For younger Cowboy fans who don't remember Craig Morton

[Reverend Conehead]

... here's an article about him. The team nearly won their first Super Bowl with Morton, Super Bowl V, but it wasn't meant to be. Morton was a good quarterback and certainly would have been the long-term starter of the Landry era if the team hadn't gambled an won in drafting Staubach, who turned out to be the better of the two QBs.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/02/20/star-long-romo-craig-morton-was-good-enough

 

[Redball Express]

... here's an article about him. The team nearly won their first Super Bowl with Morton, Super Bowl V, but it wasn't meant to be. Morton was a good quarterback and certainly would have been the long-term starter of the Landry era if the team hadn't gambled an won in drafting Staubach, who turned out to be the better of the two QBs.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/02/20/star-long-romo-craig-morton-was-good-enough

Morton played well for us. And the Jints and Denver.

Mobile he wasn't and that was why Staubach stayed and Morton went.

Same reason why Romo is leaving and DAK is staying.

 

[landroverking]

Morton in 1970 was hitting 70% of his passes until he hurt his elbow.

 

[Jake]

Morton came up small in big games.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I was only 5 when Morton led us to our first SB. I wasn't following football then. I do remember him playing for the Broncos later on though. He was a good QB. Landry made the right call though. Roger was special.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I was only 5 when Morton led us to our first SB. I wasn't following football then. I do remember him playing for the Broncos later on though. He was a good QB. Landry made the right call though. Roger was special.

We're about the same age then. I was 6 when Morton played in Super Bowl 5. I don't remember it either, but I do remember him playing the next season. He was a good quarterback, but Staubach was better. Staubach had better mobility and was much harder for opposing teams to rattle. Staubach was a natural leader, and I believe he was the best quarterback of the 70s, even better than some excellent QBs of the era in Fran Tarkenton and Kenny Stabler.

But Morton was good. The team could have been successful with him.

 

[KJJ]

Mobile he wasn't and that was why Staubach stayed and Morton went.

Same reason why Romo is leaving and DAK is staying.

That's not the reason Romo is leaving, he's aging and can't stay healthy which is why he lost his job. Plus we've had a great season with Dak who's shown great potential. Morton was beaten out by Staubach with both players competing for the job on the field. Landry didn't like Staubach running, he wanted him to stay in the pocket. Landry was rotating both Staubach and Morton in and out of the lineup, going as far as to play each QB every other play. Morton was 28 years old when he lost out to Staubach in 1971.

 

[Staubacher]

Morton played well for us. And the Jints and Denver.

Mobile he wasn't and that was why Staubach stayed and Morton went.

Same reason why Romo is leaving and DAK is staying.

LOL nowhere near the same. Wow..

 

[_sturt_]

Morton, you say? Yeah, I seem to remember that name for some reason.

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[DandyDon1722]

Sorry Sturt...

Let me be clear on Craig Morton.

I hated him.

The whole platoon thing with Roger was Landry's worst decision ever as coach of the Cowboys.

In Super Bowl V he had a 34 QB Rating with 3 INT's. He was always stuck in the pocket because he had no scrambling abilities and just had no flair.

If Tony Romo has moxie - Craig Morton was the anti-moxie.

 

[Sarge]

Morton came up small in big games.

Yep. You gotta win big games. That's what people remember and rightly so.

 

[KJJ]

Morton came up small in big games.

Reminded me of Danny White in that area.

 

[joseephuss]

Morton in 1970 was hitting 70% of his passes until he hurt his elbow.

Did he hurt his elbow in the pre-season or something? I looked up his game log for that season and he was struggling to hit 50%.

Perhaps you are thinking of the 1969 season. Looks like he started off pretty well that year.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

I'm 47, don't remember him. Didn't start following CBoy's until late 70s.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

We're about the same age then. I was 6 when Morton played in Super Bowl 5. I don't remember it either, but I do remember him playing the next season. He was a good quarterback, but Staubach was better. Staubach had better mobility and was much harder for opposing teams to rattle. Staubach was a natural leader, and I believe he was the best quarterback of the 70s, even better than some excellent QBs of the era in Fran Tarkenton and Kenny Stabler.

But Morton was good. The team could have been successful with him.

I started following the Cowboys in 1975.

 

[Alexander]

Morton played well for us. And the Jints and Denver.

Mobile he wasn't and that was why Staubach stayed and Morton went.

Same reason why Romo is leaving and DAK is staying.

He was awful in New York. Amazing how back then Schramm could get first round picks like he did in the mid 1970s.

Just as much as good drafting, stockpiling was just a crucial. Unless I am mistaken, Morton was traded for the pick that became Randy White.

 

[_sturt_]

Sorry Sturt...

Let me be clear on Craig Morton.

I hated him.

The whole platoon thing with Roger was Landry's worst decision ever as coach of the Cowboys.

In Super Bowl V he had a 34 QB Rating with 3 INT's. He was always stuck in the pocket because he had no scrambling abilities and just had no flair.

If Tony Romo has moxie - Craig Morton was the anti-moxie.

It's all good. I was a Roger convert pretty quickly, but I at least pay tribute to Morton's football card for happening to be the genesis of my Cowboy allegiance. Some good karma that particular day when I opened that pack of bubble gum cards from Spring Valley Market, and decided that would be my fav player and fav team. When Cowboys ended up in Super Bowl later that season, I knew I'd made the right choice and never looked back.

 

[joseephuss]

He was awful in New York. Amazing how back then Schramm could get first round picks like he did in the mid 1970s.

Just as much as good drafting, stockpiling was just a crucial. Unless I am mistaken, Morton was traded for the pick that became Randy White.

https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/news/2000news/gil_brandt_rates_top_10_trades.htm

1974 – QBs Traded in Season On Same Day

10/22/74: Dallas trades QB Craig Morton to NY Giants for first-round selection. Cowboys choose future Hall of Fame DT Randy White. Morton’s first start for the Giants is against the Cowboys. New York loses 21-7.

10/22/74: LA Rams trade QB John Hadl to Green Bay for five draft choices.

"It may be the only time that two starting quarterbacks were traded on the same day in the middle of a season," says Brandt.

 

[Clove]

I'm 47, don't remember him. Didn't start following CBoy's until late 70s.

Yep, I'm 46 and have no recollection. Those guys must be ancient.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

He was awful in New York. Amazing how back then Schramm could get first round picks like he did in the mid 1970s.

Just as much as good drafting, stockpiling was just a crucial. Unless I am mistaken, Morton was traded for the pick that became Randy White.

You are correct. He was traded for two picks, including a #1. With that #1 they got Randy White. With the other pick they got some running back who didn't work out. They did pretty well.

As for Morton not doing very well with the Giants, they had an awful O-line. When Morton moved on to the Broncos, he won them an AFC Championship and got them to the playoffs multiple times. Not bad.