What is the most important play in Cowboys history

[dogberry]

Was there an important play in the 60s that took us to those two games against Green Bay?

 

[Dion2288]

This will always be my favorite for one reason. "The Catch". I grew up a Cowboys fan in 49er/Raider country. and Whiner fans would never shut up about "The Catch" or fail to rub it in my face every chance they could. I got to watch the 92 NFC championship game as the lone Cowboys fan in a house full of Whiner fans. It was funny because up until that play they all still thought they were going to win even though they were behind. Already asking me if I want to attend their 49ers Super Bowl party. Aikman to Harper. The stupid shocked look that came across all their faces more than made up for years of hearing about "The Catch". I couldn't help but laugh with delight at them, and don't think the smile came off my face for a week. They're still my friends, but they were pretty mad for a week.

Sounds exactly like my story. My first football memory was The D**N Catch. Airman to Harper brought me peace, and bragging rights for the next several years.

 

[jobberone]

Was there an important play in the 60s that took us to those two games against Green Bay?

Yes. The biggest play in the first game came with us near their goal line with a first down at the two with us down by a TD 34-37 and little time remaining. Reeves ran one yard to the one then a false start put the ball near the 6. Reeves dropped a screen pass then Meredith completed a pass to near the 2. On fourth down we called a play but had the wrong personnel on the field. Meredith got flushed and threw the ball up for an INT in desperation. That fourth down play and the Ice Bowl play sealed our fate until the 6th SB and kept the Packers on top. I watched the first game on our first color TV (which was kind of greenish). I was 16 years old and I still remember that play like yesterday.

You could pick either of those negative plays or the catch. Or the tipped pass for a TD in SB V. Or you could pick a positive play like the Lilly play or the Pearson catch. I like the Lilly play because that game put us over the top. However, we dominated that game like no other SB so I wouldn't quibble about another play. That was a great play though wasn't it?

 

[Wood]

I didn't see the game but I have always believed the 'hail mary' pass by Stauback in 1975 defined the Cowboys for long time.

 

[Red Dragon]

The other one is the drop on the SB by Jackie Smith - we would have won that game and would have changed the perception of the Cowboys/Steelers teams of the 70's, early 80's.

It would only have tied the game, not won it. Had Smith made that catch the game would be tied 21-21. There is no telling whether Dallas would have won eventually or not.

 

[jobberone]

Was there an important play in the 60s that took us to those two games against Green Bay?

Sorry I didn't read that carefully enough. The biggest game of the 1966 season was the Thanksgiving game which was the first we played. It was at the Cotton Bowl of course and was a pleasant day in the low 70s. Why it was important was because Cleveland and Dallas were in the same division the Atlantic and we were the best teams.

We were 7-2-1 and Cleveland 7-3 going into the game so the winner would be the front runner for the division title. We hadn't exactly done well against Cleveland having lost our first game with them 30-21. The Vegas line was 0 so they actually were a little favorite playing us at home. I don't remember the game although I watched it so I don't know of any big plays. Both teams played well and both had a little over 300 yds passing and over a 100 rushing. Kelly was held to a little over a 100 which is ok for him. Perkins did about the same. Meredith completed more passes but for less yds than Ryan did. Warfield only caught one pass and Hayes about five. But the win put us a game and a half up and we held that the rest of the year with both teams losing one more game on the next to last game of the year, Cleveland to Philly and us to Wash. We beat NY for the title the final week then hosted GB in the NFL CC game in the Cotton Bowl on Jan 1 for an evening game.

The next year we went 9-5 but we beat Cleveland in the first regular season game and again for the Div CC game. We beat the mess out of them so I can't give you a big play. They never were in the game and we had them down 52-7 until Warfield scored on a 75 yd TD pass late in the game for a final score of 52-14. Then we went to GB for the Ice Bowl and unfortunately the games big play went against us. The Cleveland game was such a satisfying game. We beat mighty Cleveland.

One play and we could have been in the first two SBs. And we should have beaten Balt in SB V. The losses to Cleveland the years between were difficult. From 66 to 83 with one exception we had a great team each year.

