6. 1954 DETROIT LIONS AT 3. 1978 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
3. 1978 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
1st NFC East
d. Falcons Div Rnd 27-20
d. Rams NFC Title 28-0
Lost Steelers Super Bowl 35-31
d. '89 Broncos 27-3 (PotG-Randy White)
HC: Tom Landry OC: Dan Reeves, DC: Ernie Stautner
Frank Gleiber/Verne Lunquist/Brad Sham
Texas Stadium 60 degrees
Offense
QB Roger Staubach (36 Navy) 25 TD/16 INT 55.9% 7.7 y/a 212.7 y/g 84.9 1 td rush
RB Tony Dorsett (24 Pitt) 1325 yds 4.6 y/a 37 ctch 378 yds 10.2 y/c 9 td
FB Robert Newhouse (28 Houston) 584 yds 4.2 y/a 20 ctch 176 yds 8.8 y/c 10 td
WR Tony Hill (22 Stanford) 46 ctch 823 yds 17.9 y/c 6 td
WR Drew Pearson (27 Tulsa) 44 ctch 714 yds 16.2 y/c 3 td
TE Billy Joe DuPree (28 Mich St) 34 ctch 509 yds 15 y/c 9 td
LT Pat Donovan (25 Stanford)
LG Herbert Scott (25 Va Union)
C John Fitzgerald (30 B College)
RG Tom Rafferty (24 Penn St)
RT Rayfield Wright (33 F Valley St)
Defense
LDE Too Tall Jones (27 Tenn St) 9.5 scks
LDT Jethro Pugh (34 Eliz City St) sck
RDT Randy White (25 Maryland) All Pro 16 scks
RDE Harvey Martin (28 Tex A&M Comm) 14.5 scks int
LLB Hollywood Henderson (25 Langston) 2.5 scks
MLB Bob Breunig (25 Ariz St) int sck
RLB DD Lewis (33 Miss St) 2.5 scks
LCB Benny Barnes (27 Stanford) 5 int
RCB Aaron Kyle (24 Wyoming) 3 int
SS Charlie Waters (30 Clemson) 4 int .5 scks
FS Cliff Harris (30 Ouachita Baptist) All Pro 4 int sck
K Rafael Septien (25 Louisiana)
P Danny White (26 Ariz St)
KR/PR Butch Johnson (24 UC Riverside)
Dallas had the top offense in '78, Staubach's 36, 26 total scores and 16 picks. 1700 combined yards from scrimmage for 24 year old Tony Dorsett. Both Cowboys All Pros are on the third ranked defense, 25 year old Randy White, 30 year old Cliff Harris. Dallas held the '89 Broncos to 8 first downs in rnd 1.
6. 1954 DETROIT LIONS
Record: 9-2-1
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
1st NFL West
Lost NFL Title Browns 56-10
d. '90 Niners 23-7 (PotG- Jack Christiansen)
HC: Buddy Parker, DC Buster Ramsey
Briggs Stadium: 40 degrees
Offense
QB Bobby Layne (28 Texas) 14 td/12 int 54.9% 7.4 y/a 151.5 y/g 77.3 2 td rush
FB Bill Bowman (23-R WM&Mary) 397 yds 4.1 y/a 34 ctch 288 yds 8.5 y/c
RB Doak Walker (27 SMU) All Pro 240 yds 7.5 y/a 32 ctch 564 yds 17.6 y/c 4 td
RB Lew Carpenter (22 Ark) 476 yds 4.6 y/a 16 ctch 145 yds 5 tf
WR Dorne Dibble (25 Mich St) 46 ctch 768 yds 16.7 y/a 6 td
WR Leon Hart (26 Navy) 24 ctch 377 yds 15.7 y/c
LT Lou Creekmur (27 WM&Mary) All Pro
LG Harley Sewell (23 Texas)
C Andy Miketa (25-R UNC)
RG Dick Stanfel (27 USF) All Pro
RT Charlie Ane (23 USC)
Defense
LDE Sonny Gandee (25 Ohio St) 3 int
LDT Gerry Perry (24-R Cal)
MG Les Bingaman (28 Illinois) All Pro
RDT Bob Miller (25 UVA)
RDE Jim Cain (27 Alabama)
LLB Joe Schmidt (22 Pitt) All Pro 2 int
RLB LaVern Torgeson (25 Wash St) 2 int
LDH Jim David (27 Col St) 7 int
RDH Bill Stits (23-R UCLA) 6 int
LS Jack Christiansen (26 Col St) All Pro 8 int
RS Carl Karillvacz (24 Syracuse) 2 int
K Doak Walker (27 SMU) td
P Jug Girard (27 Wisc)
KR Jug Girard (27 Wisc)
PR Jack Christiansen (26 Col St) td
Best offense, 3rd best defense in '54. They lost the title game to the Browns, but that's hardly a black mark (the score, on the other hand..). Bobby Layne is 28, 16 total scores and 12 picks starting in 8 games. Three 27 year olds are All Pros on offense, Doak Walker, Lou Creekmur, Dick Stanfel. 3 more on defense led by the 22 year old rookie LB Joe Schmidt along with 28 year old Les Bingaman and 26 year old Jack Christiansen. They shut down the 1990 Niners in rnd 1, 23-7.
Dallas is a 2 touchdown favorite against the first team from the 50s we've seen here in rnd 2. Let's go to Texas Stadium for the kick.
1st Qtr
Detroit starts at the 39.
