AROUND THE LEAGUE: Retired NFL Players Congress gathering in Dallas area for 2014 summit | Roger Staubach to give keynote address
From around the country, retired NFL players of varying ages and fame will congregate in Arlington (Dallas/Ft. Worth suburb) today (Friday) and Saturday in hopes that their collective voice will be heard.
TWO SIDES OF THE FENCE: Tony Romo’s NFL legacy is still being written
On a picture-perfect Southern California afternoon, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo took a break from the daily grind of training camp to chase 16-month-old son Hawkins around the field.
A few days after Romo’s family left training camp, news broke that his wife, Candice, is expecting the couple’s second child after the season.
Five months ago, Romo signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension to make him the highest-paid Cowboys player in franchise history. In Jerry Jones’ office that day at Valley Ranch, a photographer captured Hawkins taking a pen out of the Cowboys owner’s hands, with Hawkins’ smiling parents holding him.
For Romo, it seems, life couldn’t get much better. He has it all: faith, family, football, fame and fortune.
But one dream has proved elusive for Romo: a Super Bowl.
He hasn’t even taken baby steps to approach the milestone. He has one playoff win in his 6 1/2 seasons as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback.
At 33, the oldest player in the Cowboys’ locker room, Romo knows he must strike quickly. He has never wanted it more, but not just for himself.
“When you’re young, you want to be the best, you want to be the starter, you want to do these things to get to that point to win a championship,” Romo said. “And when you’re older, you want all those same things, but you want it for a lot of other people as well, because you see all the people that have put so much into it and it really matters to them as well.
“That’s where I’m at. It’s not just for me. It’s about a lot of other people. I see it with the fans.”
Recent history says Romo isn’t likely to lead the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl win since the 1995 season.
Only one starting quarterback in the last 14 seasons has won the Super Bowl at 33 or older. That was 34-year-old Brad Johnson in 2003, but he was just a game manager for Tampa Bay’s defensively led team.
Romo isn’t paid to be a game manager.
Only 11 quarterbacks in NFL history have won a Super Bowl at 33 or older. One of those happens to be an unabashed Romo supporter: legendary Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.
When he was 35, Staubach led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win in 1978.
Thirty-five years later, Staubach believes Romo can do the same.
“If you’re in your 30s and you’re a quarterback, it’s not like other positions,” Staubach said. “He’s at the prime of his career right now.”
The Cowboys have gone all-in on Romo. They’re not only paying him as an elite quarterback, they’ve given him more say-so than ever in the offensive game plan.
In training camp, Romo often held teaching sessions with receivers and running backs. During the season, he’ll be in coaching meetings early in the week to help formulate game plans.
Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, who spent 19 years as a quarterback in the NFL, said Romo has “always had input on things” but never to the point that he was side-by-side with coaches.
In fact, Wilson said he’s never been involved with a similar situation in his almost 35 years in the NFL as a player and coach.
Wilson said Romo always offered ideas, but now the process is streamlined.
“Any ideas that he’s had, they may show up later in the week,” Wilson said. “But now, with him in those meetings, he’s watching it with us and we’re talking about things. Maybe those ideas come earlier in the week and we get a chance to practice them.”
The Cowboys view Romo as a “young” 33 by NFL standards, because most starting quarterbacks his age have more mileage on their throwing arms. The Cowboys signed the undrafted Romo in 2003, but he didn’t attempt his first NFL pass until midway through the 2006 season.
“He started later and he takes real good care of himself,” Wilson said. “He plays the different sports in the off-season. He’s in great condition and he’s very instinctive, and those things will stay with you throughout your career.”
Sure, Romo’s arm is fine. But he’s withstood much abuse over the last six seasons — particularly the last three — because of the team’s poor offensive line play.
Romo didn’t participate in the Cowboys’ off-season workouts because he had back surgery to remove a cyst. Two years ago, he played a game with a broken rib and a punctured lung.
Soon to be 71, Jones has said he doesn’t have time to wait for the Cowboys to show improvement.
That also holds true for Romo. But for better or worse, Jones is committed to Romo, thanks to the quarterback’s new contract.
Romo is 1-6 in win-or-go-home games, and hasn’t been able to get it done in the regular-season finale the last two seasons in games that could have given the Cowboys the NFC East title.
For one of the league’s most talented quarterbacks, Romo is aware his legacy will ultimately be defined by his playoff success.
“It’s not fair, but that’s just the way it is,” Staubach said of how Romo will be judged. “I really feel it’s important to him. The most important thing for him is to win and to get to that playoff level where he can win some playoff games. But you can’t do it by yourself. It’s not a one-man game. It’s a team game. Dallas has a quarterback who can be a franchise quarterback. But you need other pieces, too.”
What will be Romo’s legacy? Will he be the next Staubach or Troy Aikman — who have combined for five Super Bowl wins — or will he fall woefully short?
Aikman has said Romo is a better quarterback than he was and believes Romo will lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win one day.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Aikman and Staubach believe in him. But time is running out on Romo to make believers out of his critics.
“This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point. It’s going to be exciting when that time comes,” Romo said. “And when we look back, we know who was on what side of the fence during the tough moments.”
LIVING LEGEND: Roger Staubach makes his prediction for the 2013-2014 Dallas Cowboys
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach talks to current quarterback Tony Romo during practice at the Silver and Blue Debut, in Arlington on August 22, 2013. (Michael Ainsworth/DMN)
ARLINGTON – Legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach isn’t down on his former team despite back-to-back 8-8 seasons and a three-season playoff drought.
In fact, Staubach feels even better about this season’s team than he did last year’s.
Almost a year to the day, Staubach predicted the Cowboys would make the playoffs last season and finish either 11-5 or 10-6. And this time around?
“We can be 11-5 in a second with a little luck and keeping people healthy, maybe 12-4,” Staubach said Thursday night at AT&T Stadium. “And I think we’d take 10-6 right now, wouldn’t we? You just want to get in the playoffs.”
Staubach was among several Cowboys alumni to watch the team practice for two hours Thursday night in the team’s only open practice in Texas. Others included fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers Mel Renfro and Rayfield Wright and Ring of Honor members Cliff Harris, Lee Roy Jordan and Charles Haley. A crowd of 10,234 watched the players practice without pads after paying $10 for parking.
The Cowboys alumni attended a dinner with the players and coaches at the stadium after the practice. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett asked Harris to address the team.
Staubach said the Cowboys have upgraded the offensive line – he really likes rookie center Travis Frederick – and if they can improve their running game should post a winning record for the first time since 2009.
Oh, and Staubach is still an unabashed Tony Romo fan.
“If there’s a bigger Romo fan in town, I don’t know who it is,” Staubach said. “I want to argue with all my negative Romo fans and tell them how great this guy is. He makes plays. He’s got a strong arm, and he just does a lot of good things out there that only a few quarterbacks in the league can do.”
