1986 Dallas Cowboys season
| 1986 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tom Landry |
| Home field | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
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| Scoring summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | DAL | Septien 20 yard field goal | DAL 3–0 | |
| Q2 | LA | Bahr 45 yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Dorsett 13 yard run (Septien kick) | DAL 10–3 | |
| Q3 | LA | Williams 20 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | Tie 10–10 | |
| Q3 | DAL | Septien 20 yard field goal | DAL 13–10 | |
| Q4 | LA | Williams 40 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | LA 17–13 | |
The 1986 season Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's twenty-seventh in the National Football League. The Cowboys concluded the year with a record of seven wins and nine losses, finishing without a winning record for the first time since 1965.
The Cowboys, re-invigorated by the off-season acquisitions of running back Herschel Walker and passing coordinator Paul Hackett, got off to a strong 6–2 start, including a season opening win on Monday night over the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, which saw Walker score the winning touchdown late in the game, and a 30–6 blowout win over the Washington Redskins, which ended the Redskins 5–0 start. Quarterbacks Danny White and Steve Pelluer played well early in the season under Hackett's tutelage, who was brought over from the San Francisco 49ers to breathe new life into the passing game. However, White broke his wrist during a crucial loss to the New York Giants, and was ruled out for the season. Pelluer took over as the starting quarterback, and struggled mightily, throwing 17 interceptions over the course of the season, as well as seeing constant pressure from opposing pass rushers, including being sacked a team record twelve times in a game against San Diego. The Cowboys lost seven out of their final eight games, and suffered a five-game losing streak to close out the season, including embarrassing losses to the Redskins (41–14) and the Seahawks in the annual Thanksgiving Day game (31–14). It was the Cowboys’ first loss on Thanksgiving since 1979. During the third quarter of a late-season loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Tom Landry was forced to leave the field due to a threat against his life. Landry returned to the field later in the game wearing a bulletproof vest.
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