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1973: Wash, rinse, repeat as Cowboys come up short again

Originally posted on Inside The Star
By Richard Paolinelli | Last updated 7/22/23

Aside from a lack of drama (Duane Thomas) and injuries (Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly, who played the entire 1972 season injured), 1973 was pretty much a repeat of 1972.

The Cowboys did have a monster haul in the draft in 1973 though. Dallas drafted Billy Joe Dupree (1^st), Golden Richards (2^nd), and Harvey Martin (3^rd).

They also signed an undrafted wide receiver out of the University of Tulsa. You might have heard of him.

His name was Drew Pearson. And he would start for the Cowboys before his rookie season concluded.

A Dominating Start

The Cowboys started the season in Chicago and needed a Toni Fritsch field goal to pull out a 20-17 win after the Bears had scored two late touchdowns to tie the game.

The Cowboys crushed the Saints 40-3, then followed up with a 45-10 win over the Cardinals for a 3-0 start to the season.

But a crushing 14-7 loss at Washington on a Monday night followed. Up 7-0 at halftime, Staubach was chased from the game after being sacked seven times.

Morton came in as the Redskins rallied to tie the game at 7-7 in the fourth. Morton tossed a 26-yard pick six to Brig Owens to give Washington a 14-7 lead.

The Cowboys drove to the Washington 10 in the final seconds, but Morton threw three straight incompletions. On fourth and 10, Morton connected with Walt Garrison just short of the goal line. Redskins safety Ken Houston managed to bring Garrison down inside the one-yard line to end the game.

The Rams jumped all over the Cowboys the following week. John Hadl hit Harold Jackson for four touchdowns for a 34-14 halftime lead.

Staubach would throw three interceptions in the game, but rallied the team back with two second half scoring passes. But the Rams held on for a 37-31 win.

Mid-Season Doldrums

The Cowboys would rebound with a 45-28 win over the Giants, only to fall 30-16 to the Eagles in Philadelphia the following week.

A solid three-game winning streak – 38-10 over Cincinnati, 23-10 over the Giants, and a 31-10 win over the Eagles – got the team to 7-3.

But a 14-7 loss at Texas Stadium against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day put Dallas in second place behind the Redskins in the NFC East.

Strong Finish

Dallas rebounded in Denver as Staubach hit Jean Fugett for two touchdowns in a 22-10 win over the Broncos. The win set up a showdown in Dallas with the Redskins with the division title on the line.

This time, the Cowboys protected Staubach much better, allowing only two 1-yard sacks. Staubach still threw two interceptions against no touchdown passes.

But Calvin Hill's two rushing touchdowns and 110 yards on 27 carries got the job done. Staubach did score on a five-yard run.

The Dallas defense recovered five fumbles and shutout the Redskins offense. Only a 12-yard return of a blocked punt got the Redskins on the board in a 27-7 Cowboys rout.

Dallas sealed the division title the next week with a 30-3 rout of the Cardinals in St. Louis. Foreshadowing their success to come, Staubach connected with Pearson on two touchdown passes.

Mixed Results In The Playoffs

The Cowboys avenged their earlies loss to the Rams with a 27-16 win in the Divisional round. Dallas jumped out to an early 17-0 lead on a Hill three-yard run and a four-yard pass from Staubach to Pearson.

But the Rams rallied to within a point on a five-yard run by Tony Baker in the fourth quarter. Suddenly, everyone inside Texas Stadium was sweating in the 56 degree temperature.

But Staubach hit Pearson on an 83-yard pass and a Fritsch field goal sealed the win. Dallas had advanced to its fourth-straight conference championship game and sixth in the last eight seasons.

The visiting Vikings literally ran the Cowboys into the ground and Staubach threw four interceptions in a 27-10 loss.

Richards 63-yard punt return was Dallas' lone touchdown of the game while Bobby Bryant's 63-yard interception return in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Vikings.

For the second straight year, Dallas had come up one win short of the Super Bowl. The 1974 season would prove to be even more disappointing.

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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