There were a lot of great games and memories from 1981. For example, the Miami game when White led a comeback after being down 13 points in the fourth quarter. Remember Walls interception to seal the win? Duriel Harris had been coming up big all game and Walls picked off a pass intended for Harris to kill the Dolphins final drive.
How about the Detroit loss when Eddie Murray kicked the game winner as time ran out, when Detroit had 12 men on the field. What an outrage! I had nightmares about that one the night that it happened.
How about that Thanksgiving game with Glenn Carano subbing for an injured White? What a tight game! A blocked PAT was the difference. How often do we see that?
That big division showdown with the Eagles in December was a hard fought win, despite the 21-10 final score. That was a big game considering the previous years playoff loss to the Eagles. Sweeping the Eagles in 81 was huge.
On the blowout loss to the Niners, the only Dallas TDs came on a fumble recovery and a pass from Drew Pearson to Tony Hill. How odd was that? Fred Dean dominated that day for SF.
The final game of the regular season didn't feel right from the start. That was a strange game. Landry decided to kick at the start of the OT period, which was very unusual. Both teams squandered chances in the extra period, but the Giants pulled it out. I had the feeling the entire game that the Giants would win.
I also felt nervous when the Niners got the ball back late in the fourth quarter in the playoff game. There were nearly five minutes remaining and time was not a major factor on that drive. They started moving down the field. I kept hoping for a turnover. Turnovers had been Dallas' stock in trade all season and the Niners had already turned it over five times in the game. But Dallas could not stop them. I knew a six point lead was not enough and that Dallas was set up for a 1-point loss. That third down came and when Montana rolled out and hit Clark, I burst into tears. I was still crying when Dallas got the ball back and had a moment of hope on Pearson's catch. But then the fumble by White ended the season.
Overall, it was a great year. I had an incredible amount of fun watching the Cowboys that season.
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