The Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their 7–8 record from 1987, finishing at 3–13 and missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The 3–13 record in the 1988 season was the Cowboys' second worst season to that point in team history, surpassed only by its winless inaugural season in 1960.
The 1988 season was the final year for head coach Tom Landry, general manager Tex Schramm, and owner Bum Bright. It also featured the rookie season debut of Michael Irvin, one of the franchise's most accomplished players and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Offseason NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1988 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeJean AustinCornerbackRutgersSanjay BeachWide receiverColorado StateKenny BlacknellLinebackerAppalachian StateRodney BranchCornerbackGrambling StateAlvin BriggsSafetyAuburnChase BrownWide receiverIdaho StateCraig BurnettQuarterbackWyomingDavid CaylorKickerLong Beach StateCurtis ChappellWide receiverHowardMatt ClarkWide receiverBaylorRay ColemanDefensive lineFlorida A&MJason CooperTight endDukeJames CrawfordRunning backEastern KentuckyKent DeanTight endKansas StateDavid DemoreLinebackerDukeDavid DenBraberQuarterbackFerris StateBob DriscollTight endNorthwesternTommy DuhartDefensive tackleSoutheastern Oklahoma StateJerry DunlapDefensive backYoungstown StateTodd FriewaldDefensive endVMIJohn GarrettWide receiverPrincetonAl HugeDefensive tackleHillsdaleJohn KropkeDefensive tackleIllinois StateJim MaloskyQuarterbackMinnesota DuluthStanley MonkRunning backDukeKelly RyanQuarterbackYaleDewayne TerrySafetyDukeSean WashingtonCornerbackRutgers
Summary The 1988 season was the last of the Tom Landry era. After the 1988 season, the team would undergo drastic changes including a new head coach, and change of ownership from Bum Bright to current owner Jerry Jones.
Notable additions to the team in 1988 included wide receiver Michael Irvin and linebacker Ken Norton Jr. Defensive tackle Chad Hennings was also drafted in 1988 but, due to his obligations to the U.S. Air Force, he would not join the team until 1992.
The 1988 season was the first time since 1976 that future hall-of-fame running back Tony Dorsett was not on the Dallas roster. Dorsett had been relegated to a backup role to Herschel Walker for most of 1987 and was traded to the Denver Broncos during the offseason.
The 1988 season faced hardship from the release of the schedule. In 1987, Dallas had finished at 7–8, in a 3-way tie for second place in the NFC East and tiebreaking rules gave Dallas the “second place position”, even though Dallas finished fifth (last) in the NFC East in 1987 in “union games” (a strong replacement team, one which included several regulars who crossed picket lines, had inflated the Cowboys' record). As a result, their 1988 schedule was primarily against teams that were strong in (and also in 1988).
Steve Pelluer had won the starting quarterback job from veteran Danny White late in the 1987 season and won the job in training camp for 1988. Early in the season, White appeared briefly in relief roles before suffering a season-ending injury in week 7, which elevated Kevin Sweeney to the backup position. Sweeney briefly took over the starting job for Pelluer in weeks 11 and 12, but the results were poor and Pelluer regained the job.
In the season opener, Dallas lost to Pittsburgh, 24–21. The Cowboys had the ball inside the Pittsburgh 10 in the game's closing seconds in position to tie or win the game, but Pelluer was intercepted. After a close win over Phoenix in week two, Dallas lost to the New York Giants, 12–10 (the margin of defeat being a strange safety on the opening kickoff). A last-second goal line stand brought victory over Atlanta in week four but the following week, the Cowboys lost to New Orleans on a last-second Morten Andersen field goal. Two convincing losses followed and at 2–5, the season was in jeopardy.
In week 8, Dallas traveled to Philadelphia. Bad blood still existed from 1987, when Philadelphia coach Buddy Ryan, in the game's closing seconds, called a deep pass play when the Eagles were already leading the game by 10 points. The Cowboys roared to a 20–0 lead in the first half, but the Eagles came back to win 24–23 by scoring a touchdown on the game's final play. The next week, Dallas blew a 10–0 second-half lead to lose to the Phoenix Cardinals and fell to 2–7. The losing streak extended to 10 games before Dallas upset the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in week 15 in RFK Stadium, which eliminated the Redskins from 1988 playoff contention. The Redskins win marked the end of an era (and Landry's last win) but was also a harbinger as rookie (and future hall-of-fame) wide receiver Irvin caught three touchdown passes. The team lost the next week at Texas Stadium to the Philadelphia Eagles to finish the season 3–13, the worst record in the entire NFL and the team's worst record since 1960, the Cowboys' first season as an expansion team. A bright spot for the season was Walker, who led the NFC in rushing yards.
