The 1990 Season
Record: 7-9
4th in NFC Eastern Division
Synopsis:
- The 1-15 record in 1989 should have allowed the Cowboys the overall number
one draft choice. This draft choice was used in the conditional draft for Steve
Walsh (one of the poorer choices by Jimmy Johnson). The building process began
with the selection of Emmitt Smith. Again Jimmy Johnson proved his worth with
many middle round picks that helped Dallas built into a power. Another change
in the off-season, Jerry Jones moved training camp to St. Edward's University in
Austin, Texas.
- The season began with a win against San Diego, but they struggled to a 3-7
record. The work finally started paying off with a 4 game winning streak and a
chance to make the playoffs. However, the Cowboys lost the last two games of the
season to finish 7-9. The playoffs would have to wait one more season for the
return of the Cowboys. The improvement of the Cowboys did not go unnoticed in
the NFL. Jimmy Johnson won Coach of the Year and Emmitt Smith won Rookie of the Year. The Cowboys only slightly improved to 244 points scored, up from 204. While the highlight was on the offense, the defense quietly improved as only 308 points were allowed, down from 393 the previous year.
Notables:
- New training site of Austin, TX opens July 18.
- Tom Landry inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4.
- Jimmy Johnson voted NFL Coach of the Year
- Emmitt Smith voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
| Preseason |
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| - | Aug 11 | at San Diego | L | 16-28 |
| - | Aug 18 | at LA Raiders | L | 14-16 |
| - | Aug 25 | Pittsburgh | W | 20-09 |
| - | Sept 1 | Houston | L | 06-27 |
Regular Season
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| 1 | Sept 9 | San Diego | W | 17-14 |
| 2 | Sept 16 | NY Giants | L | 07-28 |
| 3 | Sept 23 | at Washington | L | 15-19 |
| 4 | Sept 30 | at NY Giants | L | 17-31 |
| 5 | Oct 7 | Tampa Bay | W | 14-10 |
| 6 | Oct 14 | at Phoenix | L | 03-20 |
| 7 | Oct 21 | at Tampa Bay | W | 17-13 |
| 8 | Oct 28 | Philadelphia | L | 20-21 |
| 9 | Nov 4 | at NY Jets | L | 09-24 |
| 10 | Nov 11 | San Francisco | L | 06-24 |
| 11 | Nov 18 | at LA Rams | W | 24-21 |
| 12 | Nov 22 (Thurs) | Washington | W | 27-17 |
| 13 | Dec 2 | New Orleans | W | 17-13 |
| 14 | Dec 9 | -bye- | - | - |
| 15 | Dec 16 | Phoenix | W | 41-10 |
| 16 | Dec 23 | at Philadelphia | L | 03-17 |
| 17 | Dec 30 | at Atlanta | L | 07-26 |
Playoffs
|
|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
|---|
| 1 | - | none | - | - |
Last Updated: August 10, 2000
jrbeasley@email.msn.com