1984 Dallas Cowboys season

1984 Dallas Cowboys season
Head Coach	Tom Landry
Home Field	Texas Stadium
Results
Record	9–7
Place	4th in NFC East
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1983	1985

The Cowboys finished the 1984 season with a record of nine wins and seven losses, and missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. A division record of 3–5 caused them to finish fourth in the NFC East, despite equaling the overall records of the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. The Cowboys went through major changes during the offseason, as key players Drew Pearson, Billy Joe Dupree, Harvey Martin, Robert Newhouse, and Pat Donovan all retired, and Butch Johnson was traded to the Denver Broncos. Adding to the overhaul, Gary Hogeboom replaced Danny White as the starting quarterback in preseason, and a quarterback controversy ensued throughout the season. After a 4–1 start, Hogeboom played poorly in losses to St. Louis and Washington, and was replaced by White in both games. The following week against New Orleans, White had to relieve Hogeboom again, this time after Hogeboom injured his right wrist early in the second half. White led the Cowboys to victory, overcoming a 21 point deficit in the fourth quarter. White started the next two games, but after a poor performance by both quarterbacks against the Giants, Hogeboom regained the starting position. The constant change at quarterback didn't help the team's inconsistent play, and they reached their nadir at Buffalo late in the season, suffering a humiliating 14–3 loss at the hands of the winless Bills. Afterwards, White would go onto to start at quarterback for the rest of the season. Still, for all the turmoil surrounding the Cowboys, they held a 9–5 record going into the season's final two weeks, and were tied for the division lead. However, two heartbreaking losses to the Redskins (a game in which the Cowboys led 21–6 at halftime) and Dolphins ended the Cowboys' string of postseason appearances at nine.

The Cowboys perennially potent offense fell into disarray during the 1984 season. The offensive line was ravaged by injury and retirement, and Cowboy quarterbacks were under duress all season. The line also struggled to open holes for the running game, despite another productive season from Tony Dorsett, who rushed for 1189 yards. Turnovers were another source of frustration, as the offense turned it over 42 times. The defense once again featured a strong pass rush, led by perennial all-pro defensive tackle Randy White, as well as an opportunistic secondary, with safety Michael Downs leading the way with seven interceptions. However, stopping the run was a problem throughout the season, as the defense allowed 4.4 yards per carry.

1984 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Name	Position	School
1	25	Billy Cannon, Jr.	Linebacker	Texas A&M
2	40	Victor Scott	Safety	Colorado
3	81	Fred Cornwell	Tight End	USC
4	110	Steve DeOssie	Linebacker	Boston College
5	113	Steve Pelluer	Quarterback	Washington
5	137	Norm Granger	Running Back	Iowa
6	152	Eugene Lockhart	Linebacker	Houston
6	166	Joe Levelis	Offensive Guard	Iowa
7	193	Ed Martin	Linebacker	Indiana State
8	222	Mike Revell	Running Back	Bethune-Cookman
9	232	John Hunt	Offensive Guard	Florida
9	249	Neil Maune	Offensive Guard	Notre Dame
10	278	Brian Salonen	Tight End	Montana
11	304	Dowe Aughtman	Defensive Tackle	Auburn
12	334	Carl Lewis	Wide Receiver	Houston

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1984 roster
Quarterbacks 14 Gary Hogeboom 16 Steve Pelluer 11 Danny White P Running Backs 31 Gary Allen RS 33 Tony Dorsett 28 Norm Granger 23 James Jones 35 Chuck McSwain 30 Timmy Newsome FB/RB 20 Ron Springs FB Wide Receivers 83 Doug Donley 86 Duriel Harris 80 Tony Hill 81 Kirk Phillips 82 Mike Renfro Tight Ends 85 Fred Cornwell 84 Doug Cosbie 89 Brian Salonen		Offensive Linemen 62 Brian Baldinger G/T 79 John Hunt T 73 Syd Kitson C/G 65 Kurt Petersen G 75 Phil Pozderac T 64 Tom Rafferty C 68 Herbert Scott T/G 63 Glen Titensor G/C Defensive Linemen 76 Dowe Aughtman DT 78 John Dutton DT 77 Jim Jeffcoat DE 72 Ed Jones DE 60 Don Smerek DE/DT 71 Mark Tuinei DT/OT 54 Randy White DT		Linebackers 55 Steve DeOssie MLB 51 Anthony Dickerson OLB 58 Mike Hegman OLB 56 Eugene Lockhart MLB 50 Jeff Rohrer OLB 57 Jimmie Turner OLB Defensive Backs 36 Vince Albritton SS 40 Bill Bates SS 47 Dextor Clinkscale SS 26 Michael Downs FS 27 Ron Fellows CB 22 Victor Scott FS 32 Dennis Thurman CB 24 Everson Walls CB Special Teams  1 Rafael Septien K  5 John Warren P		Reserve Lists Currently vacant Rookies in italics 49 Active, 0 Inactive

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Game site	NFL Recap	Attendance
1	September 3, 1984	at Los Angeles Rams	W 20–13	Anaheim Stadium	[1]	65,403
2	September 9, 1984	at New York Giants	L 7–28	Giants Stadium	[2]	75,921
3	September 16, 1984	Philadelphia Eagles	W 23–17	Texas Stadium	[3]	64,521
4	September 23, 1984	Green Bay Packers	W 20–6	Texas Stadium	[4]	64,222
5	September 30, 1984	at Chicago Bears	W 23–14	Soldier Field	[5]	63,623
6	October 7, 1984	St. Louis Cardinals	L 20–31	Texas Stadium	[6]	61,438
7	October 14, 1984	at Washington Redskins	L 14–34	RFK Stadium	[7]	55,431
8	October 21, 1984	New Orleans Saints	W 30–27 OT	Texas Stadium	[8]	50,966
9	October 28, 1984	Indianapolis Colts	W 22–3	Texas Stadium	[9]	58,724
10	November 4, 1984	New York Giants	L 7–19	Texas Stadium	[10]	60,235
11	November 11, 1984	at St. Louis Cardinals	W 24–17	Busch Memorial Stadium	[11]	48,721
12	November 18, 1984	at Buffalo Bills	L 3–14	Rich Stadium	[12]	74,391
13	November 22, 1984	New England Patriots	W 20–17	Texas Stadium	[13]	55,341
14	December 2, 1984	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 26–10	Veterans Stadium	[14]	66,322
15	December 9, 1984	Washington Redskins	L 28–30	Texas Stadium	[15]	64,286
16	December 17, 1984	at Miami Dolphins	L 21–28	Orange Bowl	[16]	74,139

Standings

NFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Washington Redskins	11	5	0	.688	426	310	W-4
Dallas Cowboys	9	7	0	.563	308	308	L-2
St. Louis Cardinals	9	7	0	.563	423	345	L-1
New York Giants	9	7	0	.563	308	308	L-2
Philadelphia Eagles	6	9	1	.406	278	320	L-1

Awards

The Cowboys had three players represent them in the pro bowl: Randy White, Doug Cosbie, and Bill Bates, who became the first player (along with the Seattle Seahawks' Fredd Young) to be chosen for the pro bowl for outstanding play on special teams coverage units. White was named to the associated press' All-NFL first team for his play at defensive tackle, while safety Michael Downs was named second team All-NFL, despite being overlooked for the pro bowl.

References

1. The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
2. Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
3. [17]
4. [18]
5. [19]