The Plays That Changed Cowboys History

[jsb357]

A forgotten one...

6-2 in 1986

Harry Carson (NYG) broke Danny White's wrist.

1-7 to close the season.

 

[northerncowboynation]

I was thinking about plays or moments on the field that changed Cowboys History. There are many so here is mine.

1989 Aikman's throw against the Cardinals - It was the most astounding, accurate, and courageous throw I have every saw in pro football. Its was a 75 yd TD throw to James Dixon, in the closing moments of the game. Aikman stood in the pocket made the throw with a Cardinal DL in his face to blast the soul out of Aikman's body with the hit. He was knock out looking dead on the field after the hit. The pass was laser beam 75 yd. TD.

It affected Cowboys history in the following ways:

I. It showed you the glory and tragedy that would be Aikman's career. He would could win it all and give up all to win it all. Firmly ended all doubts by the Cowboys coaching staff that came from Miami who wanted Walsh at QB. Aikman was a franchise QB that could snatch a win from defeat or die trying (see 1994 NFC Championship lost).
2. Because the Cowboys defense would give up the win for the Cardinals the next drive causing Johnson to curse out Everson Walls for congratulating Cardinal Players after the game, it ended the mentality that Irvin warned Jimmy Johnson about the Dallas Cowboy complacency to losing. Everson Walls was cut at the end of the year. Jimmy established that only winning is expected and no reason to be happy with "keeping it close" and losing.
3. Allowed Steve Walsh to get starts so Johnson's master plan would yield the Saint's first and third round picks in the 1991 NFL Draft and a second round pick (that could become a first round pick based on performance) in the 1992 NFL Draft. for the Cowboys. Those drafts gave the Cowboys the 90's Dynasty.

A certain knee in the back in an exhibition game back in 2016 changed a bit of history too.

 

[eromeopolk]

Walsh wasn't acquired via trade. He was a supplemental draft pick. But as you said, the 90s turned out okay.

My "what might have been" involves Jerry and Jimmy not fighting like two kids in a sandbox. Feels like we'd have seen #6 that decade as well.

I think he meant the Cowboys not drafting Walsh would have gave them the number 1 pick overall and the Minnesota Pick in the 1990 draft. Which would have been Seau or Kennedy (definitely Kennedy from the U) and still have the ammunition to trade up and draft Emmitt Smith.

They just would have shut down the NFL for 10 years like Ali in his prime if the Cowboys added Cortez Kennedy or Seau to that roster.

It was not meant to be.

 

[eromeopolk]

A forgotten one...

6-2 in 1986

Harry Carson (NYG) broke Danny White's wrist.

1-7 to close the season.

That play changed a lot. Danny White had just won the NFC East and a wild card berth in 1985.

Because Landry keep White on the 1983 team not trading for Elway (White had NFC Championship game 3-peat with a veteran Cowboys 83 team), that play with White breaking his wrist ended Landry's Coaching career. Landry only had "Pathetic Pelluer" was left at QB. Good play call.

 

[Flamma]

Bob Lillys sack on Bob Griese in our first SB win. on the positive side and Jackie Smiths drop in the endzone in SB loss to Steelers on negative . Both IMO were historic game changers in the biggest games

We should have beaten the 49ers in '81. But the drop by Smith didn't matter IMO. That Cowboys team never beat that Steelers team in any game they ever played. Both regular season and SB. The Steelers would have won regardless. They were just better. They always overcame any momentum changer from the Cowboys.

 

[tyke1doe]

you know it would have been Kennedy...from the U.

That's what I would suspect too. But the Cowboys were in desperate need for a linebacker. They were aiming for James Francis of Baylor, but the Bengals wouldn't trade with them. Fortunately, the Bengals didn't because we wouldn't have gotten Emmitt Smith.

 

[tyke1doe]

Walsh wasn't acquired via trade. He was a supplemental draft pick. But as you said, the 90s turned out okay.

My "what might have been" involves Jerry and Jimmy not fighting like two kids in a sandbox. Feels like we'd have seen #6 that decade as well.

My bad. I don't know what I was thinking. You are 100 percent correct.

 

[tyke1doe]

Walsh wasn't acquired via trade. He was a supplemental draft pick. But as you said, the 90s turned out okay.

My "what might have been" involves Jerry and Jimmy not fighting like two kids in a sandbox. Feels like we'd have seen #6 that decade as well.

