1978 Dallas Cowboys season The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the NFL . For the third consecutive season , the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East . The Cowboys scored 384 points , which ranked first in the NFC , while the defense only gave up 208 points . Twice , the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football . The club became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls . Regular season . The defending Super Bowl champions were again led by quarterback Roger Staubach . Staubach finished the season as the top rated passer in the NFL ( 84 . 9 ) by throwing 231 out of 413 completions for 3 , 190 yards and 25 touchdowns , with 16 interceptions . He also rushed for 182 yards and another touchdown . Wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill provided the deep passing threats , combining for 90 receptions , 537 yards , and 7 touchdowns . Tight end Billy Joe Dupree contributed 34 receptions for 509 yards and 9 touchdowns . Running back Tony Dorsett had another fine season , recording a total of 1703 combined rushing and receiving yards , and scoring a total of 9 touchdowns . Fullback Robert Newhouse and halfback Preston Pearson also contributed from the offensive backfield , combining for 1 , 326 rushing and receiving yards , while Newhouse also scored 10 touchdowns . The Cowboys also had a superb offensive line , led by Herbert Scott and 12 - time Pro Bowl er Rayfield Wright The Cowboys ' " Doomsday Defense " finished the season as the top ranked defense in the league against the run by only allowing 107 . 6 yards per game . Pro Bowl linemen Ed " Too Tall " Jones , Harvey Martin and Randy White anchored the line , while linebackers Bob Breunig , D . D . Lewis and Thomas " Hollywood " Henderson provided solid support . Their secondary , led by safeties Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters , along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle , combined for 16 interceptions . The Cowboys started the regular season slowly , winning only six of their first ten games . Both the offense and the defense played ineffectively , including giving up interceptions and fumbles . Dallas finished strong , winning their last six regular season games to post a 12 – 4 record . In the aftermath of the season , NFL Films produced its annual highlight reel as it does for every NFL team . Notable of the highlight reel was the title , " America ' s Team " . It would come to be a label that would define the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of their history . However , the label is most remembered for the Cowboys of this era , appearing in three Super Bowls in four years and claiming a unique spotlight in the American consciousness . Postseason . NFC Divisional Playoff . Dallas ' " Doomsday Defense " limited Atlanta quarterback Steve Bartkowski to only 8 completions in 23 attempts and intercepted him 3 times en route to victory . After the Falcons led 20 – 13 at halftime , the Cowboys scored 14 unanswered points in the second half . Super Bowl XIII . Super Bowl XIII can arguably be called the greatest collection of NFL talent ever to gather for a game . In additions to Coaches Noll and Landry , 14 players would go on to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame : 9 from Pittsburgh ( Bradshaw , Harris , Swann , Stallworth , Webster , Greene , Lambert , Ham , and Blount ) , and 5 from Dallas ( Staubach , Dorsett , White , Wright , and Jackie Smith ) . Much of the pregame hype surrounding Super Bowl XIII centered around Cowboys linebacker Thomas " Hollywood " Henderson . Henderson caused quite a stir before the NFC Championship Game by claiming that the Rams had " no class " and the Cowboys would shut them out . His prediction turned out to be very accurate ; the Cowboys did shut them out , aided by Henderson ' s 68 - yard interception return for a touchdown . In the days leading up the Super Bowl , Henderson began talking about the Steelers in the same manner . He predicted another shutout and then made unfriendly comments about several Pittsburgh players . He put down the talent and the intelligence of Bradshaw , proclaiming " " Bradshaw couldn ' t spell ' cat ' if you spotted him the ' c ' and the ' a ' " " . But the Steelers refused to get into a war of words with Henderson . Greene responded by saying the Steelers didn ' t need to say they were the best , they would just go out on the field and " " get the job done " " .