1982 Dallas Cowboys season
OwnerClint Murchison, Jr.
General managerTex Schramm
Head coachTom Landry
Home fieldTexas Stadium
Results
Record6–3
Division place2nd NFC (also 2nd NFC East)
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Buccaneers) 30–17
Won Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Packers) 37–26
Lost NFC Championship
(at Redskins) 17–31
Pro Bowlers8

The 1982 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, placing them second in the NFC. After losing the season opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers (the first time the Cowboys lost a season opener in 17 years), the Cowboys won the next six, including five after the strike had ended. However, two losses at the end of the regular season cost them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. After beginning their playoff run with victories over the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Cowboys traveled to Washington, where they met defeat at the hands of their arch-rival, the Redskins. It was the third straight season that the Cowboys lost in the NFC championship game. The Redskins would advance to win the Super Bowl.[1]

The Cowboys featured big-play capability on both sides of the ball in 1982. The offense relied on running back Tony Dorsett, who led the NFC in rushing (and during the season set an NFL record with a 99-yard run from scrimmage against Minnesota), and quarterback Danny White, who finished second in the NFL in passer rating. Despite the retirement of longtime starters Charlie Waters and D.D. Lewis before the season, the Cowboys still tied for the NFC lead in sacks, and cornerback Everson Walls led the league with seven interceptions.[2]

The Cowboys were the only team to defeat the Redskins in the 1982 season, winning a regular season matchup in Game 5 at RFK Stadium (the scheduled meeting at Texas Stadium was cancelled by the strike). The Cowboys were also the only team in the NFL who never trailed at halftime in '82.

For the only time in franchise history, Dallas did not play the New York Giants, as both meetings fell victim to the strike.[3]

Offseason

Tex Schramm and Gil Brandt, proposed to the NFL competition committee a centralization of the evaluation process for the NFL draft prospects. Before this, teams had to schedule individual visits with players to run them through drills and tests. This proposition created the NFL Scouting Combine, which was first held in Tampa, Florida, in 1982.[4]

Coincidentally, the 1982 NFL Draft was one of the worst in Dallas Cowboys history. It is mostly remembered because it was the year the Cowboys drafted cornerback Rod Hill in the first round. Hill would go on to become the symbol of the team's failed draft strategy of the eighties, when the Cowboys took too many gambles. From that draft only Jeff Rohrer and Phil Pozderac made contributions.

NFL Draft

Main article: 1982 NFL draft
1982 Dallas Cowboys draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 25 Rod Hill  CB Kentucky State
2 53 Jeff Rohrer  LB Yale
3 81 Jim Eliopulos  LB Wyoming
4 101 Brian Carpenter  CB Michigan
4 109 Monty Hunter  S Salem
5 137 Phil Pozderac  OT Notre Dame
6 143 Ken Hammond  OG Vanderbilt
6 165 Charles Daum  DT Cal Poly
7 193 Bill Purifoy  DE Tulsa
8 216 George Peoples  RB Auburn
8 221 Dwight Sullivan  RB North Carolina State
9 249 Joe Gary  DT UCLA
10 277 Todd Eckerson  OT North Carolina State
11 295 George Thompson  WR Albany State
11 304 Michael Whiting  RB Florida State
12 332 Rich Burtness  OG Montana
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap
1 September 13 Pittsburgh Steelers L 28–36 0–1 Texas Stadium 63,431 Recap
2 September 19 at St. Louis Cardinals W 24–7 1–1 Busch Stadium 50,705 Recap
3 — at Minnesota Vikings Rescheduled to January 3
4 — New York Giants Cancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike
5 — Washington Redskins
6 — at Philadelphia Eagles
7 — at Cincinnati Bengals
8 — at New York Giants
9 — St. Louis Cardinals
10 — at San Francisco 49ers
11 November 21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 14–9 2–1 Texas Stadium 49,578 Recap
12 November 25 Cleveland Browns W 31–14 3–1 Texas Stadium 46,267 Recap
13 December 5 at Washington Redskins W 24–10 4–1 RFK Stadium 54,633 Recap
14 December 13 at Houston Oilers W 37–7 5–1 Houston Astrodome 51,808 Recap
15 December 19 New Orleans Saints W 21–7 6–1 Texas Stadium 64,506 Recap
16 December 26 Philadelphia Eagles L 20–24 6–2 Texas Stadium 46,199 Recap
17 January 3, 1983 at Minnesota Vikings L 27–31 6–3 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 60,007 Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 1 vs Steelers

See also: 1982 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at Dallas Cowboys (0–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 6 7 17636
Cowboys 7 7 01428

