The 1961 Season


Record: 4-9-1
6th Place in Eastern Conference

Synopsis:

Preparation for their second season began early. The Cowboys did not have a first-round draft pick--it was given to Washington Redskins in 1960 in return for last season's starting quarterback QB Eddie LeBaron. Additionally, the Cowboys wanted to draft Bob Lilly, who insisted on staying in Texas. To help solve this problem, the Cowboys hired Gil Brandt who immediately made the trades necessary to draft Bob Lilly.

The Cowboy's second season began with a change: training camp held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Additionally, Dallas was switched to the Eastern Conference of the NFL as the Minnesota Vikings joined the league.

The second season began with a bang. The Cowboys won their first game ever in the season opener against the Steelers. They backed up that win the next week with a victory over the expansion Vikings. The Cowboys got off to a quick 3-1 mark, but it was downhill from then. The Cowboys finished with a 4-9-1 record, and finished with a better record than three other teams in the NFL. Things were looking up.

Notables:



Preseason
WeekDateOpponentW/LScore
-Aug 5Minnesota @Sioux Falls, SDW38-13
-Aug 11Green BayL07-30
-Aug 26NY Giants @Albuquerque, NML10-28
-Sept 1Balitmore @Norman, OKW35-24
-Sept 9San Francisco @Sacramento, CAL10-24

Regular Season
WeekDateOpponentW/LScore
1Sept 17PittsburghW27-24
2Sept 24MinnesotaW21-07
3Oct 1at ClevelandL07-25
4Oct 8at MinnesotaW28-00
5Oct 15NY GiantsL10-31
6Oct 22PhiladelphiaL07-43
7Oct 29at NY GiantsW17-16
8Nov 5St. LouisL17-31
9Nov 12at PittsburghL07-37
10Nov 19WashingtonT28-28
11Nov 26at PhiladelphiaL13-35
12Dec 3ClevelandL17-38
13Dec 10at St. LouisL13-31
14Dec 17at WashingtonL24-34

Playoffs
WeekDateOpponentW/LScore
--none--

see 1961 NFL Standings

Last Updated:  August 10, 2000
jrbeasley@email.msn.com