Staubach spent some time Thursday throwing passes to one of Romo’s favorite targets: wide receiver Dez Bryant.
“They weren’t quite as hard as Tony Romo’s but I was having some fun,” Staubach said. “If he stays healthy, there won’t be a better receiver in the league than Dez Bryant. I was throwing to him tonight, so I tested him out. He’s a great receiver.”
TODAY IN COWBOYS HISTORY: 1980 – Roger Staubach announces retirement
Roger Staubach, with his wife Marianne at his side, takes to the microphones at Texas Stadium Monday, March 31, to announce his retirement as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. DMN file photo
ROGER HANGS ‘EM UP – March 31, 1980
Roger Staubach, the man who became the yardstick to measure the success of the Dallas Cowboys during the ’70s, announced his retirement from football Monday at one of the largest news conferences ever held in Dallas.
Roger and Marianne Staubach (backs to camera) are shown at Texas Stadium as he announces his retirement from football. DMN staff photo by John F. Rhodes
.
12 Roger Staubach
Quarterback
1969-1979
Good things come to those who wait, and certainly the Dallas Cowboys’ patience in the mid-60’s was supremely rewarded, landing one of the best players in franchise history because they were willing to wait for Roger Staubach to fulfill his military commitment.
For that five years of patience, the Cowboys landed the guy who became better know as “Roger The Dodger” over the next 11 years when he was selected to six Pro Bowls – including five consecutively – and was named the NFL Players Association Most Valuable Player in 1971. Staubach led the NFL in passing four times and was selected to the All-NFC team four times.
“He is one of the finest to ever play the game,” Green Bay Packers Quarterback Bart Starr once said of Staubach. “I think if I had some of that Staubach competitiveness, I’d have been much better.”
Staubach was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964 from the Naval Academy, but did not join the team until 1969 due to his Navy commitment. Former president and general manager Tex Schramm signed Staubach to a futures contract in a hotel room in 1964, actually scribbling out the details on a legal-sized tablet that would have Staubach paid annually to participate in training camp practices when he had enough leave built up.
The 1963 Heisman Trophy winner showed up in Dallas as a 27-year-old rookie, but in those 11 seasons still managed carve out the franchise’s all-time leading quarterback rating of 83.42 and became a five-time NFL passing champion. But Staubach almost became better known for his scrambling ability, and to this day ranks eighth on the Cowboys’ all-time rushing list with 2,264 yards.
MAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Jason Witten listed for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the second time in his career. Witten also was a finalist in 2007 when Jason Taylor won.
Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Browns tackle Joe Thomas are the other finalists, announced at halftime of the AFC Championship. The NFL will announce the winner Feb. 2, the night before Super Bowl XLVII, during its NFL Honors prime-time special.
Witten is involved in a number of charities, but his passion is The Jason Witten SCORE Foundation. SCORE, which stands for Support, Community, Overcome, Rebuild, Educate, supports families affected by domestic violence.
He has funded several building projects in Texas and his native Tennessee, and the SCOREkeepers program is a unique initiative placing full-time, trained male mentors in battered women’s shelters throughout Texas. The mentors demonstrate positive male behavior to the children in these shelters in an effort to break the cycle of violence that plagues families affected by abuse. JWSF has placed SCOREkeepers in six shelters across Texas, and Witten hosts children from these shelters for special events throughout the year. The foundation’s newest domestic violence prevention program, “Coaching Boys Into Men,” trains high school coaches to educate their players on the dangers of dating violence.
Witten set two NFL records this season for most catches by a tight end in a game (18) and most catches by a tight end in a season (110).
The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which is based on a player’s community service as well as excellence on the field, is given annually. The Cowboys have had two winners in the 43-year history of the award: Roger Staubach won it in 1978 and Troy Aikman in 1997.
The Man of the Year’s designated charity receives a $20,000 donation in his name. Charities selected by the other 31 team finalists each receive a $1,000 donation. The three finalists for the award also receive an additional $5,000 each.
RELATED: Payton Award finalists: Fitzgerald, Thomas, Witten
NEW YORK (AP) – Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns and Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys are finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
The award will be presented in New Orleans, when The Associated Press announces the winners of its annual NFL honors, including Most Valuable Player, in a two-hour prime-time special on Super Bowl eve.
The show, “NFL Honors,” will be broadcast on CBS on Feb. 2 at 9 p.m.
The only league award that recognizes a player’s community service as well as his playing excellence, the Walter Payton winner will have a $20,000 donation made in his name to his favorite charity.
Fitzgerald, Thomas and Witten were chosen from among the 32 team nominees, all of whom receive a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 donation in their name.
The selection panel includes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Connie Payton, widow of the Hall of Fame running back.
NFL FORGOTTEN RIVALRY–Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns (Special Feature)
These Cleveland Browns have never beaten the Dallas Cowboys. These Browns – the new Browns, founded in 1999 as a sequel to the historic original franchise. They are 0-2 against Dallas in the regular season heading into today’s important matchup.
The Paul Brown Browns, however, certainly had the Cowboys’ number over the years, beating up on the NFL newcomers for the majority of the 1960s in a series of matchups that bloomed into a classic rivalry, including three playoff games. After the league’s 1970 merger, when Cleveland moved to the AFC, the rivalry unfortunately faded into history, with the teams meeting only sparingly in the regular season until the late Art Modell relocated the club to Baltimore in 1996.
The Cowboys’ luck in their series with the Browns-Ravens lineage has taken a turn for the worse, of course, with Dallas having never beaten Baltimore in four tries, including the heartbreaker earlier this season and the woeful Week 16 matchup in 2008, when the Ravens turned out the lights on Texas Stadium with a 33-24 victory.
These things go in cycles, evidently. The original Browns whipped Tom Landry’s upstart team in each of their first four meetings, beginning with their first game, in Week 4 of the Cowboys’ expansion season, 1960. To that point, the team of undrafted rookies and castoffs from other clubs had acquitted itself fairly well against established NFL competition, having lost to the Steelers, Eagles and Redskins in consecutive weeks, but only by a combined 21 points.
The Browns welcomed the Cowboys into the NFL rather rudely, however, one gorgeous October afternoon at the Cotton Bowl, allegedly in front of 28,500 fans, though many reports suggest the stadium wasn’t nearly as full as the club claimed in those early days. Cleveland scored first on a 46-yard carry by future Hall of Fame runner and receiver Bobby Mitchell in the first quarter, before the great Jim Brown plowed in from five yards out in the second. Mitchell then jaunted 30 yards to make the score 21-0 as the floodgates opened, with the Browns returning an interception for a score before halftime, and Mitchell coasting 90 yards for another touchdown on the opening kickoff in the second half. The Browns led 48-0 before backup quarterback Don Heinrich tossed a garbage-time touchdown to Billy Howton.
