The Cowboys scored 299 points and allowed 221 points. For the fifth consecutive season, the Cowboys finished first in their division. In 1970, the club made its debut on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 38–0. The Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl and lost to the Baltimore Colts.
Regular season
The Cowboys had to overcome many obstacles during the regular season. Fullback Calvin Hill, the team's second leading rusher with 577 yards and 4 touchdowns, was lost for the year after suffering a leg injury late in the regular season. And wide receiver Bob Hayes was benched by head coach Tom Landry for poor performances on several occasions.
Most significantly, the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy between Craig Morton and Roger Staubach. Morton and Staubach alternated as the starting quarterback during the regular season, but Landry eventually chose Morton to start Super Bowl V because he felt less confident that Staubach would follow his game plan (Landry called all of Morton's plays in Super Bowl V).[1] Also, Morton had done extremely well in the regular season, throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 89.8. In contrast, Staubach, although a noted scrambler and able to salvage broken plays effectively, threw for 542 yards, and only 2 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions, giving him a 42.9 rating.
Hayes was the main deep threat on the team, catching 34 passes for 889 yards (a 26.1 yards per catch average) and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 4 times for 34 yards and another touchdown, and adding another 116 yards returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver Lance Rentzel recorded 28 receptions for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns.
However, the main strength on the Cowboys offense was their running game. Rookie running back Duane Thomas rushed 151 times for 803 yards (a 5.1 yards per carry average) and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 416 yards returning kickoffs. Fullback Walt Garrison, who replaced the injured Hill, provided Thomas with excellent blocking and rushed for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Garrison was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 21 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Up front, Pro Bowl guard John Niland and future Hall of Famer tackle Rayfield Wright anchored the offensive line.
The Cowboys had their lowest regular season (6–2 vs. Cleveland Browns) and playoff (5–0 vs. Detroit Lions) scoring games in franchise history.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1970-09-20 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–7 | Franklin Field | |
| 2 | 1970-09-27 | New York Giants | W 28–10 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 3 | 1970-10-04 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 20–7 | Busch Memorial Stadium | |
| 4 | 1970-10-11 | Atlanta Falcons | W 13–0 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 5 | 1970-10-18 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 54–13 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 6 | 1970-10-25 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 27–16 | Municipal Stadium | |
| 7 | 1970-11-01 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–17 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 8 | 1970-11-08 | at New York Giants | L 23–20 | Yankee Stadium | |
| 9 | 1970-11-16 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 38–0 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 10 | 1970-11-22 | at Washington Redskins | W 45–21 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | |
| 11 | 1970-11-26 | Green Bay Packers | W 16–3 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 12 | 1970-12-06 | Washington Redskins | W 34–0 | Cotton Bowl | |
| 13 | 1970-12-12 | at Cleveland Browns | W 6–2 | Cleveland Stadium | |
| 14 | 1970-12-20 | Houston Oilers | W 52–10 | Cotton Bowl |
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