1971 Dallas Cowboys season

1971 Dallas Cowboys season
Head coach	Tom Landry
General manager	Tex Schramm
Owner	Clint Murchison, Jr.
Home field	Cotton Bowl Texas Stadium
Results
Record	11–3
Division place	1st NFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 20–12 Won Conference Championship (49ers) 14–3 Won Super Bowl VI (Dolphins) 24–3
← 1970 Cowboys seasons 1972 →

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 0 21 7 14 42 Eagles 0 0 0 7 7 Date: September 26 Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 59°F; wind 7

Scoring summary Q2 DAL Hill 1 yard run (Clark kick) DAL 7–0 Q2 DAL Lilly 7 yard fumble return (Clark kick) DAL 14–0 Q2 DAL Garrison 4 yard pass from Morton (Clark kick) DAL 21–0 Q3 DAL Richardson 16 yard pass from Morton (Clark kick) DAL 28–0 Q4 DAL Morton 2 yard run (Clark kick) DAL 35–0 Q4 DAL Welch 2 yard run (Clark kick) DAL 42–0 Q4 PHI Nelson 102 yard field goal return (Feller kick) DAL 42–7

Scoring summary
Q2		DAL	Hill 1 yard run (Clark kick)	DAL 7–0
Q2		DAL	Lilly 7 yard fumble return (Clark kick)	DAL 14–0
Q2		DAL	Garrison 4 yard pass from Morton (Clark kick)	DAL 21–0
Q3		DAL	Richardson 16 yard pass from Morton (Clark kick)	DAL 28–0
Q4		DAL	Morton 2 yard run (Clark kick)	DAL 35–0
Q4		DAL	Welch 2 yard run (Clark kick)	DAL 42–0
Q4		PHI	Nelson 102 yard field goal return (Feller kick)	DAL 42–7

1 2 3 4 Total Giants 3 3 0 7 13 • Cowboys 3 10 7 0 20 Date: October 11 Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas Game start: 8:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: 64°F • Wind 7 Referee: Tommy Bell TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith

Scoring summary 1 DAL Mike Clark 42-yard field goal Cowboys 3–0 1 NYG Pete Gogolak 35-yard field goal Tie 3–3 2 DAL Mike Clark 41-yard field goal Cowboys 6–3 2 NYG Pete Gogolak 20-yard field goal Tie 6–6 2 DAL Billy Truax 4-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 13–6 3 DAL Bob Hayes 48-yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 20–6 4 NYG Clifton McNeil 24-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick) Cowboys 20–13

Scoring summary
1		DAL	Mike Clark 42-yard field goal	Cowboys 3–0
1		NYG	Pete Gogolak 35-yard field goal	Tie 3–3
2		DAL	Mike Clark 41-yard field goal	Cowboys 6–3
2		NYG	Pete Gogolak 20-yard field goal	Tie 6–6
2		DAL	Billy Truax 4-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 13–6
3		DAL	Bob Hayes 48-yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 20–6
4		NYG	Clifton McNeil 24-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 20–13

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 7 0 0 14 21 • Cowboys 10 24 0 10 44 Date: October 24 Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas Game start: 1:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: 62°F • Wind 6 Referee: Fred Wyant Television network: NBC

Scoring summary 1 DAL Duane Thomas 56-yard run (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 7–0 1 DAL Mike Clark 16-yard field goal Cowboys 10–0 1 NE Jim Nance 1-yard run (Charlie Gogolak kick) Cowboys 10–7 2 DAL Roger Staubach 2-yard run (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 17–7 2 DAL Mike Clark 17-yard field goal Cowboys 20–7 2 DAL Bob Hayes 35-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 27–7 2 DAL Bob Hayes 28-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 34–7 4 DAL Mike Clark 12-yard field goal Cowboys 37–7 4 NE Randy Vataha 33-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Charlie Gogolak kick) Cowboys 37–14 4 DAL Joe Williams 2-yard run (Mike Clark kick) Cowboys 44–14 4 NE Tom Beer 31-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Charlie Gogolak kick) Cowboys 44–21