In addition to Landry, this was also the final season for long-time Cowboys such as president-general manager Tex Schramm, personnel director Gil Brandt, defensive tackle Randy White, quarterback Danny White, linebacker Mike Hegman, and defensive coordinator Ernie Stautner.
Roster Dallas Cowboys 1988 roster Quarterbacks Steve Pelluer Scott Secules Kevin Sweeney
Running backs Darryl Clack KR Todd Fowler FB Mark Higgs Timmy Newsome FB Herschel Walker
Wide receivers Ray Alexander Cornell Burbage KR Everett Gay Michael Irvin Kelvin Martin KR/PR
Tight ends Thornton Chandler Steve Folsom Offensive linemen Bob Brotzki T Kevin Gogan T Crawford Ker G Nate Newton G Tom Rafferty C Daryle Smith T Glen Titensor G Bob White C Dave Widell T
Defensive linemen Kevin Brooks DT Jim Jeffcoat DE Ed Jones DE Danny Noonan DT Mark Walen DT Randy White DELinebackers Ron Burton OLB Garry Cobb OLB Steve DeOssie MLB/LS Garth Jax OLB Eugene Lockhart MLB Ken Norton Jr. OLB Jeff Rohrer OLB
Defensive backs Vince Albritton SS Bill Bates SS Michael Downs FS Ron Francis CB Manny Hendrix CB Billy Owens FS Everson Walls CB Robert Williams CB
Special teams Roger Ruzek K Mike Saxon P Reserve lists Rod Barksdale WR (IR) Doug Cosbie TE (IR) Kelvin Edwards WR (IR) Chad Hennings DT (Military Reserve) Jeff Hurd LB (IR) Mark Hutson G (IR) Victor Scott S (IR) Mike Sherrard WR (IR) Mark Tuinei T (IR) Danny White QB (IR) Jeff Zimmerman G (IR)
Rookies in italics 47 active, 11 inactive
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 4 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 21–24 0–1 Three Rivers Stadium 56,813 Recap 2 at Phoenix Cardinals W 17–14 1–1 Sun Devil Stadium 67,139 Recap 3 September 18 New York Giants L 10–12 1–2 Texas Stadium 55,325 Recap 4 September 25 Atlanta Falcons W 26–20 2–2 Texas Stadium 39,702 Recap 5 at New Orleans Saints L 17–20 2–3 Louisiana Superdome 68,474 Recap 6 October 9 Washington Redskins L 17–35 2–4 Texas Stadium 63,325 Recap 7 October 16 at Chicago Bears L 7–17 2–5 Soldier Field 64,759 Recap 8 October 23 at Philadelphia Eagles L 23–24 2–6 Veterans Stadium 66,309 Recap 9 October 30 Phoenix Cardinals L 10–16 2–7 Texas Stadium 42,196 Recap 10 November 6 at New York Giants L 21–29 2–8 Giants Stadium 75,826 Recap 11 November 13 Minnesota Vikings L 3–43 2–9 Texas Stadium 57,830 Recap 12 November 20 Cincinnati Bengals L 24–38 2–10 Texas Stadium 37,865 Recap 13 November 24 Houston Oilers L 17–25 2–11 Texas Stadium 50,845 Recap 14 December 4 at Cleveland Browns L 21–24 2–12 Cleveland Stadium 77,683 Recap 15 December 11 at Washington Redskins W 24–17 3–12 RFK Stadium 51,526 Recap 16 December 18 Philadelphia Eagles L 7–23 3–13 Texas Stadium 46,131 Recap Division opponents are in bold text
Game summaries
Week 1
Week 2 at Cardinals
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Until 2024, this was the last home loss to the Bengals.
Week 13
This was the last home loss to the Houston-based team until 2024.
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Standings NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, , p. 293
Publications The Football Encyclopedia Total Football Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes
References
External links 1988 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site