It was a sign of things to come that season, as the Cowboys went on to post an 0-11-1 record, managing one tie, late in the season against the Giants, while falling by multiple scores in six of the seven losses to come following the trouncing by Cleveland.
The Browns would repeat the favor twice in 1961, as they joined the Cowboys, Steelers, Eagles, Giants, Redskins and St. Louis Cardinals in the newly formed Eastern Conference. That October, they knocked off a surprisingly 2-0 Dallas team, 25-7, at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, and in December helped eviscerate any hopes of a playoff berth for the Cowboys by beating them 38-17 in Fair Park, in the second of four straight Cowboys losses that sunk their record to 4-9-1.
The Browns won a 19-10 decision over Dallas at home in the teams’ first meeting in 1962, but the second matchup was a different story, seen as something of a pivot point game for the Cowboys franchise and their young quarterback, Don Meredith. Dallas had jumped out to a fine start to the season again, sitting 4-3-1 on the year before losing five of their last six. The lone exception came on Dec. 2, when they tanned the Browns, 45-21, at the Cotton Bowl, in arguably the best performance of the club in its existence to that point.
“You writers and the football public here don’t realize what a fine team you have here in Dallas,” Paul Brown, an admirer of Landry’s, told the assembled media after the game. “You folks just don’t seem to realize this team can give you a championship. They outplayed us all the way … they deserved to win. I congratulate Tom for a fine job.
“Dallas was an inspired team. They’d never beaten us and it had to come sometime, and they did it to us good today.”
The Browns had traded Cowboys-killer Mitchell to Washington the previous offseason (he scored on a 92-yard kickoff return against the Cowboys in his first game with the Redskins) and Dallas managed to hold Jim Brown to only 29 yards on eight carries. Meanwhile, Cowboys running backs Don Perkins and Amos Marsh combined for 209 yards on the ground, while Meredith was 10-of-12 passing for 147 yards and two touchdowns, keeping Cleveland’s defense off balance all day.
Meredith had been struggling in previous games, and hadn’t yet wrestled full-time duties away from veteran Eddie LeBaron, but the fine day against Cleveland was a prelude of what was to come in his career.
“Meredith certainly had better results today,” Landry said after the game he called the Cowboys’ “best showing against a good team at home.”
Still, that impressive day remained the exception rather than the rule in the early years of the series. The Cowboys continued to muddle along in mediocrity while the Browns remained among the NFL’s elite. Cleveland won the next seven games in the series, not to mention an NFL Championship in 1964, while the Cowboys didn’t even experience their first winning season until 1966.
Once Jim Brown retired after the 1965 season, the series turned a bit. Dallas won a measure of confidence that year with a 26-14 home win over a good Browns squad on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys’ debut on the holiday, in what would become an annual tradition. By 1967, the ghosts of Cleveland’s domination had been fully exorcised, or so it would seem. The Cowboys beat Cleveland twice that year, including a 52-14 destruction of the Browns in the Eastern Championship Game, the first playoff win in the club’s eight-year history.
A week later, on New Year’s Eve, the Cowboys lost to Green Bay on a last second Bart Starr sneak in the NFL Championship, the game better known as the Ice Bowl. It was the beginning of the Cowboys’ “Next Year’s Champions” era, though the unwanted legacy was only furthered by playoff slip-ups against … Cleveland.
After beating the Browns convincingly in their run to a 12-2 record in 1968, the heavily favored Cowboys fell to the Browns in the Eastern Championship Game.
“A whole year shot in two-and-a-half hours,” Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm surmised afterward.
It turned out to be the last game of Meredith’s career and a rather disgraced ending. He completed only three of nine passes, connecting with the Browns as often as his own receivers. Meredith’s interceptions led to 17 Cleveland points, and he eventually gave way to Craig Morton under a deafening swarm of boos, the Cotton Bowl crowd en masse deciding their team could never win with Dandy Don, despite the fact he’d posted his best season yet in 1968.
“We needed a psychological lift,” Landry said following the loss. “Morton was the only thing I had that I could use. I took Meredith out not so much for what he was doing, but to try to shake them up. … I hated to take him out. In my opinion, he wasn’t wholly responsible. I don’t know what he will do (in the offseason). I can’t speak for him, but you can bet he feels worse than anybody right now about this game.
“I wouldn’t say (we) got whipped physically – it was more mentally than physically.”
With Meredith retiring after the season, Morton accepted the offensive reins, but his luck against the Browns and in the playoffs was no better. He threw three picks in a 42-10 Week 7 drubbing at Cleveland in 1969, one of just two Cowboys losses in the regular season. Yet again, Dallas was favored in an Eastern Championship matchup with the Browns, and yet again they came up short. Way short.
The Browns jumped out to a 24-0 lead at the Cotton Bowl, and put the finishing touches on the game when Walt Sumner returned a Morton interception 88 yards for a fourth quarter score. Roger Staubach took over for Morton, but the lead was too far out of reach even for “Captain Comeback,” and the Browns advanced with a 38-14 victory.
“We’re not choke-ups,” receiver Bob Hayes said after the game. “There were 40 guys out there and every one of them played his heart out. … I don’t know what happened. Nobody does. It’s a mystery to all of us. We were ready.
“I looked over to our bench and I could see shoulders sag. Guys who had been eager and jumping to get into the game seemed to be saying, ‘Oh no, here we go again. You play hard to get to this game – the playoffs – and you either have it or you don’t have it. We didn’t have it. Why? It’s a mystery to me. We’ve been pointing to this particular game since last September. It’s one we knew we had to win. We have to win a big one to shake off this image. Some day we’re going to do it.”
The Browns had played a huge role in the Cowboys’ earning of the “Next Year’s Champions” moniker. Cleveland had dominated the all-time series to that point, with 14 wins against only five losses, but Dallas has gotten the best of Browns since, winning seven of the 10 matchups between the clubs. None of the games was bigger than 1970, the Browns’ first year in the AFC, when chance pitted the teams in a late season battle once again. The Cowboys had opened the season 5-4, and needed a serious winning streak late in the season to earn a playoff spot. On a muddy, near-freezing day at Municipal Stadium, Dallas triumphed 6-2, the product of two Mike Clark field goals and an excellent day for Landry’s defense, which shut down the Browns running game and recorded four takeaways.
When the Cleveland franchise was reformed in 1999 – four years after the original club moved to Baltimore – their first preseason outing was against the Cowboys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. It would prove to be a remarkable night, not only for the Browns’ rebirth, but also as the rare preseason contest that reached overtime, something coaches typically try their best to avoid.
Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Don Meredith and Bob Hayes had given way to the likes of Karim Abdul-Jabbar at running back and Tim Couch at quarterback for the Browns, with backups such as Ryan Neufeld and Singor Mobley playing big roles for the Cowboys by the end, when Cleveland’s Phil Dawson decided the game with a field goal.
“It’s good to see the Dawg Pound back in the NFL,” Troy Aikman said afterward, welcoming the return of the new, old Browns, three years after their apparent demise, and some 30 years since they last played the Cowboys for something truly meaningful.
