The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the National Football League (NFL). The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Rookie running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys (first since 1973) to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. Dallas scored 345 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while its defense only gave up 212 points. Dallas finished with a 12–2 record (tied with 1968 for the best record in the Landry era). The Cowboys made it to their fourth Super Bowl and beat the Denver Broncos to capture their second Super Bowl title. They were the first team from the NFC East Division to win two Super Bowls. Their .880 record (including the postseason) remains the highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history. The Cowboys became the 4th team in NFL history to win two Super Bowls, joining the Packers, Dolphins, and Steelers. As in 1975, the Cowboys did not play this season on Thanksgiving, again replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals. The 1977 Cowboys ranked #17 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.

Offseason

To improve their running game, the Cowboys orchestrated a big trade with the Seattle Seahawks, moving up in the NFL draft to acquire running back Tony Dorsett, the Heisman Trophy winner from national champion Pittsburgh. With the retirement of Lee Roy Jordan, Bob Breunig became the starting middle linebacker, Randy White was moved to defensive tackle, and Thomas Henderson became a starter at strongside linebacker, turning the defense into a dominant unit.

Draft

Undrafted free agents

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

Roster

Game summaries

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 2: vs. New York Giants

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 4: at St. Louis Cardinals

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 8: at New York Giants

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11: at Washington Redskins

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

Postseason

NFC Divisional Playoff

NFC Championship Game

Super Bowl XII

Season recap

With an improved offense and defense, the Cowboys finished with a 12–2 regular season record, breezing through the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 37–7 in the divisional round, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23–6 in the NFC Championship Game and winning Super Bowl XII 27–10 against the Denver Broncos. Dorsett set a franchise rookie record with 1,007 rushing yards. Defensive end Harvey Martin had one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL player. In a 14-game season he totaled 85 tackles and an estimated league-leading 23 sacks (more than Michael Strahan's 22.5 record in 16 games), he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-Pro selection, was a key player in the Cowboys winning Super Bowl XII, and a co-MVP of the game with Randy White.

Awards and records

Publications