Happy Birthday, Roger!

cajuncocoa

cajuncocoa

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Doomsday101 said:
49ers took a 21-6 lead in the second quarter, it looked like San Francisco would finally reverse its fortune against the Cowboys, who had beaten them in the two previous NFC Championship games.
"They were laughing at us. Making fun of us during the game," said Dallas safety Charlie Waters. "They were really enjoying having the upper hand on us. They didn't think there was any way (we'd come back) -- because our offense was sputtering. We were doing absolutely nothing."
Dallas was able to cut the deficit to 21-13 by halftime, as Morton hooked up with eventual Hall of Famer Lance Alworth on a 28-yard touchdown pass. But when the 49ers took a 28-13 lead into the fourth quarter, head coach Tom Landry decided to send Staubach into the game.
Calvin Hill's 48-yard run set up a field goal that got the Cowboys within 28-16 with 10 minutes to play. The Cowboys' defense held San Francisco in check the rest of the way, setting the stage for the final two minutes, when Staubach went into full comeback mode. When it was all said and done, Staubach's magnificent fourth-quarter performance saw him complete 12 of 20 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
A toss to Billy Parks got the Cowboys to the 20 after the two-minute warning. Staubach then spotted Parks in the end zone for the first of his two touchdown passes. Dallas was now down 28-23 with 1:20 to play.
But the Cowboys needed to figure out a way to get the ball back into Staubach's hands.
"We had this foreign kicker from Australia, Toni Fritsch," said Waters. "He used to try all these tricky ways of kicking the ball. And he used to do this thing where he'd run up to the ball and run past it. And he'd kick it behind his back."
Sure enough, Fritsch fooled the 49ers. He lined up to kick to the left, but Fritsch instead squibbed the ball to the right, bouncing it off the 49ers' Preston Riley. Mel Renfro recovered the ball for the Cowboys.
"Once we got that onside kick, the momentum definitely turned," Staubach said.
Again, Staubach hit Parks to set up the winning touchdown. Then with 52 seconds to play, the game-winner went to Ron Sellers, capping a 15-point rally in the fourth quarter and a 30-28 victory.
"I think the biggest thing about Roger is that he never quit," Cowboys defensive end Bob Lilly said. "It didn't matter now much the Cowboys were down."

http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/990104/01026665.html

This game for me was the one that told me no matter what if Roger is in the game we can come back. I was with my aunt and uncle that day and was told we were leaving but I refused until the game was over and my uncle looked at me and said it is over Dallas lost. Never let him live that day down. lol
Click to expand...

That was an amazing game!!
 
cajuncocoa

cajuncocoa

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BoysFan4ever said:
Awesome! Those old teams are just video & books to me. I was not around then but I like reading & watching the teams from then. Landry & all that.
Click to expand...

Aw....that's too bad, I had no idea. You really missed some good stuff. I'm glad there's YouTube to fill you in on some of what you missed!!
 
SuspectCorner

SuspectCorner

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#12 was the first Cowboys jersey I ever owned. Roger was the kind of hero that is rare in these days. For all the class he exuded on the field - he was twice that man off the field. A true icon and source of pride for the NFL and Cowboys fans. (If he ran for governor of Texas - I'd be pounding doors for him.)
 
MichaelValentino

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There was Bob Lilly and Randy White, Drew Pearson and Tony Dorsett, the iconic coach in the fedora patrolling the sidelines, the multiple pre-snap shifts and the cool royal blue, metallic silver-blue and white uniforms, but the no. 1 reason I became a Cowboys fan and have remained one all these years is no. 12, Roger Staubach.

To be a long-time Cowboys fan means to be well-acquainted with heartbreak. For me, the 75 and 78 SB losses to Pittsburgh were the toughest of them all. In SB X, Staubach faced the greatest defense of that era - with all respect to Doomsday I, the Fearsome Foursome and the Purple People Eaters - without a bonafide running game (this was after Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill and before Tony Dorsett) and under constant duress (L.C. Greenwood had a monster game; John Niland and Blaine Nye held their own pretty well vs Joe Greene) he took a wildcard team with 12 rookies on the roster to within four points of the defending world champions. In SB XIII, every break went the Steelers' way. Despite Bradshaw playing a brilliant game it took a lot of misfortune (for the Cowboys) for the Steelers to win that game. That may have been Pittsburgh's greatest SB team and the Cowboys, defensively at least, were not quite as good as the 77 team. Staubach played heroically, as he did in SB X, but it was another four point loss.

Those two near misses cost the Cowboys being regarded as the undisputed team of the 70s and very likely cost Staubach being regarded as the greatest QB ever.

Staubach played only eight full seasons in the NFL. He took his team to four SBs. Of the eight seasons only two were played following the rule changes which allowed offensive linemen to extend their arms in pass blocking and which prevented defenses from hitting receivers all the way down field. The 78 rule changes opened up the passing game and Staubach posted his most prolific numbers in 78-79. He retired in 79 as the NFL all-time passing leader, still at the top of his game but with far too worrisome a concussion history to go on. I wonder what kind of numbers he would post in this day and age of wide open passing.

For all of his greatness I have to wonder how Tom Brady would have done vs that relentless Pittsburgh front seven that sacked Roger 12 times in two SBs. Brady could manage but 31 points in two SBs vs the NYG. The Giants had very good D-lines in both of those SBs. They were hardly the Steel Curtain however.

Even Jack Lambert - that toothless menace who was a magnificent MLB, but, I must add, could not hold a candle to Dick Butkus - was impressed by Roger's toughness and the way he took a beating, never complained and just lined up for the next play. I see Joe Montana standing in there vs the great 70s defensive teams like Pittsurgh and Minnesota and LA and taking tremendous punishment in the pocket and lining right back up without a complaint and firing the ball downfield while keeping his composure. But there are other prolific passers in this pass happy NFL who would wilt under those conditions. That is one thing that set Roger apart. He many not have the numbers but he had the heart of a lion and a steel will.

Any football historian worth his salt would have to place Staubach among the top 10 greatest QBs of all time. Objectively, I put him in the top 5. In my heart...he will always be no. 1.
 
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