Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 54

It is Day 54 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are trying again on the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys historical past. The countdown will leads us proper up to the opening recreation of 2026. Our look again doesn’t rely on only one standards for our rankings. We consider issues like how huge the sport was for the group, how memorable the sport was, games that had uncommon occasions happen, games which are part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games the place the Cowboys simply plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we’ve all completely different type of Cowboys games to assessment. At the underside, we’ll hyperlink every day of the countdown so you’ll be able to return and take a look at any you missed.

Welcome again and to Day 54 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, once we revisit a rivalry recreation with large NFC East leverage and a wierd historic twist. This regular-season finale was extra attention-grabbing than others as a result of the Cowboys wanted to win by 25 factors or extra to take the division tiebreaker. What got here was all out warfare between the 2 rivals.

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Sunday, December 21, 1980 — 4:00 p.m. ET

Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 35, Philadelphia Eagles 27

The setup for this recreation in 1980 was huge. Philadelphia entered the ultimate week at 12-3, Dallas was 11-4, and each groups had already clinched playoff spots. The Eagles solely wanted to keep away from shedding by 25 or extra to win the division. That sounded comfy as a result of Philadelphia had not allowed greater than 24 factors in any recreation all season. But Tom Landry’s workforce had different concepts, and the Cowboys got here out with an aggressive plan designed to make the Eagles really feel each little bit of that tiebreaker strain.

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Dallas began quick. Danny White scored on a one-yard run within the first quarter, then hit Tony Hill for a 36-yard landing within the second. White added a nine-yard landing move to Preston Pearson, and all of the sudden the Cowboys had been up 21-0 at halftime, the dream was coming true. In a recreation the place margin mattered virtually as a lot because the end result, Dallas had turned the afternoon into an actual division-title chase.

Philadelphia lastly answered within the third quarter on a one-yard Louie Giammona landing run, however Dallas saved making use of strain. White discovered Drew Pearson for an 11-yard landing, and after a Tony Franklin area objective made it 28-10, White struck once more within the fourth quarter with a 15-yard landing to Billy Joe DuPree. The Cowboys led 35-10, precisely the 25-point margin they wanted to steal the division and Texas Stadium was louder than ever.

The Eagles had been shedding the sport, however they had been nonetheless preventing the standings math, only a few factors would assist maintain their high spot. Ron Jaworski hit Rodney Parker for a 30-yard landing, Franklin added a 19-yard area objective, and Wilbert Montgomery scored from six yards out. Dallas nonetheless gained 35-27, however Philadelphia had trimmed the margin to eight and preserved the NFC East crown.

The numbers for the sport had been wild. Philadelphia truly outgained Dallas 407 whole yards to 340, with 323 web passing yards, whereas Dallas managed the scoreboard via effectivity. White threw 4 landing passes and ran for an additional rating. Hill caught 4 passes for 110 yards and a landing, Drew Pearson had six catches for 65 yards and a rating, and the Cowboys ran for 168 yards as a workforce.

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This recreation belongs on the countdown as a result of it was a win with a catch. The Cowboys beat their greatest division challenger, completed 12-4, stayed good at dwelling, and proved they may rating on Philadelphia’s elite protection. But as a result of the Eagles survived the margin, Dallas had to go the wildcard route. This regular-season finale was one of many strangest rivalry wins in Cowboys historical past. It was satisfying on the scoreboard, irritating within the standings, and loaded with playoff penalties.