1980: Danny White’s impossible task begins

With Roger Staubach’s retirement in April, the Danny White Era officially began in Dallas.

The biggest question that loomed over the Cowboys: Could he get it done, could he replace the legendary Staubach?

Dallas added running backs James Jones (3rd) and Timmy Newsome (6th) along with quarterback Gary Hogeboom (5th) in the draft that spring.

They hit camp in Thousand Oaks, California’s California Lutheran College for the first time without Staubach in preparation for another playoff run. They had no idea how rocky the path would be.

And So It Begins…

The quest for a fifth-straight NFC East title got off to a solid start in Washington D.C. The Cowboys ran the ball 44 times as opposed to just 18 pass plays in a 17-3 win over the Redskins.

Dallas Cowboys Head COach Tom Landry prepares to lead his team against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the 1980 NFL season.

The Following week in Denver, the Broncos jumped out to a 17-0 lead as the Cowboys offense was stagnant. Dallas got to within 11 in the third quarter before Denver pulled away for a 41-20 victory.

In his third start of the year, White found his rhythm. Going 24-for-33 for 244 yards and three touchdowns, White led Dallas to 28-17 win.

The Cowboys defeated the Packers 28-7 in Green Bay before returning home for a 24-3 win over the Giants.

Dallas made it four wins in a row, crushing the 49ers 59-14 at home. White threw four touchdowns and the Cowboys defense picked off Steve DeBerg five times.

Two Critical Losses

White would throw three picks in a 17-10 loss at Philadelphia as the offense was dead flat. Mike Hegman fumble recovery in the endzone was the Cowboys’ lone touchdown.

Dallas rebounded with wins over the Chargers (42-31) and the Cardinals (27-24). But the Giants would score the final 10 points and escape with a 38-35 victory.

These two losses would prove to be crucial, and costly, at the end of the regular season.

Back In The Saddle

The Cowboys would right the ship and go on a four-game winning streak starting with a 31-21 win at home over the Cardinals.

The Redskins grabbed a late 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter. But defensive lineman Larry Cole returned an interception 43 yards for the game-winning score.

Larry Cole sprints for the end zone and a game winning touchdown against the Redskins.

Dallas crushed Seattle 51-7, narrowly missing the shutout on a late touchdown by the Seahawks. The Cowboys closed out the streak with a 19-13 win at Oakland over the Raiders.

The Rams snapped the streak, scoring the first 38 points of the game for a 38-14 win over the Cowboys in Los Angeles.

The loss – couple with the two close losses to the Eagles and Giants earlier in the year – put Dallas in a bad spot.

They would need to beat Philadelphia at home in the regular season finale by 25 points or more. Any victory under 25 points, or a loss, would end the Cowboys NFC East reign and relegate them to a wild card spot.

The Cowboys jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and extended it to 35-10 early in the fourth quarter. But the Eagles scored 17 unanswered points.

Dallas won the game to finish 12-4 on the season. But the 12-4 Eagles won the division based on the tie-breaker.

The loss meant an extra playoff game for the Cowboys and the Eagles were the No. 2 seed behind the Atlanta Falcons.

Playoff Run

Neither White nor Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo were sharp in the wild card game at Texas Stadium. Both players threw three interceptions in the game with White getting three touchdowns to Ferragamo’s one.

But the Cowboys did have Tony Dorsett, who piled up 160 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown.

Dorsett tied the game at 13-13 with a 12-yard run before the half, then scored the game winner on a 10-yard pass from White in the third.

The 34-13 win was White’s first playoff win as the Cowboys’ starter and sent the team to the divisional round in Atlanta.

The NFC’s top-seeded team pulled out to a 24-10 lead on Steve Bartkowski’s second touchdown pass of the game in the third quarter.

After a Robert Newhouse touchdown and a Falcons’ field goal, Atlanta clung to a 27-17 lead in the final quarter.

White rallied the Cowboys with a pair of touchdown passes (14, 23) to Drew Pearson. The Cowboys were off to yet another NFC Championship game with a 30-27 victory.

Captain Comeback had apparently rubbed off on White over the years. Only the Eagles stood between the Cowboys and a sixth Super Bowl appearance.

The NFC Championship Game

Wilbert Montgomery got the Eagles on the board first in Philadelphia, a 42-yard run to the endzone that was an omen of things to come.

Charlie Waters pursues Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery during the 1980 NFC Championship game in Philadelphia.

Dorsett tied the game with a three-yard run in the second. But those would be the last points Dallas would score.

The Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl to face the Raiders with a 20-7 victory. Montgomery would chew up the Cowboys’ defense for 194 yards on 26 carries.

Leroy Harris would add 60 yards on 10 carries and a game-sealing nine-yard touchdown. There would be no heroics from White this time.