The teams had certainly played bigger contests, but the history behind the preseason opener made it at least noteworthy, just like today’s game, echoes of an all-but-forgotten rivalry.
Photo: Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Don Meredith, Craig Morton, and Danny White
Blog hint: With nearly every photograph on The Boys Are Back blog, you can get additional information by hovering over the photo with your cursor. Many times, if you’ll click on the photo you’ll see a larger image.
First photo: Amos Marsh Jr. (jersey #31), Full Back/Return Specialist, 1961-1964
Amos Marsh Jr. was signed as a rookie undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 1961, because they were impressed by his speed. Back then his nicknames were "Moose" and "Forward Marsh".
He started his career as a wide receiver and special teams player. In 1962 to take advantage of his size and speed, he was moved to fullback, playing alongside Don Perkins where he became one of the league top 10 rushers with 802 yards and a 5.6 yards average per carry. That year he also set the franchise record for the longest kickoff return with 101 yards, a record that was broken by Alexander Wright 29 years later in 1991. The play came against the Philadelphia Eagles, when the Cowboys became the first NFL team in history to produce two 100-yard plays in the same game: a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown by strong safety Mike Gaechter and the 101 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Marsh.
Marsh’s production regressed during the following years, leading the Cowboys to trade him to the Detroit Lions in 1965 after the team acquired fullback J.D. Smith
Courtesy: Dallas Star magazine | Cleveland Plain Dealer archives | NFL | Dallas Cowboys
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MILESTONES: Achieved during Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears game
Here are the notes compiled after tonight’s game:
Jason Witten (112 yards) and Dez Bryant (105) each topped 100 receiving yards to mark the first time the Cowboys had a pair of100-yard receivers in a game since Miles Austin (143) and Witten (102) did it at San Francisco (9/18/11).
Miles Austin’s 57 yards tonight gave him 3,594 for his career to pass Billy Joe DuPree (3,565), Jay Novacek (3,576) and Terrell Owens (3,587) for eighth in club record books.
Austin’s touchdown catch gave him his 31st career scoring reception to tie Lance Rentzel for ninth in Cowboys history.
Cole Beasley had his first career reception tonight, finishing with two for 14 yards.
Josh Brent notched his first career sack tonight.
Dez Bryant’s eight receptions tonight gave him 129 for his career to pass Pettis Norman, Alvin Harper (124 each) and Eric Bjornson (127) and tie Dan Reeves for 33rd in franchise history.
Bryant totaled 105 receiving yards tonight to give him 1,758 yards for his career to pass Pettis Norman (1,672) and Dan Reeves (1,693) for 31st in club history.
Bryant’s 105-yard performance was his second career 100-yard game and a career-high. His first was at the N.Y. Giants (11/14/10) when he finished with 104 yards.
Victor Butler recovered his second career fumble following the force by DeMarcus Ware’s sack.
Andre Holmes had caught his first career pass tonight for seven yards.
Danny McCray made the first start of his career, filling in at safety after Barry Church was placed on Reserve/Injured (Achilles) last week.
Brian Moorman made his Cowboys debut, punting in place of Chris Jones (knee). Moorman punted three times for a 37.0 average, a 34.3 net and two downed inside the Bears 20.
DeMarco Murray rushed 11 times tonight to give him 237 career rushing attempts. He passed Chris Warren (217) and Daryl Johnston (232) for 25th in Dallas record books.
Murray rushed for 24 yards tonight to up his career rushing yards total to 1,134 and pass Doug Dennison (1,112) for 22nd in franchise history.
Kyle Orton made his Cowboys debut tonight in the fourth quarter and completed nine-of-10 passes for 89 yards with a touchdown.
Tony Romo’s touchdown toss tonight was his 154th career touchdown throw. He broke a tie with Roger Staubach for sole possession of third place on the Dallas Cowboys all-time touchdown pass list.
Romo finished the game with 307 passing yards, to up his club record of 300-yard passing games to 33.
Romo also suffered five interceptions tonight to tie his career high previously established at Buffalo (10/8/07).
Phillip Tanner had his first career catch tonight and finished with two grabs for 20 yards.
DeMarcus Ware had a sack tonight in which he forced his 30th career fumble to extend his club record. His last three sacks (two from last week) have each resulted in a forced fumble.
Ware now has three forced fumbles on the season, his sixth career season with three-or-more forced fumbles which ties the fifth-highest figure by a defender in league history.
Jason Witten finished with 13 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown tonight. His 112 yards tied the ninth-most receiving yards in a game in his career while his 13 receptions were the third-most in his career, tied the third-most by a Cowboys pass catcher in franchise history – Lance Rentzel (vs. Washington, 11/19/67) and tied the eighth-most by a tight end in a single game in NFL history.
Witten’s Single-Game Receptions
No. Opp.(Date)
15………… at Detroit (12/9/07)
14………… at N.Y. Giants (12/6/09)
13………… vs. Chicago (10/1/12)
Witten’s 100-yard outing upped his Cowboys tight end record of 100-yard games to 15.
Witten’s touchdown reception tonight was his 42nd career scoring grab and his first since his 59-yard score at Washington (11/20/11). His 42 touchdown catches broke a tie with Billy Joe DuPree for sole possession of sixth on the club’s all-time touchdown receptions list.
WHITE IN SIGHT: Tony Romo continues to move up in the Dallas Cowboys record books
The best number Tony Romo can reach this week is 3. We all know that. We all know the top priority will be for Romo to lead his team a victory, put this team at 3-1 heading into the bye week.
For those who care about nothing else, the rest of this won’t matter much in the short term.
But Tony Romo is quietly moving up the charts on the Cowboys’ all-time passing charts.
With one good performance here Monday night against the Bears, Romo has a chance to surpass Danny White in three prominent passing categories.
Romo currently ranks fourth on the Cowboys’ list in passing yards with 21,675. He’s just 284 yards away from White’s mark of 21,959.
He’s third in franchise history in completions with 1,742 and needs just 20 to pass White (1,761) for second place.
Romo is tied for third with Roger Staubach for third most passing touchdowns at 153, just two behind White at 155.
So against the Bears, if Romo can complete 20 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns, not only would be quite a performance and one that would likely lead the team to a victory, he’d move into second place in completions, second in touchdowns and third in passing yards.
Troy Aikman is the Cowboys’ leader in those categories with 2,898 completions for 32,942 yards and 165 touchdowns.
Romo has a good chance to surpass Aikman for the most touchdown passes in franchise history later this season, currently trailing by only 12.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Milestones achieved during the Dallas Cowboys vs. NY Giants game
Here are the Dallas Cowboys notes compiled after tonight’s game:
The win upped the Cowboys all-time record on opening day to 35-17 and snapped a two-game kickoff weekend losing streak.
