# 1974 Dallas Cowboys season

The 1974 Dallas Cowboys season was their 15th in the league, all under head coach Tom Landry. The Cowboys failed to improve on their previous output of 10–4, winning only eight games. They missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the only time in eighteen seasons (1966–1983) that the Cowboys did not advance to the postseason.
The Cowboys began with a 1–4 start and although they went 7–2 afterwards, it was not enough to overcome the slow start.
The 1974 season featured one of the most memorable Thanksgiving games in Cowboys history. Trailing 16–3 in the second half (and having already lost quarterback Roger Staubach to injury), little used backup Clint Longley threw two touchdown passes to lead the team to a 24–23 victory over the Redskins at Texas Stadium.
This was also a season of transition; as it was the final season of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly. Also finishing their careers were fullback Walt Garrison and center Dave Manders. Also, it was the final season in Dallas for wide receiver Bob Hayes (who finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers the following year), running back Calvin Hill (who departed for the Hawaiians of the World Football League), defensive end Pat Toomay (who left for the Buffalo Bills), guard John Niland (who left the following year for the Philadelphia Eagles), and quarterback Craig Morton (traded early in the season to the New York Giants) who would later play against the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII as a member of the Denver Broncos.

## Offseason
### Draft

1974 Dallas Cowboys draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Ed Jones * | DE | Tennessee State | |
| 1 | 22 | Charley Young | RB | NC State | |
| 3 | 53 | Danny White * | QB | Arizona State | |
| 3 | 72 | Cal Peterson | LB | UCLA | |
| 4 | 97 | Ken Hutcherson | LB | Livingston | |
| 4 | 101 | Andy Adrade | LB | Northern Michigan | |
| 5 | 126 | John Kelsey | OT | Missouri | Signed with the WFL |
| 6 | 151 | Jim Bright | S | UCLA | Signed with the WFL |
| 7 | 176 | Raymond Nester | LB | Michigan State | |
| 8 | 205 | Mike Holt | DB | Michigan State | |
| 8 | 230 | Bill Dulin | OT | Johnson C. Smith | |
| 10 | 255 | Dennis Morgan | RB | Western Illinois | |
| 11 | 280 | Harvey McGee | WR | Southern Mississippi | |
| 12 | 309 | Keith Bobo | QB | SMU | |
| 13 | 334 | Fred Lima | K | Colorado | |
| 14 | 359 | Doug Richards | DB | BYU | |
| 15 | 384 | Bruce Craft | OT | Geneva College | |
| 16 | 413 | Gene Killian | OG | Tennessee | |
| 17 | 438 | Lawrie Skolrood | OT | North Dakota | Signed with the CFL |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 15 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 24–0 | 1–0 | Atlanta Stadium | 52,332 | Recap |
| 2 | September 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–13 | 1–1 | Veterans Stadium | 64,089 | Recap |
| 3 | September 29 | New York Giants | L 6–14 | 1–2 | Texas Stadium | 45,841 | Recap |
| 4 | October 6 | Minnesota Vikings | L 21–23 | 1–3 | Texas Stadium | 57,847 | Recap |
| 5 | October 13 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 28–31 | 1–4 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,885 | Recap |
| 6 | October 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 31–24 | 2–4 | Texas Stadium | 43,586 | Recap |
| 7 | October 27 | at New York Giants | W 21–7 | 3–4 | Yale Bowl | 57,381 | Recap |
| 8 | November 3 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 17–14 | 4–4 | Texas Stadium | 64,146 | Recap |
| 9 | November 10 | San Francisco 49ers | W 20–14 | 5–4 | Texas Stadium | 50,018 | Recap |
| 10 | November 17 | at Washington Redskins | L 21–28 | 5–5 | RFK Stadium | 54,395 | Recap |
| 11 | November 24 | at Houston Oilers | W 10–0 | 6–5 | Houston Astrodome | 49,775 | Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | Washington Redskins | W 24–23 | 7–5 | Texas Stadium | 63,243 | Recap |
| 13 | December 7 | Cleveland Browns | W 41–17 | 8–5 | Texas Stadium | 48,754 | Recap |
| 14 | December 14 | at Oakland Raiders | L 23–27 | 8–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 45,840 | Recap |
Division opponents are in bold text

