The 1970 Season
Record: 10-4
NFC Eastern Division Champion
NFC Champion
Synopsis:
- The 1970 season marked the beginning of the new era of the NFL. The two rival
leagues were now one. Dallas was placed into the Eastern Division of the National
Football Conference. Interconference games were beginning and the league would
never be the same. The 1970 season also marked the beginning of what would become
an American favorite -- MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.
- Despite these changes, one thing did carry over from the 1960s -- the success
of the Cowboys in the draft and finding those great players. In one year, the
Cowboys added cornerback Charlie Waters, center John Fitzgerald, and defensive end
Pat Toomey. The defensive secondary was completed for years to come with the signing
of undrafted Cliff Harris, another star found at a little known college -- this time
Ouachita State.
- Though a preseason favorite to easily win the Eastern Division, Dallas stumbled
to a 5-4 record including two embarrassing losses. The first was a 54-13 loss to
Minnesota, the most points ever scored against the Cowboys (a record that stands
today). The second was a 38-0 loss to the Cardinals on the Cowboy's first appearance
on Monday Night Football. After this loss, many thought the Cowboys were finished.
This was far from the case. The Cowboys finished strong by winning their last
five games. The Cowboys finished the season with a 10-4 record and the Eastern
Division Title.
- The Cowboys met the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys
won the surprisingly low-scoring game 5-0 and faced the upstart San Francisco
49ers for the NFC Championship. The Cowboys got one monkey off their back and
beat the 49ers 17-10. They were going to Super
Bowl V to play the AFC Champions Baltimore Colts. Though Dallas burst out
to a 13-6 half-time lead, the Colt's fourth quarter rally gave them a 16-13 win
and the Super Bowl Championship. The Cowboy's tag of not being able to win the
big one was once again at the minds of all. Little did they know that the Cowboys
would shed that final monkey in the very next season.
Notables:
- Merger with AFL places Dallas in Eastern Division of NFC
- Duane Thomas voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- First Eastern Division Championship
- First Super Bowl Appearance
| Preseason |
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| - | Aug 8 | at San Diego | W | 20-10 |
| - | Aug 15 | at Los Angeles | L | 10-17 |
| - | Aug 22 | Green Bay | L | 34-35 |
| - | Aug 29 | at Houston | L | 21-37 |
| - | Sept 5 | Kansas City | L | 00-13 |
| - | Sept 13 | NY Jets | L | 21-29 |
Regular Season
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| 1 | Sept 20 | at Philadelphia | W | 17-07 |
| 2 | Sept 27 | NY Giants | W | 28-10 |
| 3 | Oct 4 | at St. Louis | L | 07-20 |
| 4 | Oct 11 | Atlanta | W | 13-00 |
| 5 | Oct 18 | at Minnesota | L | 13-54 |
| 6 | Oct 25 | at Kansas City | W | 27-16 |
| 7 | Nov 1 | Philadelphia | W | 21-17 |
| 8 | Nov 8 | at NY Giants | L | 20-23 |
| 9 | Nov 16 (Mon) | St. Louis | L | 00-38 |
| 10 | Nov 22 | at Washington | W | 45-21 |
| 11 | Nov 26 (Thurs) | Green Bay | W | 16-03 |
| 12 | Dec 6 | Washington | W | 34-00 |
| 13 | Dec 12 (Sat) | at Cleveland | W | 06-02 |
| 14 | Dec 20 | Houston | W | 52-10 |
Playoffs
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| Div | Dec 26 | Detroit | W | 05-00 |
| NFC | Jan 3 | at San Francisco | W | 17-10 |
| SB V | Jan 17 | Baltimore at Miami | L | 13-16 |
Last Updated: August 10, 2000
jrbeasley@email.msn.com