The 1979 Dallas Cowboys season was their 20th in the National Football League (NFL). The team was unable to improve on their previous output of 12âÂÂ4, winning eleven games. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the divisional round.
The Cowboys still possessed a great offense, but suffered defensive losses as defensive tackle Jethro Pugh retired, safety Charlie Waters missed the season with injury, Ed "Too Tall" Jones left the team while he embarked on a professional boxing career (Jones would return in 1980), and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson was cut in November for erratic play and behavior. The season began 8âÂÂ2 before a three-game losing streak placed the season in jeopardy (one of the three being a 30âÂÂ24 loss to Houston in which Oilers coach Bum Phillips declared the Oilers as "Texas's Team"). The team rallied to win their final three to finish at 11âÂÂ5 and gain the number one seed in the NFC.
Playing in his final season, Roger Staubach proceeded to have the best year of his career completing 267 passes out of 461 attempts for 3,586 yards and 27 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions with a passer rating of 92.3 and a completion percentage of 57.9.
In the season's final regular season game against the Washington Redskins, with the NFC East Title at issue, Staubach rallied the Cowboys from a 34âÂÂ21 deficit in the last four minutes to win, 35âÂÂ34. It turned out to be Staubach's last win. The Cowboys were upset at home in the divisional playoff by the Los Angeles Rams 21âÂÂ19 and Staubach retired after the season. The last remaining active member of the 1979 Dallas Cowboys was offensive lineman Tom Rafferty, who retired after the 1989 season.
Division opponents are in bold text
It was December 16, 1979, when the Washington Redskins came to Texas Stadium tied with the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East with 10âÂÂ5 records. This game would turn out to be one of Roger Staubach's finest moments as well as his last great comeback in his Cowboys career.
The NFC East showdown between these heated rivals did not start out the way the Cowboys had wanted. On the Cowboys' first two possessions of the game they fumbled and the Redskins took full advantage of the recoveries.
It took only two plays on the Cowboys' first possession before rookie Ron Springs fumbled at the Cowboys' 34-yard line. The Redskins took over and drove to the Cowboys' three-yard line. On third and goal Larry Cole sacked Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann and forced the Redskins to kick a field goal by Mark Mosley for an early 3âÂÂ0 lead.
On the Cowboys' second possession they once again fumbled the ball away. This time it was Robert Newhouse who gave the ball to the Redskins on the Cowboys' 45-yard line. The Redskins drove to the Cowboys' one-yard line, but this time Theismann made sure there would be no field goal attempt as he scored himself, giving the Redskins a 10âÂÂ0 lead.
With the Redskins leading 10âÂÂ0 going into the second quarter and the Cowboys' offense showing no signs of life, the Redskins' offense went back to work with an 80-yard, 7-play drive. They finished the drive when Theismann connected with running back Benny Malone who eluded a tackle by D.D. Lewis. Malone raced down the right sideline for a 55-yard touchdown, giving the Redskins a commanding 17âÂÂ0 lead.
The Cowboys' offense seemed to wake up on their next possession. They put together a 13-play, 70-yard drive. From the Redskins' one-yard line, Ron Springs made up for his earlier fumble as he scored the Cowboys' first touchdown of the game. The Redskins now led 17âÂÂ7 with a little more than four minutes left in the first half.
With only 1:48 left in the first half, the Cowboys got the ball back on their own 15-yard line. Staubach went to work as he connected with Tony Hill three times and Drew Pearson once to get to the Redskins' 26-yard line. With only nine seconds remaining, Staubach connected with Preston Pearson for a touchdown as Pearson made a diving catch in the end zone. The Cowboys had fought their way back into the game with two second-quarter touchdowns. They went into the half down 17âÂÂ14.