Miles Austin’s four catches tonight upped his career total to 215 to pass Timmy Newsome (212) for 17th on the club’s all-time receptions list.
Josh Brent earned his first career start, taking over for Jay Ratliff (ankle) at nose tackle.
Bruce Carter made the first start of his career as one of Dallas’ inside linebackers.
Morris Claiborne made his NFL debut as one of Dallas’ starting cornerbacks tonight.
DeMarco Murray rushed for 131 yards to give him his fourth career 100-yard outing and the fourth-most rushing yards in a game in his career.
Murray upped his career rushing total to 1,028 to pass Chris Warren (948) Scott Laidlaw (997) and Troy Aikman (1,016) for 23rd on the Cowboys all-time rushing yards list.
Kevin Ogletree established career-highs in catches, yards and touchdown passes tonight. He finished with eight catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. It was also his first career 100-yard performance and touchdown catches
As Murray rushed for 131 yards, Ogletree had 114 receiving yards and Romo threw for 307, it was the second straight games against the N.Y. Giants the club had a 100-rusher, 100-yard receiver and a 300-yard passer – vs. New York (12/11/11).
Tony Romo completed 22 passes tonight to give him 1,694 career completions. He is now third on the club’s all-time completions list, passing Roger Staubach (1,685) this evening. He trails Danny White (1,761) by 67 for second.
Romo threw three touchdown passes tonight to up his club high of three-plus touchdown games to 25.
Romo had a passer rating of 129.5 tonight. It was his 44th career game with a rating above 100.0 to tie Troy Aikman for the most 100-plus rating games by a quarterback in franchise history.
It was also the fifth time – out of six – that Romo had a rating above 100.0 on opening day – Romo’s five are the most in team history (Troy Aikman, 4), tied for seventh and represent the fourth-highest figure in NFL history:
Opening Day Passer Rating Above 100.0
Player Games Player Games
Brett Favre……………….. 8 Ken Anderson………… 5
Frank Tarkenton………. 7 Len Dawson…………… 5
Tom Brady……………….. 6 Joe Ferguson…………. 5
Drew Brees……………… 6 Sonny Jurgensen…… 5
Dan Fouts………………… 6 Vinny Testaverde……. 5
Dan Marino………………. 6 Tony Romo……………. 5
Below is Romo’s stat line for season-opening games:
GP Att Comp Yds Pct TD Int Rating Record
Romo………. 6 195 138 1,949 70.8 14 4 118.1 4-2
DeMarcus Ware had two sacks tonight to give him 101.5 for his career and make him the 28th league defender with 100-or-more career sacks. Ware reached the milestone in 113 career games – the second fastest league defender to attain 100 sacks:
Player Games
Reggie White………… 96
DeMarcus Ware… 113
Bruce Smith………… 115
Jared Allen………….. 122
Leslie O’Neal……… 127
Ware’s two sacks tonight also upped his streak of consecutive games with a sack to four games – the eighth streak of four-or-more sacks in his career.
Ware’s two sacks tonight also upped his club record of multiple sack games to 24. He now has three multi-sack games against the Giants and a career total of 14.5 sacks against New York.
It was also Ware’s second career and second consecutive multi-sack season opener.
Jason Witten’s 10 yards gave him 7,919 for his career and allowed him to overtake Jackie Smith (7,918) for fourth on the NFL’s all-time tight ends receiving yards list.
DALLAS LEGACY TRADITION: Current, former Dallas Cowboys bond for the second straight year
ARLINGTON, Texas – For the second straight year, Jason Garrett invited alumni to Cowboys Stadium to watch a practice as a way to mix the franchise’s generations.
Ring of Honor members Roger Staubach, Lee Roy Jordan, Mel Renfro, Cliff Harris and Larry Allen were among the 54 alums in attendance.
During the practice DeMarcus Ware was able to catch up with Billy Joe DuPree. Sean Lee got some tips from Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson. Tony Romo was able to see former teammates in Dexter Coakley and Darren Woodson.
After the practice the current and former players got together for a dinner inside the stadium.
“It just shows you how much tradition this has and the standard you need to hold,” Lee said. “When you see the great players, you want to be like that. You want to win to make them proud and hold that tradition up. That happens by working hard every day and trying to learn some knowledge from them about how to be successful.”
The practice also allowed the alums to catch up with each other.
“Garrison, I love talking to Walt,” Staubach said. “He was telling a story that he gave me a little Skoal. I never had it before and he remembered how I broke out into a sweat and unfortunately got sick. So I said, ‘Walt, how do you remember that?’ He said he never forgot it. I think a lot of stories are half truths, but it’s fun to reminisce. There was a great turnout with the old, veteran players.”
DALLAS COWBOY HALL OF FAMER: Roger Staubach sees the ‘Boys in playoffs
Roger Staubach admits he sometimes doesn’t always see straight when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys because of his loyalty to the team and the people he has gotten to know over the years.
When the Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback looks at the 2012 version of the squad, he sees a playoff team.
“I say it’s either going to be 10-6 or 11-5,” Staubach said after Thursday’s practice at Cowboys Stadium. “That’s not bad. That gets you in the playoffs … If you stay healthy and get people healthy at the end of the year, Dallas will be in the hunt.”
Staubach admits concern about the team’s overall depth, especially at wide receiver behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.
“They have a great quarterback,” Staubach said. “I think Jason (Garrett) is growing to be a heckuva coach. Last year we were hurting in the secondary and I think hopefully we’ve solved some problems there. Keep the run game healthy. Make sure the wide receivers, Miles, he’s got to stay healthy, and Dez, on paper if we keep people healthy, we’ll be in thick of it.”
Staubach has never hidden his affinity for Tony Romo.
“How do you not? I don’t get it,” Staubach said. “To be honest, this guy is one heck of a quarterback. He doesn’t have all the ammunition around him. I’m a big (Troy) Aikman fan and I think Troy will say he had pretty good people around him. I know I did. But Romo, they’re fortunate to have one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL.”
Greatest 25: Butch Johnson Stretches Out In Super Way
Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine decided to count down the best of the best, the top 25 plays in franchise history. Here is No. 5 and a snippet from the Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine story:
Simply Spectacular, Jan. 15, 1978:
The Cowboys led the Denver Broncos, 13-3, midway through the third quarter of Super Bowl XII. After dominating early, forcing three fumbles and four interceptions in the first half alone, Dallas should’ve been in command, but momentum was starting to change. The Cowboys were facing a third-and-10 at Denver’s 45-yard line.
There is nothing like the national, heck, worldwide stage of the Super Bowl. Make a spectacular catch in Week 3 at Cincinnati, and sure, it’s going to be replayed that night, maybe make a few Plays of the Week reels, but the highlight is quickly lost in the passage of time. Not so on the final Sunday of the football season. Just ask Lynn Swann, John Taylor … or more recently Santonio Holmes.
