1970 Dallas Cowboys season
Encyclopedia
The 1970 Dallas Cowboys
season was their 11th in the NFL. The club scored 299 points and allowed 221 points. For the fifth consecutive season, the Cowboys finished first in their division. In 1970, the club made its debut on Monday Night Football
. The Cowboys lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
38–0. The Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl and lost to the Baltimore Colts
.
, the team's second leading rusher with 577 yards and 4 touchdowns, was lost for the year after suffering a leg injury late in the regular season. And wide receiver Bob Hayes
was benched by head coach Tom Landry
for poor performances on several occasions.
Most significantly, the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy between Craig Morton
and Roger Staubach
. Morton and Staubach alternated as the starting quarterback during the regular season, but Landry eventually chose Morton to start Super Bowl V because he felt less confident that Staubach would follow his game plan (Landry called all of Morton's plays in Super Bowl V). Also, Morton had done extremely well in the regular season, throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 89.8. In contrast, Staubach, although a noted scrambler and able to salvage broken plays effectively, threw for 542 yards, and only 2 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions, giving him a 42.9 rating.
Hayes was the main deep threat on the team, catching 34 passes for 889 yards (a 26.1 yards per catch average) and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 4 times for 34 yards and another touchdown, and adding another 116 yards returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver Lance Rentzel
recorded 28 receptions for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns.
However, the main strength on the Cowboys offense was their running game. Rookie running back Duane Thomas
rushed 151 times for 803 yards (a 5.1 yards per carry average) and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 416 yards returning kickoffs. Fullback Walt Garrison
, who replaced the injured Hill, provided Thomas with excellent blocking and rushed for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Garrison was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 21 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Up front, Pro Bowl guard John Niland and future Hall of Famer tackle Rayfield Wright
anchored the offensive line.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
season was their 11th in the NFL. The club scored 299 points and allowed 221 points. For the fifth consecutive season, the Cowboys finished first in their division. In 1970, the club made its debut on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. The Cowboys lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
38–0. The Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl and lost to the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
.
NFL Draft
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
Duane Thomas Duane Thomas Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974.... |
Running Back | West Texas State West Texas A&M University West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910... |
Regular season
The Cowboys had to overcome many obstacles during the regular season. Fullback Calvin HillCalvin Hill
Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns...
, the team's second leading rusher with 577 yards and 4 touchdowns, was lost for the year after suffering a leg injury late in the regular season. And wide receiver Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes
Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University...
was benched by head coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
for poor performances on several occasions.
Most significantly, the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy between Craig Morton
Craig Morton
Larry Craig Morton is a former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, 1965-82...
and Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. Morton and Staubach alternated as the starting quarterback during the regular season, but Landry eventually chose Morton to start Super Bowl V because he felt less confident that Staubach would follow his game plan (Landry called all of Morton's plays in Super Bowl V). Also, Morton had done extremely well in the regular season, throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 89.8. In contrast, Staubach, although a noted scrambler and able to salvage broken plays effectively, threw for 542 yards, and only 2 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions, giving him a 42.9 rating.
Hayes was the main deep threat on the team, catching 34 passes for 889 yards (a 26.1 yards per catch average) and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 4 times for 34 yards and another touchdown, and adding another 116 yards returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver Lance Rentzel
Lance Rentzel
Thomas Lance Rentzel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1974.-Early years:...
recorded 28 receptions for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns.
However, the main strength on the Cowboys offense was their running game. Rookie running back Duane Thomas
Duane Thomas
Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974....
rushed 151 times for 803 yards (a 5.1 yards per carry average) and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 416 yards returning kickoffs. Fullback Walt Garrison
Walt Garrison
Walter Benton Garrison is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
, who replaced the injured Hill, provided Thomas with excellent blocking and rushed for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Garrison was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 21 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Up front, Pro Bowl guard John Niland and future Hall of Famer tackle Rayfield Wright
Rayfield Wright
Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:...
anchored the offensive line.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1970-09-20 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–7 | Franklin Field Franklin Field Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation... |
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| 2 | 1970-09-27 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28–10 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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| 3 | 1970-10-04 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–7 | Busch Memorial Stadium Busch Memorial Stadium Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005.... |
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| 4 | 1970-10-11 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 13–0 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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| 5 | 1970-10-18 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 54–13 | Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America... |
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| 6 | 1970-10-25 | at Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
W 27–16 | Municipal Stadium Municipal Stadium (Kansas City) Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period... |
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| 7 | 1970-11-01 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 21–17 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
|
| 8 | 1970-11-08 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–20 | Yankee Stadium | |
| 9 | 1970-11-16 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 38–0 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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| 10 | 1970-11-22 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 45–21 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United.... |
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| 11 | 1970-11-26 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 16–3 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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| 12 | 1970-12-06 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 34–0 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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| 13 | 1970-12-12 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 6–2 | Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football... |
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| 14 | 1970-12-20 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 52–10 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
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Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1970-12-26 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 5–0 |
| 2 | 1971-01-03 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 17–10 |
| 3 | 1971-01-17 | Baltimore Colts | L 16–13 |
Standings
| NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 299 | 221 | W-5 |
| New York Giants 1970 New York Giants season The 1970 New York Giants was the 46th season for the professional American football franchise. This was the first season for the Giants after the AFL-NFL merger, in which ten American Football League teams joined the National Football League. The team was led by second-year head coach Alex Webster... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 301 | 270 | L-1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals 1970 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season The 1970 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 51st season the team was in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 4-9-1, winning eight games. Despite them shutting out three consecutive opponents, they failed to reach the playoffs for the 22nd straight... |
8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 325 | 228 | L-3 |
| Washington Redskins 1970 Washington Redskins season The 1970 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-5-2 record from 1969.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Division standings:-References:... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 297 | 314 | W-2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1970 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1970 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 38th in the league. They failed to improve on their previous output of 4–9–1, winning only three games... |
3 | 10 | 1 | .231 | 241 | 332 | W-1 |
NFC Divisional Playoff
NFC Championship Game
Super Bowl V
Chuck Howley became the first defensive player, and only member of a losing team to be the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 1970 roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
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Offensive Linemen
Halvor Hagen Halvor Reini Hagen is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Weber State University and was drafted in the third round of the 1969 NFL Draft.... G/C Tony Liscio Anthony Liscio is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League from 1963 through 1971. He played college football at the University of Tulsa... T Dave Manders David Francis Manders was an American football center in the National Football League from 1964 through 1974. He played college football at Michigan State University... C Ralph Neely Ralph Eugene Neely is a former American football offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1977.-Early years:... T John Niland (American football) John Hugh Niland is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League from 1966 through 1975.-Early years:He was an All-State fullback at Long Island's Amityville High School.... G Blaine Nye Blaine Francis Nye is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League and founder and president of Stanford Consulting Group, Inc... G Rayfield Wright Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:... T Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
Chuck Howley Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League... OLB Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976... MLB Steve Kiner Steven Albert Kiner is a former American football linebacker who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and the Houston Oilers. Kiner attended the University of Tennessee from 1967 to 1969, where he was an All-American. He was elected to... OLB Tom Stincic Thomas D. Stincic is a former American football player. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he attended John Marshall High School. He then enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played college football, principally as a linebacker, from 1966 to 1968. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in... MLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Currently vacant Rookies in italics 44 Active, 0 Inactive |
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Awards and records
- Chuck Howley, Most Valuable Player, Super Bowl V
- Mel Renfro, Pro Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player