Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

VERY MANY to be mentioned starting with (as just mentioned on a recent thread - Troup's journal) the Cowboys very first game - Opening Day 1960 at the Cotton Bowl - Bobby Lane & Eddie LeBaron combining for 600+ passing yards (Tom Tracy's 70-yd 3rdQ TD pass to Dial bringing the grand total above 700), Dallas leading after both 1st & 2nd Qs, game tied after 3 at 28-apiece. Plenty of matchups between those two in the '60s, playing each other every year in that decade, against each other twice from '61 thru '66. Of course there was Opening Night MNF '82, Dallas's 17-game opener-win-streak being snapped by a Steeler team that no longer was better than them. Then the pair of '90s Opening Day drubbings in '94 & '97 that Cowher suffered to Switzer at home. Big Ben's "coming-out" party, of sorts, vs the Tuna & Testeverde at Big D in '04. The last time the two met in '12 - Dallas winning at home in OT - amongst MANY others!

Both the 1977 and 1979 games were notable for being Super Bowl rematches, although there was nothing special about the games themselves, with the Steelers winning both in mundane fashion. The 1982 opener is the only Monday night meeting between the two squads, and was an outstanding game. In 2004, the Steelers staged two fourth quarter touchdowns to rally for a win, and then pulled off the same feat four years' later scoring two TDs in the final two MINUTES, the last being a pick six by Deshea Townsend. Dallas' 27-24 win in 2012 was the only overtime game of the series.

The game at Pitt Stadium in 1969 is a little significant for it was the last time the Steelers wore white jerseys in the series.

MatthewToy wrote:The game at Pitt Stadium in 1969 is a little significant for it was the last time the Steelers wore white jerseys in the series.

Not to mention being the first meeting between Landry and Noll. The game was a slopfest, with rain coming throughout the game. Predictably, the final score was 10-7, with the Cowboys clinching the Capitol Division.

In the final two minutes, the Steelers had a pair of chances to win, but they got stopped on 4th-and-8 at the Dallas 37. Then, they got it down to the Cowboy 20 in the closing seconds but couldn't get another play off.

BD Sullivan wrote:

MatthewToy wrote:The game at Pitt Stadium in 1969 is a little significant for it was the last time the Steelers wore white jerseys in the series.

Not to mention being the first meeting between Landry and Noll. The game was a slopfest, with rain coming throughout the game. Predictably, the final score was 10-7, with the Cowboys clinching the Capitol Division.

In the final two minutes, the Steelers had a pair of chances to win, but they got stopped on 4th-and-8 at the Dallas 37. Then, they got it down to the Cowboy 20 in the closing seconds but couldn't get another play off.

The last game between Noll and Landry, Opening Day '88 at Three Rivers, actually was a competitve game. Best the game was scheduled when it was as opposed to, say, November when it was already 'official' that both franchises were each at their lowest point in decades. But it was Opening Day so there was enough reason for hope at the moment for both teams who finished 8-7 & 7-8 respectively the previous year (Steelers giving defending-Champ Washington a game at RFK the following week and Dallas's 2-2 start delaying the inevitable a bit longer). It would be Michael Irvin's first NFL game and off to a promising start scoring a 35-yd 3rdQ TD (burning Rod Woodson in the process, I believe; correct me if I'm wrong). He also could have scored the game-winning TD end of game, but Pelleur overlooked him all alone in the endzone. Final score, Pittsburgh 24 Dallas 21, Steelers not winning again until Week #8. Mike Webster's final year as a Steeler, Landry's final year-period.

Next Steeler/Cowboys matchup, three years later, would be in Noll's final season going up against Jimmy Johnson on Turkey Day. Considering how mighty the 'Burgh struggled in '91 (getting crushed at home vs Wash two weeks prior, 14-41, being the season nadir) they played Dallas, now playoff-caliber and a year away from you-know-what, pretty respectable closing the gap to 3 late in the game. Yes, Aikman was out but Bueurlein more than an ample replacement who would then go on to toss a 66-yard TD to Irvin to make it Dallas 20 Steelers 10 final.

Those next two in '94 and '97 couldn't have been scheduled at worse times. Of course Dallas was the better team in the '90s (okay, not in '97), but Steelers in the Cowher Era were hardly one to start strong out the gate. As the season would wear on, especially in December, they would gain momentum and be at their best. A late-season MNF matchup between these two in '94 would have been much better. SBXXX wasn't exactly played on Opening Day. As better and more disciplined Jimmy's Boys were than Switzer's, had JJ still been at helm in SBXXX the Steelers would have still given a respectable showing IMO. That aerial show in 8/31/97 that I'd rather forget (although I knew at the time it was just an anomaly; knew they weren't at all that bad, would still make playoffs) I'm guessing is Aikman's best ever output. I firmly believe had he been in a more pass-happy offense, Troy may have ended up with Marino-like numbers if however at the expense of Rings.

Landry's and Noll's combined first season record: 1-24-1. Of course, one was coaching an expansion team and the other might as well have been. The difference was that Landry came full circle, going out with a 3-13 team, while Noll ended up with a 7-9 mark in 1991.

BD Sullivan wrote:Landry's and Noll's combined first season record: 1-24-1. Of course, one was coaching an expansion team and the other might as well have been. The difference was that Landry came full circle, going out with a 3-13 team, while Noll ended up with a 7-9 mark in 1991.

Yeah but were they a 'weak' 7-9 (having to 'rally' to that record w back-to-back wins at home, each 17-10 vs weak Cincy & Clev)? They themselves at times seemed to play like a 3-13 that season. Getting destroyed by both SB-participants-to-be along with Seattle, also to go 7-9, whipping them good at Three Rivers making such a case. That FWIW 3-2 start, playing both Dallas & especially Denver close on the road making the opposing case. Their spilt series with Houston making it either-or (Oilers demolishing them in the second contest, 31-6). Though ending things, in front of his fans, by beating a team that gave them trouble the past decade (actually sweeping them in '91) and then beating Hoodie in the finale, it was a sad ending for Noll (losing to Kotite & Handley no help). Most likely it was time to move on but wondering if Steelers, on a roll down the stretch, tasting a division title/2nd straight playoff berth going into the previous year's finale (Moon out) only to go completely flat vs a man named Cody may have knocked the wind out of their sails (hangover effect) for '91.

The regular season game I most remember between those two teams was in 1985 at Texas Stadium, because it was the first Cowboy victory over the Steelers I saw. Dallas came at 4-1 and Pittsburgh at 2-3, and Tony Dorsett gained nearly 200 yards from scrimmage, with two long touchdowns, while Eugene Lockhart returned an interception back for aanother touchdown and Dallas won 27-13.

Teo wrote:The regular season game I most remember between those two teams was in 1985 at Texas Stadium, because it was the first Cowboy victory over the Steelers I saw. Dallas came at 4-1 and Pittsburgh at 2-3, and Tony Dorsett gained nearly 200 yards from scrimmage, with two long touchdowns, while Eugene Lockhart returned an interception back for aanother touchdown and Dallas won 27-13.

he also cracked 10,000 rushing yards for his career, including this nifty TD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEizb3cWzOI

In 1972, the Cowboys beat the Steelers 17 to 13 in Dallas. 1972 was the first year that the Steelers were a contender during the Noll/Bradshaw era, and the last time that Pittsburgh lost to Dallas during that era. I think that Pittsburgh didn't know how good they were yet. It was about the 5th game of the 1972 season.