1973 Dallas Cowboys season

1973 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Clint Murchison, Jr.
General manager	Tex Schramm
Head coach	Tom Landry
Home field	Texas Stadium
Results
Record	10–4
Division place	1st NFC East
Playoff finish	Lost Conference Championship

The 1973 Dallas Cowboys season was their 14th in the league. The team matched their previous output of 10–4. They qualified for the playoffs for the eighth straight season. After a 4-3 start the Cowboys won six of their last seven games to win the NFC East with a solid 10-4 record. In the Divisional Playoffs the Cowboys beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-16 in Texas Stadium to earn their four straight Championship Game Appearance. However, not even the home crowd at Texas Stadium could help the Cowboys as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings 27-10.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result
1	September 16, 1973	at Chicago Bears	W 20–17
2	September 24, 1973	New Orleans Saints	W 40–3
3	September 30, 1973	St. Louis Cardinals	W 45–10
4	October 8, 1973	at Washington Redskins	L 14–7
5	October 14, 1973	at Los Angeles Rams	L 37–31
6	October 21, 1973	New York Giants	W 45–28
7	October 28, 1973	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 30–16
8	November 4, 1973	Cincinnati Bengals	W 38–10
9	November 11, 1973	at New York Giants	W 23–10
10	November 18, 1973	Philadelphia Eagles	W 31–10
11	November 22, 1973	Miami Dolphins	L 14–7
12	December 2, 1973	at Denver Broncos	W 22–10
13	December 9, 1973	Washington Redskins	W 27–7
14	December 16, 1973	at St. Louis Cardinals	W 30–3

Season summary

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 0 17 0 3 20 Bears 3 0 7 7 17 Date: September 16 Location: Soldier Field Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 55°F • Wind 9

Scoring summary 1 CHI Mac Percival 33 yard field goal Bears 3–0 2 DAL Toni Fritsch 25 yard field goal Tie 3–3 2 DAL Otto Stowe 21 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) Cowboys 10–3 2 DAL Bob Hayes 18 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) Cowboys 17–3 3 CHI Ike Hill 59 yard punt return (Mac Percival kick) Cowboys 17–10 4 CHI Carl Garrett 15 yard run (Mac Percival kick) Tie 17–17 4 DAL Toni Fritsch 11 yard field goal Cowboys 20–17

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 3 0 0 3 • Cowboys 12 0 21 7 40 Date: September 24 Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas Game start: 8:00 p.m. Game weather: 76°F; wind 17 Television network: ABC

Scoring summary Q1 DAL Calvin Hill 7 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) DAL 7–0 Q1 DAL Safety, O'Neal tackled by B. Barnes in end zone DAL 9–0 Q1 DAL Toni Fritsch 27 yard field goal DAL 12–0 Q2 NO Happy Feller 9 yard field goal DAL 12–3 Q3 DAL Robert Newhouse 3 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) DAL 19–3 Q3 DAL Robert Newhouse 2 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) DAL 26–3 Q3 DAL Mike Montgomery 7 yard pass from Craig Morton (Toni Fritsch kick) DAL 33–3 Q4 DAL Les Strayhorn 1 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) DAL 40–3

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total Cardinals 0 0 3 7 10 • Cowboys 14 10 7 14 45 Date: September 30 Location: Texas Stadium Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 71°F; wind 5

Scoring summary Q1 DAL DuPree 8 yard pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick) DAL 7–0 Q1 DAL Hill 19 yard run (Fritsch kick) DAL 14–0 Q2 DAL Fritsch 24 yard field goal DAL 17–0 Q2 DAL Staubach 1 yard run (Fritsch kick) DAL 24–0 Q3 STL Bakken 16 yard field goal DAL 24–3 Q3 DAL DuPree 2 yard pass from Staubach DAL 31–3 Q4 DAL Richards 53 yard pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick) DAL 38–3 Q4 STL Anderson 1 yard run (Bakken kick) DAL 38–10 Q4 DAL DuPree 1 yard pass from Staubach (Fritsch kick) DAL 45–10

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 3 7 0 0 10 • Cowboys 0 14 7 10 31 Date: November 18 Location: Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 70°F • Wind 14

Scoring summary 1 PHI Tom Dempsey 17 yard field goal Eagles 3–0 2 PHI Charle Young 80 yard pass from Roman Gabriel (Tom Dempsey kick) Eagles 10–0 2 DAL Roger Staubach 1 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) Eagles 10–7 2 DAL Walt Garrison 2 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) Cowboys 14–10 3 DAL Bob Hayes 28 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) Cowboys 21–10 4 DAL Walt Garrison 1 yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) Cowboys 28–10 4 DAL Toni Fritsch 23 yard field goal Cowboys 31–10

Playoffs

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
Divisional	December 23, 1973	Los Angeles Rams	W 27–16	64,291
Conference Championship	December 30, 1973	Minnesota Vikings	L 27–10	60,272

Standings

NFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Dallas Cowboys	10	4	0	.714	6–2	8–3	382	203	W3
Washington Redskins	10	4	0	.714	6–2	8–3	325	198	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	5	8	1	.393	3–4–1	3–7–1	310	393	L1
St. Louis Cardinals	4	9	1	.321	3–5	4–7	286	365	L1
New York Giants	2	11	1	.179	1–6–1	1–9–1	226	362	L4

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1973 roster
Quarterbacks 14 Craig Morton 12 Roger Staubach Running Backs 32 Walt Garrison FB 35 Calvin Hill 44 Robert Newhouse RB/FB 33 Cyril Pinder 45 Larry Robinson 40 Les Strayhorn Wide Receivers 22 Bob Hayes 23 Mike Montgomery RB 88 Drew Pearson KR 83 Golden Richards PR 82 Otto Stowe Tight Ends 89 Billy Joe DuPree 84 Jean Fugett		Offensive Linemen 64 Jim Arneson G 62 John Fitzgerald C 51 Dave Manders C 73 Ralph Neely T 76 John Niland G 61 Blaine Nye G 71 Rodney Wallace T/G 78 Bruce Walton T 70 Rayfield Wright T Defensive Linemen 63 Larry Cole DE 77 Bill Gregory DT 74 Bob Lilly DT 79 Harvey Martin DE 75 Jethro Pugh DT 67 Pat Toomay DE		Linebackers 53 John Babinecz MLB 56 Rodrigo Barnes OLB 52 Dave Edwards OLB 54 Chuck Howley OLB 55 Lee Roy Jordan MLB 50 D. D. Lewis OLB Defensive Backs 31 Benny Barnes CB 34 Cornell Green SS 43 Cliff Harris FS 20 Mel Renfro CB 46 Mark Washington CB 41 Charlie Waters CB/SS Special Teams 81 Marv Bateman P 17 Mike Clark K 15 Toni Fritsch K		Reserve Lists 57 Mike Keller MLB (IR) Rookies in italics 45 Active, 1 Inactive

Publications

The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2

External links

• 1973 Dallas Cowboys
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Dallas Cowboys Official Site