Yep.
Steve Young could never beat a Jimmy Johnson-backed team. Neither could Brett Favre. When Johnson left, the mystique left also and the Packers and 49ers ascended. Those Cowboys teams were so dominant and so scary to other teams. They got into other team's heads and backed it up. Even Jerry Rice was ready to fight BEFORE the game.
I miss those days.
Coaches like Johnson don't come around very often.

 

[lurkercowboy]

That play changed a lot. Danny White had just won the NFC East and a wild card berth in 1985.

Because Landry keep White on the 1983 team not trading for Elway (White had NFC Championship game 3-peat with a veteran Cowboys 83 team), that play with White breaking his wrist ended Landry's Coaching career. Landry only had "Pathetic Pelluer" was left at QB. Good play call.

Pelluer was pathetic, but he had this moment. In a game against the Giants with the division on the line, Pelluer was the third string QB after the first two had been knocked out, playing in the fourth quarter and nursing a 7 point lead, facing third and 15, and the free rusher was Lawrence Taylor. This happened

 

[tyke1doe]

James Washington's INT in the 1st quarter of Super Bowl 27 which set up the tying score, followed by a sack/fumble by Haley which gave us our first lead.

Buffalo wasn't beating us that day. Play that game 10 times and the Cowboys win 10 times.

 

[tyke1doe]

Take This! The end of the Funky Niner Dynasty. The Play that started the REAL Dynasty...

"There's Alvin Harper sprinting up the field with my football."
See, that's why I like Michael Irvin. A competitor all the way.
Many fans don't understand that what separates the greats from the good and average players is that they want the ball in their hands during crunch time.
A lot of players would run those moments because they don't want the pressure. Michael wanted to make the big play so he hunts down an opportunity to put the pressure on himself because he's that confident in his abilities.
You have players like Irvin, you're not going to lose many games.

 

[Whyjerry]

Great thread. My most memorable plays...

Jackie Smith dropped TD pass in the SB. Why? Dallas should have won that game!

Alvin Harper on the slant vs. SF. The start of a new dominant era.

Romo botched hold vs. Seattle. Foreshadowed the Romo era in Dallas, misses and disappointment.

 

[kskboys]

If we hadn't traded for Steve Walsh, we may have drafted Junior Seau/Cortez Kennedy AND Emmitt Smith. What might have been. But it turned out okay, anyway.

Another question:

If we hadn't traded 3 high picks to move up to get Ismail, who would we have taken?

Ismail took off for Canada, so we then took Maryland. Wonder who we would've taken otherwise?

 

[noshame]

For me? Bullet Bob.
Then about 10 others.

 

[DFWJC]

Great pass in the OP.
Amazing 30 yard pass placed perfectly that went for 75 yards

Awesome stuff.

 

[nightrain]

Vikings fans still scream PI to this day.

LOL, I with my two Brothers in Law (Vikings Fans) Sunday...both still bemoaning the play.

 

[Hardline]

The plays that changed history begun with our 1st NFL title game when Merideth was intercepted near the goal line and the following NFL title game “ Ice Bowl” QB sneek at goal which cost us winning the first 2 Super Bowls. The Lombardi would probably be called the Landry instead.

Jerry Kramer false started on that play also

 

[Blackrain]

We should have beaten the 49ers in '81. But the drop by Smith didn't matter IMO. That Cowboys team never beat that Steelers team in any game they ever played. Both regular season and SB. The Steelers would have won regardless. They were just better. They always overcame any momentum changer from the Cowboys.

Probably true just hated to see Roger do everything humanly possible to give us a chance to win and Smith spit the bit when it mattered

 

[eromeopolk]

Great thread. My most memorable plays...

Jackie Smith dropped TD pass in the SB. Why? Dallas should have won that game!

Alvin Harper on the slant vs. SF. The start of a new dominant era.

Romo botched hold vs. Seattle. Foreshadowed the Romo era in Dallas, misses and disappointment.

Jackie Smith cost the Cowboys the title of Team of the Decade (the 70's). The Steelers had a couple of losing seasons in their 70's run. Another Super Bowl win would have sealed an already stat landslide by the Cowboys. Good play call.

 

[glimmerman]

How about Patrick Crayton dropping a pass against the giants that would have been a TD. Then giving up on another route. The cabo year. Maybe other plays in that game but those were killers. I really thought it was our year..