The 1965 Season
Record: 7-7-0
2nd Place in Eastern Conference
Synopsis:
- The 1965 off-season work added many players that served as the foundation of
the team for years to come. Quarterback Craig Morton was selected in the first
round. The team also selected future stars such as Malcolm Walker and
defensive lineman Jethro Pugh. In addition, the Cowboys finally won the dispute
with the Houston Oilers over tackle Ralph Neely.
- The 1965 season marked the first .500 season for the Cowboys. This record
was not without its share of problems. The season began with two home wins against
conference rivals, but then the Cowboys lost five straight games. The Cowboys
finally turned the corner by winning five of the last seven games to finish 7-7.
This second place finish allowed the Cowboys to play the Baltimore Colts in the
Playoff Bowl. Though the Cowboys were soundly beaten in the contest of second-place
teams, they got a taste of the postseason. It was taste they seemed to like.
This year marked the first time the offense scored more points, 325, than the
defense allowed, 280.
Notables:
- First Home sellout in Cotton Bowl on November 21 vs. Cleveland
- 1st non-losing season
- Dallas & Green Bay set an NFL record for fewest combined passing yards in a game (-11) on Oct. 24.
- Dallas plays in Playoff Bowl (first post-season action).
| Preseason |
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| - | Aug 17 | at Los Angeles | L | 00-09 |
| - | Aug 21 | San Francisco @Portland, OR | L | 07-27 |
| - | Aug 28 | Green Bay | W | 21-12 |
| - | Sept 3 | Minnesota @Birmingham, AL | L | 17-57 |
| - | Sept 11 | Chicago @Tulsa, OK | W | 34-21 |
Regular Season
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| 1 | Sept 19 | NY Giants | W | 31-02 |
| 2 | Sept 26 | Washington | W | 27-07 |
| 3 | Oct 4 (Mon) | at St. Louis | L | 13-20 |
| 4 | Oct 10 | Philadelphia | L | 24-35 |
| 5 | Oct 17 | at Cleveland | L | 17-23 |
| 6 | Oct 24 | Green Bay @Milwaukee, WI | L | 03-13 |
| 7 | Oct 31 | at Pittsburgh | L | 13-22 |
| 8 | Nov 7 | San Francisco | W | 39-31 |
| 9 | Nov 14 | Pittsburgh | W | 24-17 |
| 10 | Nov 21 | Cleveland | L | 17-24 |
| 11 | Nov 28 | at Washington | L | 31-34 |
| 12 | Dec 5 | at Philadelphia | W | 21-19 |
| 13 | Dec 11 (Sat) | St. Louis | W | 27-13 |
| 14 | Dec 19 | at NY Giants | W | 38-20 |
Playoffs
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| PB | Jan 9 | Baltimore at Miami | L | 03-35 |
Last Updated: August 10, 2000
jrbeasley@email.msn.com