And then there’s Michael “Butch” McColly Johnson, the Cowboys longtime return specialist and third wide receiver who hauled in a Roger Staubach pass in such aerobatic brilliance that it’s impossible to watch any collection of outstanding Super Bowl plays without its appearance. Just recently, in an ESPN poll, the catch was rated among the most memorable plays – that’s plays, not just catches – in the 45-year history of the Big Game.
The call came in from head coach Tom Landry, “Spread orange left, ray 15,” but quarterback Roger Staubach slightly altered the play in the huddle, later explaining, “(Broncos free safety) Bernard Jackson had been hanging in the middle. He wasn’t dropping into a deep zone as he should have been doing. Our receivers had mentioned it to me and I remembered it in the huddle. Butch wasn’t supposed to figure in the play, but I told him ‘Run a good post pattern.’
“When I faded, I saw that Jackson hadn’t dropped quickly enough. (Cornerback) Steve Foley did a good job, but Jackson should have stopped the play. When I threw, I thought the pass was too long. I couldn’t believe it when Butch made a sensational catch.”
For what it’s worth, the catch never would’ve counted today, especially with the recent addition to the rulebook of completing the reception. Johnson left his feet just inside the 5-yard line with outstretched arms and fingertips and somehow, someway, hauled the ball in around the 1-yard line, his left shoulder landing on the ground as he completed the 360-spin while crossing the goal line. Before he was standing upright, though, the ball was on the ground in the end zone.
In the locker room after the game, according to Sports Illustrated, a reporter said, “It looked spectacular,” to which Johnson simply replied, “It was.”
Courtesy: Jeff Sullivan | Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine
MILESTONES: Records within reach for Ware, Witten, Romo
Without a doubt, there is one major focus for this Cowboys’ team in 2012 and that’s getting to the playoffs and possibly doing some postseason damage as well.
Team goals come first and that hasn’t changed. Obviously everyone from the front office, coaches, players and definitely the fans are hungry for that success.
I felt the need to preface that before mentioning a few interesting individual accomplishments that are on the horizon for the 2012 season.
For the stat geeks out there who love milestones, this season could, and should, have a few big ones. In fact, three to be exact could happen around the same time of the season.
The three main faces of this current team are all in position to break franchise records this year.
For starters, tight end Jason Witten is closing in on Michael Irvin’s all-time receptions record of 750. Witten is currently in second place with 696 receptions and needs just 55 catches to surpass “The Playmaker.” Witten has averaged more than 77 catches per season in his nine-year career and since his rookie season in 2003, Witten hasn’t had a season with less than 64 catches.
Next let’s go with DeMarcus Ware, who has 99.5 sacks, currently in fourth place in club history. But Ware needs 15 sacks to surpass Harvey Martin (114.0) as the Cowboys’ all-time sack leader. While the NFL didn’t make sacks an official stat until 1982, the Cowboys have always kept their own stats and still acknowledge Martin as the leader, followed by Randy White (111) and Ed Jones (106). That’s why there are some places where Ware is recognized as the all-time sack leader already. But after 15, he’ll have the most of any player in any era.
And quarterback Tony Romo can move up in the record books as well. While he currently ranks fourth in club history with 149 touchdown passes, just an average season would likely put Romo in first place, ahead of Troy Aikman and his 165 touchdown passes. Danny White (155) and Roger Staubach (153) are both currently ahead of Romo as well. But for a guy who threw 31 last year, getting to 17 shouldn’t be a problem as long as he stays healthy.
Those are three of the biggest milestones. Obviously, winning the team’s first division title since 2009 or getting a second playoff win since 1996 far outweigh those individual accomplishments. But for a season with so much hype already surrounding it, those are three more things to watch for.
ROGER STAUBACH: "I want to see Tony win a championship because I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan."
When Roger Staubach officially beat out Craig Morton to become the Cowboys’ full-time starting quarterback in 1971, the team was floundering at 4-3. From that point on, they won 10 straight games to claim their first Super Bowl title.
It’s fair to say, Staubach pushed his teammates to new heights. Flash forward four decades, and the Cowboys’ current quarterback is trying to do the same thing.
The team came out of the dark ages when Tony Romo took over as its starting QB in 2006, but despite Romo’s routine excellence – he has the second-highest passer rating of all time – it hasn’t been enough. The 2011 season was a classic example, as Romo put up career numbers, but the Cowboys still finished just 8-8.
Staubach believes Romo hasn’t done all he can, though. Speaking to KTCK (1310-AM) in Dallas, he said that falling short and often taking the greatest share of the blame for team failures is tough on Romo, but he must find a way to help his teammates help him.
"It wears on him because he’s such a competitor," Staubach said. "He works really hard. His teammates love him. He’s got to continue to get more out of his teammates, and that’s his job, too, and he knows that. I think it wears on me that we lost a couple of Super Bowls, we lost some games. That’s just part of being a competitive athlete. So it has to wear on him. And not getting a championship – which is really the grade that people look at today – the (Dan) Marino’s and the Dan Foutse’s and some really great NFL quarterbacks never won championships.
"I want to see Tony win a championship because I’m a Cowboys fan."
After Staubach took over the reigns in ’71, it seemed all the Dallas Cowboys did was win, appearing in four Super Bowls during his career, with two titles.
This is the standard Romo is judged against, one that was only raised when the club won three Super Bowls in four years under Troy Aikman.
"It’s harder, though," Staubach said. "There’s 32 teams, there’s free agency. There’s a lot of differences today in putting a team together and (it’s) getting a little harder, I think, to get to a Super Bowl and win it than the old days. But it still was tough then, and it’s tough today, and if you don’t get there, you should be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean you’re not going to try again."
DALLAS COWBOYS: A tradition of supporting our troops … home and abroad
NFL player Jason Witten-Dallas Cowboys poses for a photo with Cowboys fans on top of a Humvee proudly displaying a Cowboys flag, which Witten later autographed.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are perhaps the most prolific of celebrity entertainment tour participants the USO has out there right now. Their tireless support of Troops and families has manifest itself in 70 tours, and they show no sign of putting away their pom-poms any time soon! This anniversary photo features the cheerleaders in action during a Navy show in 1983. Check out that view!
From Fred Baker III, American Forces Press Service: ”The ceremony began much as any typical military procession does – with troops called to formation.
Legendary former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach lights the ceremonial torch at the inaugural Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10, 2010. Staubach is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Vietnam veteran. Athletes from each of the services will compete in archery, cycling, basketball, shooting, swimming, track and field and volleyball during the week-long games.
Read the entire article HERE! Enjoy
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Special Thanks:
USO.org | Until Every One Comes Home
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Milestones achieved during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game
Here are the notes compiled by the Cowboys’ staff:
Today’s win gave Dallas its eighth win of the season to guarantee a .500-or-better finish for the 34th time in franchise history.
The win improved Dallas’ Saturday record to 15-12 and its Saturday night record to 5-2.