Scoring summary
1		DAL	Duane Thomas 56-yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 7–0
1		DAL	Mike Clark 16-yard field goal	Cowboys 10–0
1		NE	Jim Nance 1-yard run (Charlie Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 10–7
2		DAL	Roger Staubach 2-yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 17–7
2		DAL	Mike Clark 17-yard field goal	Cowboys 20–7
2		DAL	Bob Hayes 35-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 27–7
2		DAL	Bob Hayes 28-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 34–7
4		DAL	Mike Clark 12-yard field goal	Cowboys 37–7
4		NE	Randy Vataha 33-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Charlie Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 37–14
4		DAL	Joe Williams 2-yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 44–14
4		NE	Tom Beer 31-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Charlie Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 44–21

1 2 3 4 Total • Cowboys 3 0 3 10 16 Cardinals 0 10 0 3 13 Date: November 7 Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST Game weather: 29°F; wind 11 Referee: Fred Swearingen

Scoring summary Q1 DAL Fritsch 27 yard field goal DAL 3–0 Q2 STL Bakken 41 yard field goal Tie 3–3 Q2 STL Williams 11 yard pass from Hart (Bakken kick) STL 10–3 Q3 DAL Fritsch 14 yard field goal STL 10–6 Q4 DAL Ditka 4 yard pass from Staubach (Reeves run) DAL 13–10 Q4 STL Bakken 36 yard field goal DAL 16–10 Q4 DAL Fritsch 26 yard field goal DAL 16–13

Scoring summary
Q1		DAL	Fritsch 27 yard field goal	DAL 3–0
Q2		STL	Bakken 41 yard field goal	Tie 3–3
Q2		STL	Williams 11 yard pass from Hart (Bakken kick)	STL 10–3
Q3		DAL	Fritsch 14 yard field goal	STL 10–6
Q4		DAL	Ditka 4 yard pass from Staubach (Reeves run)	DAL 13–10
Q4		STL	Bakken 36 yard field goal	DAL 16–10
Q4		DAL	Fritsch 26 yard field goal	DAL 16–13

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 0 0 7 7 • Cowboys 3 7 7 3 20 Date: November 14 Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas Game start: 2:00 p.m. Game weather: 73°F; wind 17

Scoring summary Q1 DAL Fritsch 23 yard field goal DAL 3–0 Q2 DAL Thomas 1 yard run (Fritsch kick) DAL 10–0 Q3 DAL Thomas 13 yard run (Fritsch kick) DAL 17–0 Q4 DAL Fritsch 46 yard field goal DAL 20–0 Q4 PHI Liske 1 yard run (Feller kick) DAL 20–7

The 1971 Dallas Cowboys season was the team's 12th in the National Football League and the first at the new Texas Stadium in suburban Irving, Texas. The club led the NFL with 406 points scored. Their defense allowed 222 points.

For the sixth consecutive season, the Cowboys had a first-place finish. They won their second-consecutive NFC championship, then defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI to capture their first Super Bowl championship. They were the first team from the NFC to win a Super Bowl since the 1970 merger of the National Football League and the American Football League, and subsequently, the first team from the NFC East division to win the title.

The 1971 NFL Draft was one of the worst in the history of the franchise, although the Cowboys recovered draft choices by trading Tody Smith and Ike Thomas to other teams.

The Cowboys opened the new Texas Stadium with a 44–21 win over the New England Patriots on Oct. 24. Duane Thomas scored the first touchdown, a 56-yard run two minutes and 16 seconds after the start of the game. Attendance was 65,708 persons.

The team entered the season still having the reputation of "not being able to win the big games" and "next year's champion". The Super Bowl V loss added more fuel to that widely held view. As in the previous season, Dallas had a quarterback controversy as Staubach and Craig Morton alternated as starting quarterback (in a loss to the Bears in game 7, Morton and Staubach alternated plays). The Cowboys were 4–3 at the season midpoint. But after head coach Tom Landry settled on Staubach, the Cowboys won their last seven regular season games to finish with an 11–3 record.

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