## Game summaries
### Week 3 vs Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
* Game attendance: 45,841
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Giants
Norm Snead 11/17, 128 Yds, TD
Joe Dawkins 9 Rush, 51 Yds
Bob Grim 1 Rec, 50 Yds
Cowboys
Roger Staubach 20/37, 256 Yds, TD, 3 INT
Robert Newhouse 12 Rush, 47 Yds
Drew Pearson 6 Rec, 116 Yds :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NYG | DAL |
| 2 | | | | | Giants | Doug Kotar 2-yard touchdown run, Pete Gogolak kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 4 | | | | | Giants | Joe Dawkins 14-yard touchdown reception from Norm Snead, Pete Gogolak kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 4 | | | | | Cowboys | Bob Hayes 35-yard touchdown reception from Roger Staubach, Mac Percival kick no good | 14 | 6 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 6 |

### Week 6 vs Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
* Game attendance: 43,586
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Eagles
Roman Gabriel 21/36, 285 Yds, 2 TD, INT
Po James 6 Rush, 24 Yds, TD
Harold Carmichael 5 Rec, 85 Yds, TD
Cowboys
Roger Staubach 18/27, 224 Yds
Calvin Hill 26 Rush, 140 Yds, 3 TD
Drew Pearson 5 Rec, 77 Yds :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | PHI | DAL |
| 2 | | | | | Cowboys | Calvin Hill 5-yard touchdown run, Efrén Herrera kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | Eagles | Harold Carmichael 14-yard touchdown reception from Roman Gabriel, Tom Dempsey kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | Cowboys | Calvin Hill 17-yard touchdown run, Efrén Herrera kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Eagles | Po James 1-yard touchdown run, Tom Dempsey kick good | 14 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Eagles | 39-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey | 17 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | Cowboys | 29-yard field goal by Efrén Herrera | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | | | | | Eagles | Don Zimmerman 64-yard touchdown reception from Roman Gabriel, Tom Dempsey kick good | 24 | 17 |
| 3 | | | | | Cowboys | Calvin Hill 2-yard touchdown run, Efrén Herrera kick good | 24 | 24 |
| 4 | | | | | Cowboys | Roger Staubach 1-yard touchdown run, Efrén Herrera kick good | 24 | 31 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 24 | 31 |

### Week 12 vs Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Date: November 28
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,243
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Efrén Herrera 24-yard field goal. Cowboys 3–0. Drive:
WSH – Mark Moseley 45-yard field goal. Tie 3–3. Drive:
Second quarter
WSH – Mark Moseley 34-yard field goal. Redskins 6–3. Drive:
WSH – Mark Moseley 39-yard field goal. Redskins 9–3. Drive:
Third quarter
WSH – Duane Thomas 9-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 16–3. Drive:
DAL – Billy Joe Dupree 35-yard pass from Clint Longley (Efrén Herrera kick). Redskins 16–10. Drive:
DAL – Walt Garrison 70-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick). Cowboys 17–16. Drive:
Fourth quarter
WSH – Duane Thomas 19-yard run (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 23–17. Drive:
DAL – Drew Pearson 50-yard pass from Clint Longley (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:28. Cowboys 24–23. Drive:
Top passers
WSH – Billy Kilmer – 8/17, 112 yards, TD
DAL – Clint Longley – 11/20, 203 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
WSH – Duane Thomas – 18 rushes, 55 yards, TD
DAL – Robert Newhouse – 16 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
WSH – Roy Jefferson – 2 receptions, 49 yards
DAL – Drew Pearson – 5 receptions, 108 yards, TD :
Thanksgiving Day
Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game.

## Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 7–1 | 8–3 | 285 | 218 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–3 | 8–3 | 320 | 196 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 4–4 | 6–5 | 297 | 235 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–6 | 242 | 217 | W3 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 1–7 | 1–10 | 195 | 299 | L6 |

## Publications

* The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
* Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
* Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2