The Dallas Cowboys wasted little time shaking off the disappointment of the 1974 season. They literally had a monster draft in the spring of 1975. Or, should we say “Manster” draft?
With the second pick of the first round via the trade that sent Craig Morton to the Giants, Dallas selected Randy White.
Later in the same round, they selected Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson. They would add Bob Breunig (3rd), Pat Donovan (4th), Randy Hughes (4th), Mike Hegman (7th), and Herb Scott (13th).
It was the most successful draft class in Cowboys’ history up to that point. The team built on that momentum going into the season.
The Shotgun Formation Begins
Although the NFL didn’t officially count sacks as a stat until 1982, the Cowboys kept track. Roger Staubach had been sacked over 40 times in each of the two previous seasons.
To help take the pressure off of Staubach, Landry created what he called the spread formation. At some point it was called “the shotgun”, the name stuck and joined the NFL lexicon for good.
Staubach enjoyed the formation, his sack numbers dropping below 40 for the season. The rest of the offense also improved overall in 1975.
Perfect Start
The Cowboys jumped out to a 4-0 start, beating the Rams 18-7 on four Toni Fritsch field goals in the season opener.
A 97-yard kickoff return by Henderson gave Dallas a late 11-point lead over the Cardinals. But it took a three-yard touchdown pass from Staubach to Billy Joe Dupree in overtime to secure a 37-31 victory.
Dallas broke open a close game with 21 unanswered points to beat the Lions 36-10. Robert Newhouse threw a 46-yard pass to Drew Pearson for the second of three scores in the fourth quarter.
A four-yard pass to Jean Fugett from Staubach gave Dallas a second straight road win, 13-7, over the Giants. Craig Morton would throw three interceptions for New York.
Bump In The Road
But Staubach would be sacked four times as Dallas would yield the final 10 points in a 19-7 loss at home to the Packers.
The next week in Philadelphia, Dallas would turn the tables. The Cowboys scored the final 10 points for a 20-17 comeback win over the Eagles.
A 30-24 overtime loss to Washington, despite forcing six Redskins’ turnovers, and a 34-31 loss at home to the Chiefs dropped Dallas to 5-3 on the year.
A Strong Run For The Playoffs
Dallas closed out the season with a 5-1 run, losing only to the Cardinals in Week 12.The Cowboys held on to beat New England 34-31 to start a three-game winning streak.
The Cowboys downed the Eagles 27-17 then took on the Giants in Week 11 in what should have been their annual Thanksgiving Day game.
But for the first time since 1966, the Cowboys are not scheduled to play on the holiday. Instead, beat the Giants 14-3 at home on the following Sunday. All 17 points are scored in the first quarter.
Staubach tosses three interceptions against the Cardinals, who hand Dallas a 31-17 loss in St. Louis. The loss all but seals the NFC East for the Cardinals for the second straight year.
The Cowboys fall behind by 10 early against the Redskins, but score the final 31 points for a 31-10 win. With nothing to play for, Longley starts the season finale and beats the Jets 31-21.
With a 10-4 record and second place in the division, the Cowboys secure the NFC wild card slot. No one knows it at the time, but they are about to make history.
Hail Mary
The Cowboys hit the road to Minnesota to open the playoffs. The Vikings would take a 14-10 lead in the final quarter and things were looking grim for Dallas.
Depending on your point of view, it was a miraculous play or it was offensive pass interference. The officials kept their flags in their pockets, so make of that what you will.
Either way, Staubach chucked a pass toward the end zone and Drew Pearson hauled it in for an amazing 17-14 victory to advance the Cowboys to yet another NFC championship game.
The Wild Card Bunch
Dallas had lost its last two NFC championship games. They had no intention of suffering a hattrick when they headed for Los Angeles.
Staubach threw four touchdown passes, three to Preston Pearson, to get Dallas off to a 34-0 lead after three quarters.
Dallas would beat the Rams 37-7 to make it back for their third Super Bowl. They were the first wildcard team to advance to a Super Bowl.
The defending champion Steelers were there waiting for them in Super Bowl X and for the second time, Dallas would play for the NFL Championship in Miami.
They would take a 10-7 lead into the final quarter thanks to a Staubach to Drew Pearson touchdown pass early in the game.
But the Steelers would score 14 unconventional points – a safety, two field goals, a touchdown and an extra point – while Dallas would respond with only one lone touchdown.
In addition to two touchdowns, Staubach would throw three interceptions and get sacked seven times. The Cowboys defense forced no turnovers and had no answer for Lynn Swann.
Swann would catch four passes for 161 yards, including the eventual Super Bowl winning 64-yard touchdown in the final quarter.