KJJ
You Have an Axe to Grind
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In Hayes' first two seasons the Cowboys went 17-10-1 .. in years 3-4 they went 21-7. "Neutralizing" Hayes didn't really work out that well for the league.. He had 25 TDs in years one and two.. then 20 TDs (10 each) in years three and four. The injury bug bit him in '69 and '70.. that's why his overall numbers went down but his yards and catches per game stayed about the same. In fact his 4 catches per game in 1969 was the second highest of his career.. and his 26.1 yards per catch in 1970 was his career best.. Oh and he scored 10 TDs that year (on 34 receptions) as well. I still say age slowed Bob Hayes down more than any defense ever did..
The Cowboys had just started getting good in 1965 and 66. The drafts were bringing in more talent every year. With all the talent the team had added they didn’t have to rely on Bob Hayes as much. The Cowboys had other players they could feed the ball to. This is one reason they became such a great team in the 70s. All the great teams back then had a lot of great players. Most of them had a great one-two punch at WR and a dominant back.