# 1982 Dallas Cowboys season

The 1982 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished with a record of 6–3, placing them second in the NFC. It was the Cowboys 17th consecutive winning season, breaking the mark of 16 set by the Raiders. Dallas would eventually extend the record to 20 consecutive winning seasons. Only one team, the New England Patriots from 2001-2019 with 19 consecutive winning seasons has come the closest to matching it. After losing the season opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers (the first time the Cowboys lost a season opener in 17 years), the Cowboys won the next six, including five after the strike had ended. However, two losses at the end of the regular season cost them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. After beginning their playoff run with victories over the Buccaneers 30–17 and the Packers 37–26, the Cowboys traveled to Washington, where they met defeat at the hands of their arch-rival, the Redskins 31–17. It was the third straight season that the Cowboys lost in the NFC championship game. The Redskins would advance and won Super Bowl XVII.
The Cowboys featured big-play capability on both sides of the ball in 1982. The offense relied on running back Tony Dorsett, who led the NFC in rushing (and during the season set an NFL record with a 99-yard run from scrimmage against Minnesota), and quarterback Danny White, who finished second in the NFL in passer rating. Despite the retirement of longtime starters Charlie Waters and D.D. Lewis before the season, the Cowboys still tied for the NFC lead in sacks, and cornerback Everson Walls led the league with seven interceptions.
The Cowboys were the only team to defeat the Redskins in the 1982 season, winning a regular season matchup in Game 5 at RFK Stadium (the scheduled meeting at Texas Stadium was cancelled by the strike). The Cowboys were also the only team in the NFL who never trailed at halftime in '82.
For the only time in franchise history, Dallas did not play the New York Giants, as both meetings fell victim to the strike.

## Offseason

Tex Schramm and Gil Brandt, proposed to the NFL competition committee a centralization of the evaluation process for the NFL draft prospects. Before this, teams had to schedule individual visits with players to run them through drills and tests. This proposition created the NFL Scouting Combine, which was first held in Tampa, Florida, in 1982.
Coincidentally, the 1982 NFL draft was one of the worst in Dallas Cowboys history. It is mostly remembered because it was the year the Cowboys drafted cornerback Rod Hill in the first round. Hill would go on to become the symbol of the team's failed draft strategy of the eighties, when the Cowboys took too many gambles. From that draft only Jeff Rohrer and Phil Pozderac made contributions.

### NFL Draft

1982 Dallas Cowboys draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 25 | Rod Hill | CB | Kentucky State |
| 2 | 53 | Jeff Rohrer | LB | Yale |
| 3 | 81 | Jim Eliopulos | LB | Wyoming |
| 4 | 101 | Brian Carpenter | CB | Michigan |
| 4 | 109 | Monty Hunter | S | Salem |
| 5 | 137 | Phil Pozderac | OT | Notre Dame |
| 6 | 143 | Ken Hammond | OG | Vanderbilt |
| 6 | 165 | Charles Daum | DT | Cal Poly |
| 7 | 193 | Bill Purifoy | DE | Tulsa |
| 8 | 216 | George Peoples | RB | Auburn |
| 8 | 221 | Dwight Sullivan | RB | North Carolina State |
| 9 | 249 | Joe Gary | DT | UCLA |
| 10 | 277 | Todd Eckerson | OT | North Carolina State |
| 11 | 295 | George Thompson | WR | Albany State |
| 11 | 304 | Michael Whiting | RB | Florida State |
| 12 | 332 | Rich Burtness | OG | Montana |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 28–36 | 0–1 | Texas Stadium | 63,431 | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 24–7 | 1–1 | Busch Stadium | 50,705 | Recap |
| 3 | — | at Minnesota Vikings | Rescheduled to January 3 | Rescheduled to January 3 | Rescheduled to January 3 | Rescheduled to January 3 | Rescheduled to January 3 |
| 4 | — | New York Giants | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 5 | — | Washington Redskins | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 6 | — | at Philadelphia Eagles | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 7 | — | at Cincinnati Bengals | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 8 | — | at New York Giants | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 9 | — | St. Louis Cardinals | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 10 | — | at San Francisco 49ers | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike | Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike |
| 11 | November 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 14–9 | 2–1 | Texas Stadium | 49,578 | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | Cleveland Browns | W 31–14 | 3–1 | Texas Stadium | 46,267 | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Washington Redskins | W 24–10 | 4–1 | RFK Stadium | 54,633 | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | at Houston Oilers | W 37–7 | 5–1 | Houston Astrodome | 51,808 | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | New Orleans Saints | W 21–7 | 6–1 | Texas Stadium | 64,506 | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 20–24 | 6–2 | Texas Stadium | 46,199 | Recap |
| 17 | January 3, 1983 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 27–31 | 6–3 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 60,007 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. ||||||||