3 and out. Dallas at the 25, 3 and out with a Leon Hart sack.
Lions at the 44.
1/10 - Doak Walker for 4.
2/6 - Bobby Layne finds Leon Hart, it's a 16 yard gain to the Dallas 46.
1/10- Bob Breunig sacks Layne.
2/17 - - Layne to Dorne Dibble, 20 yard gainer - it's a first down at the 23.
1/10 - Bill Bowman is stopped at the line.
2/6 - 4 for Bowman.
3/6 - Lew Carpenter picks it up, Lions at the 12 yard line.
1/10 - 2 for Carpenter
2/8 - Walker is stopped by Randy White
3/11 - Layne finds Hal Turner, Turner barreling his way for an 11 yard pickup and the Lions are at the 2.
1/goal - Walker....TOUCHDOWN LIONS -- Doak Walker in the end zone in Texas Stadium, the two Texas college stars, Layne and Walker, giving the Lions the lead over the Cowboys here in rnd 2.
Dallas at the 20.
1/10 - Tony Dorsett gets 9.
2/1 - Dorsett is stopped at the line.
3/2 - Dorsett picks it up.
The drive ends here - after the punt, Detroit is at the 29, two plays net 3 yards and the quarter ends.
2nd Qtr: Lions 7 Cowboys 0
The 6th seeded Lions looking to make the second region 3 semi-final, up a score in Dallas.
Lions have to punt - and Butch Johnson returns the kick to the Lions 39.
1/10 - Nothing for Newhouse.
2/10 - Roger Staubauch hits Drew Pearson, 15 yards.
1/10 - 2 for Newhouse.
2/8- 2 for Newhouse.
3/6 - Staubach finds Pearson again, big gainer - 18 yards, Drew Pearson out of bounds at the 2 yard line!
1/goal - play action -- end zone --- Joe Schmidt nearly picks Staubach off.
2/goal - Dorsett.....Into the End Zone....TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - Dallas ties the score at 7 with 11 left in the half.
Lions muff the kick and have to start at their own 2.
1/10 - Lew Carpenter for 5.
2/5 - Carpenter picks up the first down.
But - the drive ends here - and after the kick the Cowboys start at their own 47.
1/10 - Give to Dorsett - Dorsett shaking tacklers --- TONY DORSETT TURNS THE CORNER -- TONY DORSETT SPRINTING TO THE END ZONE --- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 53 Yard run for TD - Dorsett gives the Cowboys the lead with a 53 yard bolt to the end zone.
Lions at the 20. 3 and out. Doomsday starts to assert itself - Dallas again with great field position at the 45.
3 and out. Lions starting at the 30, good Christiansen return.
3 and out including a Harvey Martin sack. Dallas gets the ball with a little more than 1 minute left in the half at their own 29.
1/10 - Dorsett -- with BURST - Tony Dorsett exploding through the line - Dorsett goes 54 yards to the Lions 17! Big gainer, big gainer -- Dallas is at the 17.
1/10 - Staubach 3 to Hill.
2/7 - Incomplete
3/7 - Staubach -- End Zone --- Golden Richards --- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 14 yards from Staubach to Richards -- the Lions will get the ball back with less than 30 seconds, a Charlie Waters sack ends the half - Dallas rolling now, 21 in the quarter.
3rd Qtr: Cowboys 21 Lions 7
Dallas scores 21 in the qtr and gets the ball to start the second half.
Dallas at the 24.
1/10 - Five more for Dorsett.
2/5 - Newhouse goes for 10.
That ends the drive - after the punt, Lions at the 36.
1/10 - Girard gets a yard on an end around.
2/9 - Bobby Layne runs for 19, that's a first down, there's a false start on the next play and the Lions are at the Dallas 49.
1/10 - Layne to Dibble for 13.
2/2 - Carpenter gets 5 - Lions at the 31.
The drive ends here -- Detroit misses a FG and Dallas takes over still up 21-7.
Dallas at the 36.
1/10 - Dorsett gets 1.
2/9 - Incomplete
3/9 - Staubach finds Richards, it's a dozen yards and a first down.
The drive stops - Lions take over at the 11.
3 and out - Too Tall Jones with the 4th Dallas sack. Dallas at the Lions 48.
1/10 - Newhouse loses a yard.
2/11 - Staubach hits Pearson, 15 yards to the Detroit 34.
1/10 - 2 for Newhouse and the quarter ends.
4th Qtr: Cowboys 21 Lions 7
The Dallas defense has totally clamped down on Detroit and it would appear they are headed to the regional semifinal.
2/8 - Preston Pearson gets a carry, 19 yards, Dallas is at the 13.
The drive stops here, Septien FG and it is 24-7.
Detroit at the 35. 3 and out. Dallas at the 31.
On third down - Staubach is PICKED OFF - by Jack Christiansen and the Lions have the ball at their own 35 with 8:19 left. Down 24-7
Detroit takes the next 6 minutes and drives down the field - on 4th and 4 at the 8, Randy White sacks Layne, Dallas takes over and they don't give the ball back.
Final: Cowboys 24 Lions 7
Just 9 completions for Staubach and Dallas still rolls.
Staubach: 9 for 15, 1 TD/1 INT
Layne: 13 for 26 119 yds
Dorsett: 19 carries, 155 yds, 2TD
Carpenter: 13 carries, 50 yds
Pearson: 4 catches, 60 yds
Dibble: 4 catches, 41 yds
Player of the Game: Tony Dorsett