 

[dogberry]

Jobberone no complaint from me.

I liked both answers. I'm open to better questions than mine being asked/answered.

My recollection of the 60s was that Cleveland was the team we had to get by on our way to the top.

 

[Biggems]

I say the last play of the Ice Bowl....we get that stop, perhaps the Lombardi Trophy is named the Landry Trophy.

 

[jobberone]

Jobberone no complaint from me.

I liked both answers. I'm open to better questions than mine being asked/answered.

My recollection of the 60s was that Cleveland was the team we had to get by on our way to the top.

And you'd be right. The 68 and 69 seasons were difficult to bear the end.

 

[Idgit]

Not a winner, but I'd say that last pass to Emmitt with the separated shoulder in 1993 against the Giants in week 18 to keep get into FG range and keep that Superbowl season going deserves some honorable mention.

 

[Bay10]

I was rewatching the 92 playoffs this weekend what a great o line Troy was blessed with. I know #9 could get it done if he had some help. Aikman to Harper is beautiful!

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Steve Peuller throwing an interception in the endzone in '88. A touchdown/win would have dropped Dallas to the 2nd pick in the '89 draft, costing them Aikman.

 

[percyhoward]

Great question.

Hail Mary.

 

[WV Cowboy]

The drop. Its the difference between us having 6 superbowls and the Steelers having 5. By far the biggest play in Cowboys history.

It is not the most memorable or the most important, but the one that popped into my mind right off the bat was Neil Odonnell's INT to Larry Brown at the end of the Super Bowl XXX.

Momentum had shifted and I was more than a little worried.

If they win that game, they have seven and we have four Super Bowls, we don't win three in four years, .. and we are not the team of the 90's.

 

[lurkercowboy]

It would only have tied the game, not won it. Had Smith made that catch the game would be tied 21-21. There is no telling whether Dallas would have won eventually or not.

True. Randy White fumbling that kickoff was a big play also. I remember thinking during the game that the Jackie Smith drop was not a huge deal. White fumbling and the Steelers getting another quick TD, then I started worrying a little bit.

Actually, I thought Dallas would win up until the final onside kick failed. I guess I was an optimist.

 

[erod]

Hail Mary, hands down.

JMO

Not sure you were trying to be ironic, but.......LOL!

 

[RSM94]

I can't see how anybody can point to an instance of failure (Jackie Smith, etc.) and say that it was the most important play in Cowboys History. The question was "most important", not "most painful"!!! Before the first Super Bowl victory, the Boys were known as choke artists, so it has to be some play in Super Bowl VI. I was thinking about what the defining play in the Boys first Super Bowl victory was and I agree with Chuck 54 - the Lilly sack of Griese.

 

[Clove]

I say Aikman to Harper on the slant in the 92 NFC Championship.

I"m nearly 43 and I'll go with this here. The Super power in the 90s was San Fran, and going into their hostile environment with a horrible field, we were expected to lose badly, and they were catching up. And then Aikman calmly (clutchly) threw a quick slant because of a heavy rush to Harper, who basically sealed it.

That play started us on a journey we've not seen in 17 years. Just a couple of years prior to that, we were the whipping boys of football.

 

[TNCowboy]

I'm too young to have any appreciation for the hail mary as it impacted the team, so to me, the most significant play is - by far - Aikman to Harper in the '92 NFCC.

I have very few memories prior to the '77 season (or thereabouts). But I can painfully remember the Jackie Smith drop. And the "No, Danny, no!" Commander game. And "the Catch". But from a positive slant, it's Aikman/Harper by a mile.

 

[joseephuss]

I would have to say the Montana to Clark TD in the NFC title game. It changed the direction of each franchise for over a decade.

No, it didn't change the direction of either franchise. Even if that play didn't happen both franchises were already headed in the direction they were headed. The following season San Francisco went 3-6(strike season) and failed to make the playoffs. Dallas went 6-3 and made it to another NFC Championship game.