### Season summary
#### Week 1: vs Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 6 | 7 | 17 | 6 | 36 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Date: September 13, 1982
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 84 °F (28.9 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,431
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith & Howard Cosell
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – John Stallworth 8-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed). Steelers 6–0. Drive:
DAL – Drew Pearson 4-yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 7–6. Drive:
Second quarter
PIT – Jim Smith 7-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gary Anderson kick). Steelers 13–7. Drive:
DAL – Doug Cosbie 12-yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 14–13. Drive:
Third quarter
PIT – Frank Pollard 1-yard run (Gary Anderson kick). Steelers 20–14. Drive:
PIT – Jim Smith 15-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Gary Anderson kick). Steelers 27–14. Drive:
PIT – Gary Anderson 26-yard field goal. Steelers 30–14. Drive:
Fourth quarter
PIT – Gary Anderson 43–yard field goal. Steelers 33–14. Drive:
DAL – Tony Hill 45-yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick). Steelers 33–21. Drive:
DAL – Billy Joe DuPree 5-yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick). Steelers 33–28. Drive:
PIT – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal. Steelers 36–28. Drive:
Top passers
PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 17/28, 246 yards, 3 TD
DAL – Danny White – 25/36, 347 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
PIT – Franco Harris – 24 rushes, 103 yards
DAL – Tony Dorsett – 11 rushes, 30 yards
Top receivers
PIT – John Stallworth – 7 receptions, 137 yards, TD
DAL – Tony Hill – 6 receptions, 130 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
* Date: December 5, 1982
* Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | DAL | WAS |
| 2 | | | | | Cowboys | Ron Springs 8-yard touchdown reception from Danny White, Rafael Septién kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | | | | | Cowboys | 31-yard field goal by Rafael Septién | 10 | 0 |
| 3 | | | | | Cowboys | Timmy Newsome 18-yard touchdown run, Rafael Septién kick good | 17 | 0 |
| 4 | | | | | Redskins | 38-yard field goal by Mark Moseley | 17 | 3 |
| 4 | | | | | Redskins | Charlie Brown 17-yard touchdown reception from Joe Theismann, Mark Moseley kick good | 17 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | Cowboys | Ron Springs 46-yard touchdown run, Rafael Septién kick good | 24 | 10 |
| "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 | 10 |

## Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Washington Redskins$^{(1)}$ | 8 | 1 | 0 | .889 | 6–1 | 8–1 | 190 | 128 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys$^{(2)}$ | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 226 | 145 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals$^{(6)}$ | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 3–1 | 5–4 | 135 | 170 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 2–3 | 3–5 | 164 | 160 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 191 | 195 | L1 |
NFCvte :
| # | Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| Seeded postseason qualifiers |||||||||
| 1 | Washington Redskins | 8 | 1 | 0 | .889 | 190 | 128 | W4 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 226 | 145 | L2 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | 5 | 3 | 1 | .611 | 226 | 169 | L1 |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 187 | 198 | W1 |
| 5 | Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 183 | 199 | L2 |
| 6 | St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 135 | 170 | L1 |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 158 | 178 | W3 |
| 8 | Detroit Lions | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 181 | 176 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason |||||||||
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 129 | 160 | W1 |
| 10 | New York Giants | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 164 | 160 | W1 |
| 11 | San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 209 | 206 | L1 |
| 12 | Chicago Bears | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 141 | 174 | L1 |
| 13 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 191 | 195 | L1 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Rams | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | 200 | 250 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers |||||||||
| 1 2 3 4 Minnesota (4–1), Atlanta (4–3), St. Louis (5–4), Tampa Bay (3–3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games. 1 2 3 Detroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4–4 to Saints’ 3–5 to Giants’ 3–5). 1 2 3 San Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers’ 2–3 to Bears’ 2–5 to Eagles’ 1–5). |||||||||

### Roster
## Postseason
### Playoff schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| First Round | January 9, 1983 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7) | W 30–17 | Texas Stadium | 65,042 | Recap |
| Second Round | January 16, 1983 | Green Bay Packers (3) | W 37–26 | Texas Stadium | 63,972 | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 22, 1983 | at Washington Redskins (1) | L 17–31 | RFK Stadium | 55,045 | Recap |

#### First round

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 6 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 30 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 65,042
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)

#### Second round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 26 |
| • Cowboys | 6 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 37 |

## Awards

* The Cowboys sent eight players to the Pro Bowl following the 1982 season: Bob Breunig, Pat Donovan, Tony Dorsett, Ed Jones, Harvey Martin, Herbert Scott, Everson Walls, and Randy White.
* Danny White and Tony Dorsett were named to the All-NFL second team by the Associated Press at quarterback and running back, respectively. On the defensive side of the ball, end Ed Jones and tackle Randy White were named to the first team, while end Harvey Martin and cornerback Everson Walls were named to the second team.
* Everson Walls, NFL Leader, Interceptions, (7)

## 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