The Dallas defense held Tampa Bay to just one first half first down. It was the fifth time since 1991 – as far back that can be researched tonight – the defense accomplished the feat:
Opponent Date
at N.Y. Giants………. 9/13/92
vs.Philadelphia……. 11/1/92
at Washington………. 10/2/94
at Philadelphia…….. 10/10/99
atTampa Bay………. 12/17/11
Through 14 games of his rookie season, Dan Bailey has been true on 32 field goals. His 32 field goals made in 14 games is second in team history over that span:
Player (Year) FGM FGA Pct.
Richie Cunningham (1997)…. 33 35 94.3
Dan Bailey (2011)……………… 32 36 88.9
Chris Boniol (1996)…………….. 27 31 87.1
Rafael Septien (1981)………… 26 31 83.9
Richie Cunningham (1998)…. 24 28 85.7
Bailey’s 32 made field goals thus are fourth through an entire rookie season in NFL history:
Player (Year) FGM FGA Pct.
Ali Haji-Sheikh (1983)…………. 35 42 83.3
Richie Cunningham (1997)…. 34 37 91.9
Chester Marcol (1972)………… 33 48 68.8
Dan Bailey (2011)……………… 32 35 88.6
Kevin Butler (1985)…………….. 31 37 83.8
Mason Crosby (2007)………….. 31 39 79.5
Sammy Morris made his Dallas Cowboys debut tonight after signing with the club on Dec. 13. Morris finished his first outing with 12 carries for 53 yards (4.4 avg.).
Romo has thrown for 3,895 yards this season to rank fourth in a season in club history:
Player (Year) Yards
Tony Romo (2009)……. 4,483
Tony Romo (2007)……. 4,211
Danny White (1983)…… 3,980
Tony Romo (2011)……. 3,895
Drew Bledsoe (2005)…. 3,639
Romo’s 29 touchdowns this season are tied for second in a season in team history:
Player (Year) TDs
Tony Romo (2007)……. 36
Danny White (1983)…… 29
Tony Romo (2011)……. 29
Danny White (1980)…… 28
Roger Staubach (1979) 27
Tony Romo (2008, 09). 26
Romo completed 23 pass completions today to give him 317 for the season. His 317 this season are the fourth in a season in team history:
Player (Year) Comps
Tony Romo (2009)……. 347
Tony Romo (2007)……. 335
Danny White (1983)…… 334
Tony Romo (2011)……. 317
Troy Aikman (1992)…… 302
With his 133.9 rating, Romo now has 42 career games with a passer rating of at least 100.0. He has the second-most 100-plus rating games in team history:
Player Games
Troy Aikman………… 44
Tony Romo………….. 42
Roger Staubach…… 37
Danny White………… 33
Craig Morton………… 24
Romo’s three touchdown passes today was his 24th career game with three-or-more touchdown passes, the most in team history:
Player 3-or-more-TDs (games)
Tony Romo………………… 24
Danny White……………….. 20
Roger Staubach………….. 17
It was also Romo’s fifth game with three-plus touchdown passes this season to tie the third-most in a season in team history:
3-or-more TD games
Player (season) (season)
Tony Romo (2007)……………… 6
Tony Romo (2008)……………… 6
Roger Staubach (1979)………. 5
Danny White (1980)……………. 5
Tony Romo (2011)……………… 5
DeMarcus Ware’s sack today upped his official club sack record to 96. Among all-time (pre-1982 included) club sack leaders, Ware’s 96 put him past Jethro Pugh (95.5) for fifth:
Career sacks, including pre-1982
Player (Years) Sacks
Harvey Martin (1973-83)……………… 114.0
Randy White (1975-88)……………….. 111.0
Too Tall Jones (1974-78, 80-89)….. 106.0
George Andrie (1962-72)………………. 97.0
DeMarcus Ware (2005-11)……………. 96.0
Ware’s 16.0 sacks thus far are the second-most in his career (20.0 in 2008) and second in a season in club history:
Player (Year) Sacks
DeMarcus Ware (2008)……. 20.0
DeMarcus Ware (2011)…… 16.0
DeMarcus Ware (2010)……. 15.5
Jim Jeffcoat (1986)………… 14.0
DeMarcus Ware (2007)……. 14.0
Ware’s sack tonight was his first career sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There are now only four teams in which he has not had a sack – Denver, Jacksonville, Miami and San Diego.
Jason Witten’s 77 yards today upped his season total to 849 for his sixth season with 800-or-more yards. His six tie Shannon Sharpe for second all-time among tight ends:
800-plus yard seasons (Tight End)
Player Total
Tony Gonzalez……. 11
Shannon Sharpe…… 6
Jason Witten………… 6
Antonio Gates……….. 5
Witten has reached the 800-yard mark in each of the last five seasons (including 2011) to give him the second-most consecutive 800-yard seasons among tight ends in NFL history. Tony Gonzalez has the most consecutive (seven).
All-time among club pass catchers, Witten’s six 800-yard seasons ties Bob Hayes for third while his five are good for second:
800-plus yard seasons (Dallas Cowboys)
Player Total
Michael Irvin………… 8
Tony Hill………………. 7
Bob Hayes……………. 6
Jason Witten………… 6
Consecutive 800-plus yard seasons (Dallas Cowboys)
Player Consecutive
Michael Irvin………. 8 (1991-98)
Jason Witten……… 5 (2007-11)
Bob Hayes………….. 4 (1965-68)
Drew Pearson……… 4 (1974-77)
Tony Hill……………. 4 (1978-81)
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Dallas Cowboys historic milestones
2011 Dallas Cowboys - The Boys Are Back
Here are the notes compiled by the Dallas Cowboys’:
Today’s overtime win was Dallas’ second overtime game and win of the season – the first came at San Francisco (9/18). It was Dallas’ 29th overtime game (since 1974 when the extra period was adopted) and gave the club a 17-12 record in those games. Dallas has now one four straight overtime games.
Dan Bailey’s two field goals today upped his streak of consecutive field goals made to 24 which is still the third-longest, tops among rookies, in club history:
Consecutive Player FGM Season
Chris Boniol 27 1996
Chris Boniol 26 1995
Dan Bailey* 24 2011
Richie Cunningham* 18 1997
Nick Folk 16 2008-09
*indicates rookie
Through 10 games of his rookie season, Bailey has been true on 25 field goals. His 25 field goals made in 10 games is second in team history over that span:
Player (Year) FGM FGA Pct
Richie Cunningham (1997) 26 28 92.9
Dan Bailey (2011) 25 26 96.2
Rafael Septien (1981) 20 22 90.9
Toni Fritsch (1975) 19 31 61.3
Rafael Septien (1984) 18 20 90.0
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Dallas Cowboys historic milestones
2011 Dallas Cowboys - The Boys Are Back
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Here are the notes compiled by the Cowboys’ after the game:
The Dallas Cowboys 37-point win (44-7) tied the 10th-largest margin of victory in team history. It was the club’s biggest win since defeating Arizona (10/22/00) by 41 points (48-7).