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Game information

Week 13

1 234Total
• Cowboys 0 7107 24
Redskins 0 0010 10
Scoring summary
2DALRon Springs 8 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick)Cowboys 7–0
3DALRafael Septién 31 yard field goalCowboys 10–0
3DALTimmy Newsome 18 yard run (Rafael Septién kick)Cowboys 17–0
4WSHMark Moseley 38 yard field goalCowboys 17–3
4WSHCharlie Brown 17 yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick)Cowboys 17–10
4DALRon Springs 46 yard run (Rafael Septién kick)Cowboys 24–10

[5]

Standings

NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Washington Redskins(1) 8 1 0 .889 6–1 8–1 190 128 W4
Dallas Cowboys(2) 6 3 0 .667 2–1 4–2 226 145 L2
St. Louis Cardinals(6) 5 4 0 .556 3–1 5–4 135 170 L1
New York Giants 4 5 0 .444 2–3 3–5 164 160 W1
Philadelphia Eagles 3 6 0 .333 1–5 1–5 191 195 L1
National Football Conference
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Washington Redskins(1) 8 1 0 .889 190 128 W4
Dallas Cowboys(2) 6 3 0 .667 226 145 L2
Green Bay Packers(3) 5 3 1 .611 226 169 L1
Minnesota Vikings(4) 5 4 0 .556 187 198 W1
Atlanta Falcons(5) 5 4 0 .556 183 199 L2
St. Louis Cardinals(6) 5 4 0 .556 135 170 L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers(7) 5 4 0 .556 158 178 W3
Detroit Lions(8) 4 5 0 .444 181 176 W1
New Orleans Saints 4 5 0 .444 129 160 W1
New York Giants 4 5 0 .444 164 160 W1
San Francisco 49ers 3 6 0 .333 209 206 L1
Chicago Bears 3 6 0 .333 141 174 L1
Philadelphia Eagles 3 6 0 .333 191 195 L1
Los Angeles Rams 2 7 0 .222 200 250 W1

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1982 roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Rookies in italics
46 active, 4 inactive

Postseason

Main article: 1982–83 NFL playoffs

Playoff schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Game Site Attendance Recap
First Round January 9, 1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7) W 30–17 Texas Stadium 65,042 Recap
Second Round January 16, 1983 Green Bay Packers (3) W 37–26 Texas Stadium 63,972 Recap
NFC Championship January 22, 1983 at Washington Redskins (1) L 17–31 RFK Stadium 55,045 Recap

First round

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 10 7017
Cowboys 6 7 31430

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Game information
  • Scoring
    • DAL – field goal Septién 33 DAL 3–0
    • DAL – field goal Septién 33 DAL 6–0
    • TB – Green 60 fumble return (Capece kick)TB 7–6
    • TB – field goal Capece 32 TB 10–6
    • DAL – Springs 6 pass from D. White (Septién kick) DAL 13–10
    • DAL – field goal Septién 19 DAL 16–10
    • TB – Jones 49 pass from Williams (Capece kick) TB 17–16
    • DAL – Hunter 19 interception return (Septién kick) DAL 23–17
    • DAL – Newsome 10 pass from D. White (Septién kick) DAL 30–17

Second round

1 234Total
Packers 0 7613 26
• Cowboys 6 14314 37
  • Date: January 16
  • Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
  • Game start: 3:00 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 63,972
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C); wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • Television network: CBS
Scoring summary
1DALRafael Septién 50 yard field goalDAL 3–0
1DALRafael Septién 34 yard field goalDAL 6–0
2GBJames Lofton 6 yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick)GB 7–6
2DALTimmy Newsome 2 yard run (Rafael Septién kick)DAL 13–7
2DALDennis Thurman 39 yard interception return (Rafael Septién kick)DAL 20–7
3GBJan Stenerud 30 yard field goalDAL 20–10
3GBJan Stenerud 33 yard field goalDAL 20–13
3DALRafael Septién 24 yard field goalDAL 23–13
4GBJames Lofton 71 yard run (kick failed)DAL 23–19
4DALDoug Cosbie 7 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septién kick)DAL 30–19
4GBMark Lee 22 yard interception return (Jan Stenerud kick)DAL 30–26
4DALRobert Newhouse 1 yard run (Rafael Septién kick)DAL 37–26

[6]

Awards

Publications

The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2

References

  1. ^ The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
  2. ^ Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
  3. ^ "Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Results". August 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Crouse, Karen (February 23, 2007). "Players Are Seen and Unseen At N.F.L. Scouting Combine". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  5. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
  6. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com

External links

Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys seasons
1982 NFL season
Categories