1988 Dallas Cowboys season
Encyclopedia
1988 was the final year for Cowboys
head coach
Tom Landry
. After the season, the team would undergo drastic changes including a new head coach, and change of ownership from the late Bum Bright
to current owner Jerry Jones
. Notable additions to the team that year include wide receiver
Michael Irvin
, linebacker
Ken Norton Jr. and defensive tackle Chad Hennings
. The 1988 season marked the first time since 1976 that future hall-of-fame running back Tony Dorsett was not on the roster. Dorsett had been relegated to a backup role to Herschel Walker for most of 1987 and was traded to the Denver Broncos during the offseason.
The 1988 season faced hardship from the release of the schedule. In 1987, Dallas (at 7–8) had finished in a 3-way tie for second place in the NFC East and tiebreaking rules gave Dallas the "second place position", even though Dallas finished fifth (last) in the NFC East in 1987 in "union games" (i.e. a strong replacement team had inflated the Boys' '87 record). As a result, their 1988 schedule was primarily against teams that were strong in 1987 (and also in 1988).
Steve Pelluer had won the starting quarterback job from veteran Danny White late in the 1987 season and won the job in training camp for 1988. Early in the season, White appeared briefly in relief roles before suffering a season ending injury in week 7, which elevated Kevin Sweeney to the backup position. Sweeney briefly took over the starting job for Pelluer in weeks 11 and 12, but the results were poor and Pelluer regained the job.
In the season opener, Dallas lost to Pittsburgh, 24–21. The Cowboys had the ball inside the Pittsburgh 10 in the game's closing seconds (in position to tie or win) but Steve Pelluer was intercepted. After a close win over Phoenix in week two, Dallas lost to the New York Giants 12–10 (the margin of defeat being a strange safety on the opening kickoff). A last second goal line stand brought victory over Atlanta in week four but the following week, they Cowboys lost to New Orleans a last second Morten Andersen field goal. Two convincing losses followed and at 2–5, the season was in jeopardy.
In week 8, Dallas traveled to Philadelphia. Bad blood still existed from 1987, when Philadelphia coach Buddy Ryan had (in the game's closing seconds) called a deep pass play while already leading by 10. The Cowboys roared to a 20–0 lead in the first half, but the Eagles came back to win 24–23 by scoring a touchdown on the game's final play. The next week, Dallas blew a 10–0 second half lead to lose to the Phoenix Cardinals and fell to 2–7. Five more losses followed (and the losing streak extended to 10 games) before Dallas upset the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in Week 15 in RFK Stadium (eliminating the Redskins from playoff contention). The Redskins win marked the end of an era (It turned out to be Tom Landry's last win) but was also a harbinger as rookie (and future hall-of-fame) wide receiver Michael Irvin caught three touchdown passes. The team lost the next week at Texas Stadium to Philadelphia and finished 3–13, the worst record in the NFL and the team's worst record since 1960, when they were an expansion team. A bright spot for the season was running back Herschel Walker, who led the NFC in rushing yards.
In addition to Landry, this was also the final season for long-time Cowboys such as President/General Manager Tex Schramm, Personnel Director Gil Brandt, defensive tackle Randy White, quarterback Danny White, Linebacker Mike Hegman and defensive coordinator Ernie Stautner.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
. After the season, the team would undergo drastic changes including a new head coach, and change of ownership from the late Bum Bright
Bum Bright
Harvey Roberts Bright was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys from 1984 to 1989.-Early Life:...
to current owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
. Notable additions to the team that year include wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Ken Norton Jr. and defensive tackle Chad Hennings
Chad Hennings
Chad William Hennings is a former American football defensive lineman for the Air Force Academy Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. He won the Outland Trophy in his senior year of college...
. The 1988 season marked the first time since 1976 that future hall-of-fame running back Tony Dorsett was not on the roster. Dorsett had been relegated to a backup role to Herschel Walker for most of 1987 and was traded to the Denver Broncos during the offseason.
The 1988 season faced hardship from the release of the schedule. In 1987, Dallas (at 7–8) had finished in a 3-way tie for second place in the NFC East and tiebreaking rules gave Dallas the "second place position", even though Dallas finished fifth (last) in the NFC East in 1987 in "union games" (i.e. a strong replacement team had inflated the Boys' '87 record). As a result, their 1988 schedule was primarily against teams that were strong in 1987 (and also in 1988).
Steve Pelluer had won the starting quarterback job from veteran Danny White late in the 1987 season and won the job in training camp for 1988. Early in the season, White appeared briefly in relief roles before suffering a season ending injury in week 7, which elevated Kevin Sweeney to the backup position. Sweeney briefly took over the starting job for Pelluer in weeks 11 and 12, but the results were poor and Pelluer regained the job.
