1968 Dallas Cowboys season

1968 Dallas Cowboys season
Head coach	Tom Landry
General manager	Tex Schramm
Owner	Clint Murchison, Jr.
Home field	Cotton Bowl
Results
Record	12–2
Division place	1st NFL Capitol
Playoff finish	Lost Conference Championship

The 1968 Dallas Cowboys season was their ninth in the league and won the Capitol division by five games with a 12–2 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Dallas met the Cleveland Browns (10–4) in the Eastern Conference title game, held at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. In this era, the host sites were rotated, home field advantage was not adopted for the playoffs until 1975. Dallas had won the regular season game 28–7 in September, and had routed the Browns 52–14 in the previous year's playoffs, but both were played at the Cotton Bowl.

Cleveland upset the favored Cowboys 31–20,^[1][2][3] sending Dallas to the third place Playoff Bowl at the Orange Bowl in Miami,^[4] where they rallied to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 17–13.^[5][6]

The team averaged 30.8 points per game during the regular season, and holds the record for most points scored through the first three games of a season.^[7]

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 15, 1968	Detroit Lions	W 59–13	61,382
2	September 22, 1968	Cleveland Browns	W 28–7	68,733
3	September 29, 1968	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 45–13	60,858
4	October 6, 1968	at St. Louis Cardinals	W 27–10	48,296
5	October 13, 1968	Philadelphia Eagles	W 34–14	72,083
6	October 20, 1968	at Minnesota Vikings	W 20–7	47,644
7	October 28, 1968	Green Bay Packers	L 28–17	74,604
8	November 3, 1968	at New Orleans Saints	W 17–3	84,728
9	November 10, 1968	New York Giants	L 27–21	72,163
10	November 17, 1968	at Washington Redskins	W 44–24	50,816
11	November 24, 1968	at Chicago Bears	W 34–3	46,667
12	November 28, 1968	Washington Redskins	W 29–20	66,076
13	December 8, 1968	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 28–7	55,069
14	December 15, 1968	at New York Giants	W 28–10	62,617

Game summaries

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 7 7 14 17 45 Eagles 3 10 0 0 13 Date: September 29 Location: Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Game attendance: 60,858 Game weather: 61°F; wind 12

Scoring summary Q1 PHI Sam Baker 23 yard field goal PHI 3–0 Q1 DAL Dan Reeves 2 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick) DAL 7–3 Q2 DAL Lance Rentzel 11 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick) DAL 14–3 Q2 PHI Gary Ballman 18 yard pass from King Hill (Sam Baker kick) DAL 14–10 Q2 PHI Sam Baker 13 yard field goal DAL 14–13 Q3 DAL Bob Hayes 44 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick) DAL 21–13 Q3 DAL Don Perkins 10 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick) DAL 28–13 Q4 DAL Mike Clark 26 yard field goal DAL 31–13 Q4 DAL Lance Rentzel 8 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick) DAL 38–13 Q4 DAL Craig Morton 4 yard run (Mike Clark kick) DAL 45–13

^[8]

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 0 7 14 7 28 Giants 3 0 0 7 10 Date: December 15 Location: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York Game weather: 30°F, wind 20 mph

Scoring summary 1 NYG Pete Gogolak 12 yard field goal Giants 3–0 2 DAL Bob Hayes 13 yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 7–3 3 DAL Bob Hayes 63 yard punt return (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 14–3 3 DAL Craig Morton 1 yard run (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 21–3 4 DAL Walt Garrison 8 yard run (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 28–3 4 NYG Aaron Thomas 46 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick) Cowboys 28–10

^[9]

Playoffs

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Eastern Conference	December 21, 1968	at Cleveland Browns	L, 31–20	Municipal Stadium	81,497
Playoff Bowl	January 5, 1969	Minnesota Vikings	W, 17–13	Orange Bowl	22,961

Standings

NFL Capitol
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Dallas Cowboys	12	2	0	.857	5–1	9–1	431	186	W5
New York Giants	7	7	0	.500	5–1	7–3	294	325	L4
Washington Redskins	5	9	0	.357	2–4	3–7	249	358	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	2	12	0	.143	0–6	1–9	202	351	L1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1968 roster
Quarterbacks 17 Don Meredith 14 Craig Morton 13 Jerry Rhome Running Backs 46 Craig Baynham KR 32 Walt Garrison FB 43 Don Perkins FB 25 Les Shy Wide Receivers 22 Bob Hayes PR 24 Dennis Homan 80 Dave McDaniels 88 Sonny Randle 19 Lance Rentzel Tight Ends 35 Pete Gent WR 84 Pettis Norman		Offensive Linemen 72 Tony Liscio T 51 Dave Manders C 73 Ralph Neely T 76 John Niland G 61 Blaine Nye G 57 Malcolm Walker C 65 John Wilbur G 67 Rayfield Wright T/TE Defensive Linemen 66 George Andrie DE 63 Larry Cole DE 77 Ron East DT 74 Bob Lilly DT 75 Jethro Pugh DT 87 Andy Stynchula DE/DT		Linebackers 60 Jackie Burkett OLB 52 Dave Edwards OLB 54 Chuck Howley OLB 55 Lee Roy Jordan MLB 50 D. D. Lewis OLB 53 Dave Simmons MLB Defensive Backs 37 Phil Clark CB 21 Dick Daniels FS/SS 27 Mike Gaechter SS/CB 34 Cornell Green CB 23 Mike Johnson CB 20 Mel Renfro FS/CB Special Teams 83 Mike Clark K 12 Ron Widby P		Reserve Lists 30 Dan Reeves RB (IR) 71 Willie Townes DE (IR) Rookies in italics 42 Active, 2 Inactive

References

1. Bledsoe, Terry (December 22, 1968). "Browns' interceptions beat Dallas". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, sports.
2. Livingston, Pat (December 22, 1968). "Browns jolt Cowboys, 31-20". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, section 3.
3. Taylor, Jim (December 22, 1968). "Browns smash Dallas, earn shot at NFL title". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. D1.
4. 1968 Dallas Cowboys
5. "Vikings 13-0 lead withers before Dallas rush, 17-13". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. January 6, 1969. p. 11, part 2.
6. "Cowboys rally, capture Playoff Bowl". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 6, 1969. p. 26.
7. "Mind-blowing stats for Week 4 of the 2013 season". National Football League. 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
8. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-Dec-15.
9. Pro-Football-Reference.com