Dallas’ 44 points scored today were the most for the club since racking up 45 against the N.Y. Giants (9/9/07).
The Cowboys scored a touchdown on each of their first four drives today. It was the first time the club scored a touchdown on its first three drives since doing so against Seattle (11/27/08). We are looking into the last time the club managed a touchdown on each of the first four drives, and that will not be completed tonight.
Dallas’ 28 points scored in the first half today was the most for the club in the first half since scoring 28 against Detroit (10/19/03).
Dallas also converted eight-of-12 third down opportunities. The club’s 66.7 third down conversion percentage was the third-most in team history as far back that can be researched today. The top-two spots were a 72.7 percentage(eight-of-11) at Atlanta (10/29/95) and at Cleveland (9/7/08).
For the second consecutive week, the Cowboys had three interceptions in a game. It was the 13th time in franchise history Dallas had back-to-back three-interception games. The others were in 1967, 70, 73, 77, 80, 81 (twice), 82, 83, 84, 94 and 2007.
With 433 yards of offense today, the Cowboys have five games with 400-or-more yards this season. It ties the third-highest figure in team history. The highest was eight (2009), followed by six (1979, 81, 83, 2007 and 2010) and five (1966, 68, 71, 76, 78, 86 and 88).
VIDEO: Roger Staubach discusses upcoming inductee’s into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
Video - Roger Staubach - Discusses Ring of Honor - The Boys Are Back
1 on 1: Roger Staubach
Nick Eatman had a chance to sit down with Cowboys hall of famer and ring of honor member Roger Staubach to talk about the players being inducted into the ring of honor this weekend. Drew Pearson, Charles Haley, and Larry Allen will be immortalized with 15 other legendary Dallas Cowboys.
RELATED: About the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor inductees
Originally published 19 August 2011 11:32 PM | The Boys Are Back blog
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DREW PEARSON
Position: Wide receiver
With the Cowboys: 1973-83
How acquired: Undrafted free agent
Notable: Had 489 career receptions, third-most in club history. Hall of Famer Michael Irvin leads with 750. … Among Cowboys receivers with at least 200 career receptions, ranks fifth in yards-per-catch at 16. … Led NFL in receiving yards with 870 in 14-game season of 1977. Finished among league’s top 10 in receptions three times and top 10 in receiving yardage five times. … Named first-team All-Pro three times and selected to three Pro Bowls. … In 22 career playoff games, caught 67 passes for 1,105 yards and eight touchdowns. … Completed five of seven options passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Quotable: “I really don’t live in the past. Who is to say it’s the right time? For me, this is the right time. I’m 60 years old, and I’m going into the Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. How about that?”
CHARLES HALEY
Position: Defensive end-outside linebacker
With the Cowboys: 1992-96
How acquired: From San Francisco, for a second- and third-round draft choice
Notable: Hybrid pass rusher. Had 33 sacks in 58 games during first four regular seasons with Cowboys. Finished fourth in NFL in sacks with 121/2 in 1995. Had 3 1/2 sacks and one interception in 10 postseason games. … Named first-team All-Pro in 1994 and selected to Pro Bowl in 1994-95. … Limited by back problems to one sack in five regular-season and two postseason games during final season with club. … Returned to San Francisco for two playoff games in 1998 and a full regular season in 1999.
Quotable: “For my teammates, I tried to let them know I’d be there no matter what, hell or high water. I know I put a lot of
teammates through hell, a lot of coaches through hell and owners. But Jerry stuck with me.”
LARRY ALLEN
Position: Offensive guard and tackle
With the Cowboys: 1994-2005
How acquired: Second-round pick, 1994
Notable: Made 170 starts at both tackle spots and right guard while with Cowboys. Started 10 games at right tackle as a rookie
in 1994 and moved to right guard, starting every game in 1995, the last season the Cowboys won a Super Bowl. … During time with Cowboys, named first-team All-Pro six times and selected to 10 Pro Bowl teams. … Teammate and fellow offensive lineman
Nate Newton said he saw more than a few defensive linemen matched against Allen “quit’ during games.
Quotable: “When I was stretching before [home] games, I’d look up at those names in the Ring of Honor and hope I could find a way to get up there. I kept trying.”.
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Want to read more The Boys Are Back blog posts about the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor? Click HERE
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Direct video link: http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/multimedia_archives.cfm?id=614F05CD-DC3D-8CF0-1EC79526228DABCC
DALLAS COWBOYS HERITAGE: Tom Landry special airing Thursday on NFL Network
Tom Landry - The Boys Are Back blog
On a week that will acknowledge three of the great players in Dallas Cowboys history, it’s fitting that the NFL Network will air a documentary on the franchise’s all-time winningest coach.
Tom Landry: A Football Life airs Thursday night at 9 p.m. (CT).
The network’s promo for the special: “For 29 seasons, Tom Landry commanded the sideline for the Dallas Cowboys with a stoic demeanor and iconic hat, overseeing a football team that operated with machine-like efficiency. Yet behind the myth and mystique was a father figure that stood in contrast to the image of an unemotional head coach, all of which is revealed in Tom Landry: A Football Life.”
Among those interviewed are former players Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, Mike Ditka, New York Giants teammate Frank Gifford and various media personalities.
The trailer can be seen here.
HISTORY: Dallas Cowboy notes
Here are the notes compiled by the Dallas Cowboys‘ after the game:
Bruce Carter made his NFL debut tonight playing on special teams.
Last week DeMarco Murray established a club record with 253 rushing yards. He became the ninth Dallas Cowboy to pass the 175 rushing yard mark. His 74 yards tonight represent the sixth-most following a 175-plus yard performance in club history:
175-plus Next Week
Player Yds Opp Date Yds Opp Date
Tony Dorsett 183 @NYG 11/9/80 122 STL 11/16/80
Emmitt Smith 237 @Phi 10/31/93 117 NYG 11/7/93
Tony Dorsett 175 @Bal 12/6/81 101 PHI 12/13/81
Tony Dorsett 206 PHI 12/4/77 92 @SF 12/12/77
Julius Jones 198 @Sea 12/6/04 88 NO 12/12/04
DeMarco Murray 253 STL 10/23/11 74 @Phi 10/30/11
Emmitt Smith 182 @Pho 9/22/91 67 NYG 9/29/91
Troy Hambrick 189 @Was 12/14/03 36 NYG 12/21/03
Julius Jones 194 @Car 12/24/05 35 STL 1/1/06
Laurent Robinson led all Cowboys with 103 receiving yards. It was his second 100-yard effort of the season and the third of his career. He also had his first touchdown as a Dallas Cowboy on a 70-yard reception. It was the second-longest catch of his career behind a74-yard touchdown catch while with Atlanta (at Arizona, 12/23/07).
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