In the season opener, Dallas lost to Pittsburgh, 24–21. The Cowboys had the ball inside the Pittsburgh 10 in the game's closing seconds (in position to tie or win) but Steve Pelluer was intercepted. After a close win over Phoenix in week two, Dallas lost to the New York Giants 12–10 (the margin of defeat being a strange safety on the opening kickoff). A last second goal line stand brought victory over Atlanta in week four but the following week, they Cowboys lost to New Orleans a last second Morten Andersen field goal. Two convincing losses followed and at 2–5, the season was in jeopardy.
In week 8, Dallas traveled to Philadelphia. Bad blood still existed from 1987, when Philadelphia coach Buddy Ryan had (in the game's closing seconds) called a deep pass play while already leading by 10. The Cowboys roared to a 20–0 lead in the first half, but the Eagles came back to win 24–23 by scoring a touchdown on the game's final play. The next week, Dallas blew a 10–0 second half lead to lose to the Phoenix Cardinals and fell to 2–7. Five more losses followed (and the losing streak extended to 10 games) before Dallas upset the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in Week 15 in RFK Stadium (eliminating the Redskins from playoff contention). The Redskins win marked the end of an era (It turned out to be Tom Landry's last win) but was also a harbinger as rookie (and future hall-of-fame) wide receiver Michael Irvin caught three touchdown passes. The team lost the next week at Texas Stadium to Philadelphia and finished 3–13, the worst record in the NFL and the team's worst record since 1960, when they were an expansion team. A bright spot for the season was running back Herschel Walker, who led the NFC in rushing yards.
In addition to Landry, this was also the final season for long-time Cowboys such as President/General Manager Tex Schramm, Personnel Director Gil Brandt, defensive tackle Randy White, quarterback Danny White, Linebacker Mike Hegman and defensive coordinator Ernie Stautner.
NFL Draft
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
Michael Irvin Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his... |
Wide Receiver | |Miami |
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 4, 1988 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 24–21 | |
| September 12, 1988 | at Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–14 | |
| September 18, 1988 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 12–10 | |
| September 25, 1988 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26–20 | |
| October 3, 1988 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 20–17 | |
| October 9, 1988 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 35–17 | |
| October 16, 1988 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–7 | |
| October 23, 1988 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24–23 | |
| October 30, 1988 | Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 16–10 | |
| November 6, 1988 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 29–21 | |
| November 13, 1988 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 43–3 | |
| November 20, 1988 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 38–24 | |
| November 24, 1988 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 25–17 | |
| December 4, 1988 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24–21 | |
| December 11, 1988 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 24–17 | |
| December 18, 1988 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–7 |
Standings
| NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time since 1981.-Player Selections:The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 379 | 319 |
| New York Giants 1988 New York Giants season The 1988 New York Giants season was the 64th season for the club in the National Football League. The team would finish with 10 wins and 6 losses, but a loss to the New York Jets in the season finale would keep them out of the NFL playoffs for the second consecutive season... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 359 | 304 |
| Washington Redskins 1988 Washington Redskins season The 1988 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 11-4 record from 1987, when they won Super Bowl XXII. The Redskins failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 345 | 387 |
| Phoenix Cardinals 1988 Phoenix Cardinals season -NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 344 | 398 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 265 | 381 |
Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 1988 roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Kevin Gogan Kevin Patrick Gogan is a former professional American football player who played guard for 14 seasons in the National Football League from 1987 to 2000... T/G Crawford Ker Crawford Francis Ker is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Ker played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas... G Nate Newton Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985... G Tom Rafferty Thomas Michael Rafferty is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL. He attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, New York, and went on to start four years for coach Joe Paterno at Penn State University earning All-American honors in 1975.-Early years:Rafferty attended... C Daryle Smith Daryle Ray Smith was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys in 1987 and 1988, the Cleveland Browns in 1989, and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1990 through 1992. He was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and played college football at the... T Glen Titensor Glen Weston Titensor is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League... C/G Dave Widell David Harold Widell, Jr. is a former American football guard and tackle who played 11 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Atlanta Falcons. He was a part of the Atlanta Falcons' Super Bowl XXXIII losing team... T Jeff Zimmerman Jeffrey Ross Zimmerman is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1999-2001 for the Texas Rangers.-Independent baseball:... G Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
Garry Cobb Garry Wilbert Cobb is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League and current radio personality on WIP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the author of a book entitled Don't Be Clueless: 7 Keys to Life in the Real World, which is targeted to the challenges of urban youth... OLB Steve DeOssie Steven Leonard DeOssie is a former American football linebacker and long snapper. DeOssie played college football at Boston College, and went on to play in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots... MLB Garth Jax James Garth Jax is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals... OLB Eugene Lockhart Eugene Lockhart, Jr. is a former American football linebacker who played for nine seasons in the National Football League from 1984 to 1992... MLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Currently vacant Rookies in italics 46 Active, 0 Inactive |
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