Dallas Cowboys (1978) Season Review
The Cowboys used their highly touted 'shotgun' offense and rolled into the Super Bowl after beating Los Angeles 28-0 in the NFC Championship Game. However, in Super Bowl 13, Pittsburgh held on after building a 35-17 lead going into 4th quarter. The Cowboys rallied in the last quarter with two touchdown passes by quarterback Roger Staubach. He tossed a 7-yard TD to Billy Joe DuPree and a 4-yard TD to Butch Johnson, but Pittsburgh won 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII.
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Player Profiles:
* Roger Staubach, Quarterback - one of the top quarterbacks in football history... he attended the Naval Academy and after graduating spent the next four years in military service - 1965-68. He broke into the NFL with Dallas as a 27-year old in 1969 and was the team's backup quarterback the first two seasons before taking over full-time.. then, from 1973-1978, Staubach strung up six straight outstanding seasons - passing for 2,428 yards, then, 2,552, 2,666, 2,715, 2,620 and 3,190 yards hurled 108 TD passes during those 6-years. He led all NFL quarterbacks in 1978 in passing points with 84.9 and completed 231 passes in 413 attempts for a 55.9 completion percentage.
* Tony Dorsett, Running Back - one of the quickest and fastest running backs in the history of pro football... in his rookie year of 1977, he ran for 1,007 yards and swept through enemy defenders for 12 touchdowns... and in 1978, his second season in the NFL, he finished second in the NFC with 1,325 rushing yards, and 7 TD. In this season's Super Bowl ('78), Dorsett gained 101 yards on 17 carries and scored the game's first touchdown on a 7-yard run.
* Ed 'Too Tall' Jones, Defensive End - the 6ft, 9inch - 265-pounder was a force to be reckon with during the '70s... a resounding pass blocker and one of the NFL leading defenders, he is extremely fast for a big man which enables him to sweep for quarterback sacks. 'Too Tall' Jones was Dallas No. 1 draft pick in 1974, and has been one of the top pass rushers on the squad ever since.
* Randy White, Defensive Tackle - he emerging as one of the best defensive tackles in all of football... He was selected as co-MVP of Super Bowl XII in 1977 and turned in a resounding season in '78. Extremely strong, White was able to fight off opponents blockers and collect 70 solo-tackles, had 48 assists and made 12 quarterback sacks.
* Danny White, Punter & Quarterback - a fine punter, he had the fifth highest yards/per/punt (40.5) in the NFC in 1978, and a solid backup quarterback, Danny White played his first two pro seasons for Memphis, of the now out-of-business, World Football League, before joining Dallas in 1976. A quick punter, he has had only four blocked punts in his first 5 pro seasons.
* Billy Joe DuPree, Tight End - a six-year Cowboy veteran, he's on the verge of becoming one of the top tight ends in the league... has great speed and is an outstanding blocker. DuPree has caught 171 career passes for 2,532 yards and 24 TD, so far, in his career with Dallas... and caught the attention of Dallas' fans with a 11-yard TD reception in the 1978 NFC Championship Game and then caught a 7-yard TD pass in the Super Bowl that followed.
* John Fitzgerald, Center - he played a big-part in Dallas two consecutive Super Bowl appearances... ranked among top centers in the NFL, he the leader of the offensive line in the team's well-regarded 'shotgun offense'... his fast, 7-yard snaps are the darling of the media, and he then becomes responsible for blocking opponents' 'nose tackles'. Fitzgerald has been on the Cowboys for nine seasons so far - 1970-1978.
* Harvey Martin, Defensive End - a consensus All-Pro, he debuted with Dallas in 1973 after attending East Texas State... A consistent performer, he excellent on traps and can be counted to made crucial tackles late in the game. Martin excels in the Cowboys well-known 'flex defense'. A local player, he is part owner in a Barbecue Restaurant in Dallas.
* Cliff Harris, Free Safety - a speedy defender and a hard hitter, he ranked by most pro scouts as the best free safety in the game during this era. His pass coverage is outstanding and shows with 27 interceptions in his nine years with the Cowboys - 1070-78.
* Butch Johnson, Wide Receiver - his leaping fully extended touchdown catch in Super Bowl XXII (1977) has been featured over and over on TV by the sporting media. He also caught a TD pass in Super Bowl XIII (1978)... in his rookie season ('76) he average 24.8 yards per reception - catching 28 passes, good for 693 yards... in '78, he had 29 receptions, totaling 605 yards.
* Thomas Henderson, Linebacker - the 6ft, 2inch - 220-pounder out of Langston College was the Cowboys No. 1 draft pick in 1975... an aggressive linebacker, who's able to fend off the blocks of opposing players, Henderson intercepted a pass and ran it back 68-yards for a TD in Dallas' 28-0 victory in the 1978 NFC Title Game.
* Drew Pearson, Wide Receiver - one of the top receivers in the '70s... he's an every-year All-Pro... joined Dallas in 1973 and has caught 281 career-passes, good for 4,697 yards and 23 TD in his first six pro seasons... one of the more dynamic players in the NFL, Drew Pearson has speed and can maneuver to full throttle quickly to out-distance his opponents.
* Robert Newhouse, Running Back - a 7-year veteran and a fans' favorite, he's already gained over 3,500 career-yards and has scored 21 lifetime touchdowns... in Super Bowl 12, he threw a 4th quarter pass for a TD to help the Cowboys win. A dedicated performer, Robert Newhouse is an excellent blocker which opens up things for the Cowboys' 'shotgun offense'.
* Tony Hill, Wide Receiver - the fleet-footed pass catcher, had a great first full season with Dallas in 1978... he caught 6 touchdown passes - 48 receptions, 823-yards for a 17.9 yards per reception, and caught a 39-yard TD pass from Staubach in the 1st quarter of Super Bowl XXIII. Tony Hill was a star receiver at Stanford where he set the school's receiving records with 140 receptions for 2,225 yards.