In the third quarter the Cowboys' defense shut down the Redskins' offense. The Cowboys' offense took advantage and scored the only touchdown of the quarter, which gave them their first lead of the game. After a short Redskins punt the Cowboys took over at their own 48-yard line. They needed only nine plays, which included a Butch Johnson reverse that gained 13 yards. Preston Pearson took a short pass from Staubach and got the Cowboys to the two-yard line. Like Ron Springs in the first half, it was now Newhouse's turn to make up for his earlier fumble. He scored from the two-yard line, giving the Cowboys a 21âÂÂ17 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter the Redskins drove to the Cowboys' 7-yard line where they had to settle for a Mark Mosley 24-yard field goal. That made the score 21âÂÂ20 Cowboys.
Staubach threw his only interception of the game when he went deep over the middle from his own 13-yard line where there was no receiver in sight. Redskins safety Mark Murphy came down with the ball and returned it to the Cowboys' 25-yard line. On the Redskins' first play, Theismann threw into the end zone for receiver Ricky Thompson. Cowboys safety Cliff Harris bumped Thompson and was called for pass interference. The penalty placed the ball at the Cowboys' one-yard line where John Riggins scored to give the lead back to the Redskins, 27âÂÂ21.
With less than seven minutes to play in the game, Riggins seemed to put the game out of reach for the Cowboys. Riggins broke to the outside at his own 34-yard line as he outran Cowboys linebacker Mike Hegman and then broke a tackle by Cliff Harris. Riggins then raced away from Cowboys cornerback Dennis Thurman down the right sideline and scored from 66 yards for a 34âÂÂ21 Redskins lead.
With 3:49 left in the game, Randy White recovered a Redskins fumble. Roger Staubach only needed three plays to get the Cowboys closer as he connected with Ron Springs for a 26-yard touchdown. Springs caught the pass at the five-yard line and dragged Redskins cornerback Ray Waddy into the end zone. The Redskins still had a 34âÂÂ28 lead with 2:20 left in the game.
With time running out and the Redskins facing a third and one, veteran defensive tackle Larry Cole threw Riggins for a two-yard loss and forced the Redskins to punt.
The Cowboys stood 75 yards away from an NFC Eastern Division title. Roger Staubach went back to work like he had done so many times in his career. He drove the Cowboys down the field in only seven plays. During the drive he connected with Tony Hill for 20 yards, then to Preston Pearson for 22 yards. With 1:01 left in the game Staubach went back to Preston Pearson for a 25-yard gain to the Redskins' 8-yard line. From there Staubach lofted a pass into the end zone that Tony Hill came down with.
The Cowboys won the game 35âÂÂ34 over the Redskins and also won their 11th Eastern title in the team's 20-year history. The win also gave the Cowboys a week off and home field advantage in the playoffs. With the win it also knocked the Redskins out of the playoffs.
Roger Staubach finished the game with 336 yards passing and three touchdown passes. It was also the 21st time he guided the Cowboys to a fourth-quarter win and the 14th time he turned defeat into victory for the Cowboys in the final two minutes of a game.
Tony Hill led all receivers with eight receptions for 113 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Preston Pearson followed Hill with five receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown. Rookie Ron Springs, who started in place of the injured Tony Dorsett, rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. He also added 58 receiving yards with one touchdown.
"What can I say about him?" asked Tom Landry. "Roger is simply super in these kinds of situations. He's done it before and knows he can do it."
Harvey Martin, still in full uniform, threw a wreath that had been sent to the Cowboys' facility before the game (later discovered sent by a Dallas fan but from a florist address in Rockville, Maryland) into the Redskins' locker room right after the comeback victory.
The loss to the Rams in 1979 was one of the worst playoff defeats in Cowboys history. Some say the loss had to do with the dramatic game against the Redskins two weeks earlier that put the Cowboys in the playoffs. Others believe that the Cowboys just overlooked the Rams. Whatever the reasons were, the Cowboys' season ended that Sunday in Texas Stadium. The Staubach magic also ended that day: on March 31, 1980, he announced his retirement from the Cowboys and the NFL after 11 seasons and two Super Bowl Championships.