1977 Dallas Cowboys season


The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the NFL. The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. During the season, the club scored 345 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while the defense only gave up 212 points. The Cowboys made it to their fourth Super Bowl and beat the Denver Broncos to capture their second Super Bowl Championship. They were the first team from the NFC East Division to win two Super Bowls. Their 15-2 record remains the highest single season winning percentage in team history.

Offseason

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.
With the retirement of Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Breunig was given the starting middle linebacker position, Randy White was moved to defensive tackle, and Thomas Henderson became a starter at strongside linebacker, turning the defense into a dominant unit.

Draft

Regular season

Division opponents are in bold text

Standings

Roster

Game Summaries

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 2: vs. New York Giants

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 4: at St. Louis Cardinals

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 8: at New York Giants

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11: at Washington Redskins

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

Postseason

RoundDateOpponentResultGame SiteAttendanceRecap
Chicago Bears W 37–7Texas Stadium63,260
January 1, 1978Minnesota Vikings W 23–6Texas Stadium64,293
Super BowlJanuary 15, 1978vs Denver Broncos W 27–10Louisiana Superdome75,583

NFC Divisional Playoff

NFC Championship Game

Super Bowl XII

Season recap

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, 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.

Awards and Records