacobson | Defensive Line | Hamline | |
| Lucien Johnson | Linebacker | UTEP | |
| Abel Joe | Running back | Cheyney State | |
| Dave Meteer | Offensive line | BYU | |
| Keith Ponder | Defensive back | Northern Michigan | |
| Fred Rayhle | Tight end | Chattanooga |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W 34–14 | 1–0 | Texas Stadium | 59,504 | Recap | |||
| 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 17–23 | 1–1 | Kingdome | 58,789 | Recap | ||
| 3 | Miami Dolphins | L 14–20 | 1–2 | Texas Stadium | 58,620 | Recap | ||
| 4 | Baltimore Colts | W 23–21 | 2–2 | Texas Stadium | 54,835 | Recap | ||
| 5 | at Houston Oilers | L 14–23 | 2–3 | Astrodome | 49,777 | Recap | ||
| 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 30–0 | 3–3 | Texas Stadium | 49,824 | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 16–10 | 1–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,678 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 25 | New York Giants | W 41–21 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | 64,215 | Recap | |
| 3 | October 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 23–7 | 3–0 | Texas Stadium | 55,316 | Recap | |
| 4 | October 9 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 30–24 | 4–0 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,129 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 16 | Washington Redskins | W 34–16 | 5–0 | Texas Stadium | 62,115 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 16–10 | 6–0 | Veterans Stadium | 65,507 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 30 | Detroit Lions | W 37–0 | 7–0 | Texas Stadium | 63,160 | Recap | |
| 8 | November 6 | at New York Giants | W 24–10 | 8–0 | Giants Stadium | 74,532 | Recap | |
| 9 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 17–24 | 8–1 | Texas Stadium | 64,038 | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 20 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 13–28 | 8–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 49,761 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 27 | at Washington Redskins | W 14–7 | 9–2 | RFK Stadium | 55,031 | Recap | |
| 12 | December 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–14 | 10–2 | Texas Stadium | 60,289 | Recap | |
| 13 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 42–35 | 11–2 | Candlestick Park | 55,851 | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 18 | Denver Broncos | W 14–6 | 12–2 | Texas Stadium | 63,752 | Recap |
Division opponents are in bold text
See also: 1977 Minnesota Vikings season.
See also: 1977 New York Giants season.
See also: 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season.
See also: 1977 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season.
See also: 1977 Washington Redskins season.
See also: 1977 Philadelphia Eagles season.
See also: 1977 Detroit Lions season.
See also: 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers season.
See also: 1977 San Francisco 49ers season.
See also: 1977 Denver Broncos season.
See main article: 1977–78 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Game Site | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | Chicago Bears (4) | W 37–7 | Texas Stadium | 63,260 | Recap | ||
| NFC Championship | January 1, 1978 | Minnesota Vikings (3) | W 23–6 | Texas Stadium | 64,293 | Recap | |
| Super Bowl XII | January 15, 1978 | vs Denver Broncos (A 1) | W 27–10 | Louisiana Superdome | 75,583 | Recap |
See also: 1977 Chicago Bears season.
See also: Super Bowl XII.
With an improved offense and defense, the Cowboys finished with a 12–2 regular season record, breezing through the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 37–7 in the divisional round, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23–6 in the NFC Championship Game and winning Super Bowl XII 27–10 against the Denver Broncos.
Dorsett set a franchise rookie record with 1,007 rushing yards. Defensive end Harvey Martin had one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL player. In a 14-game season he totaled 85 tackles and an estimated league-leading 23 sacks[5] (more than Michael Strahan's 22.5 record in 16 games), he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-Pro selection, was a key player in the Cowboys winning Super Bowl XII, and a co-MVP of the game with Randy White.