The Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League, they improved the record to 7–8 from 1986 but missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Offseason NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1987 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeRich BorresenTight endNorthwesternAnthony ColemanSafetyBaylorKelvin FarmerRunning backToledoJames FlowersDefensive backTexas A&MJeff HurdLinebackerKansas StateHerbert JohnsonWide receiverMissouriMichael KeeLinebackerOhio StateRon KellerKickerNew MexicoSteve KiddPunterRiceDarryl LeeDefensive endOhio StateScott LinehanQuarterbackIdahoLorenzo LynchCornerbackSacramento StateRay PerkinsDefensive endVirginiaBrent PetersonTight endMissouriMarty PetersonOffensive linePennAntonio RiceRunning backVirginiaJohn ShafferQuarterbackPenn StateVictor SimmonsLinebackerCentral StateLoren SnyderQuarterbackNorthern ColoradoScott UrchOffensive TackleVirginiaCrang WallisQuarterbackChico StateMike ZenticCenterOklahoma State
Summary The NFL players were unable to reach a contract agreement with the owners, as a result, a strike for the second time in six seasons after the second week of games. Unlike the last strike, the owners replaced the striking players with free agents and veteran players who were willing to cross the picket line. The NFL cancelled all games for the week of September 27 and began playing with the replacement players on October 4. The strike ended on October 15, but the replacement players played the next weekend as well. The replacement players participated in three weeks worth of games overall.
After the Cowboys began the season with a 24–13 loss to St. Louis with an upset over the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the majority of the Cowboys players went on strike. Players that crossed the picket line to play with the replacement players included quarterback Danny White, defensive tackle Randy White, running back Tony Dorsett, and defensive end Ed Jones. Thanks to the veteran players and a few replacement players who would stay on with the team after the strike, the Cowboys fielded one of the better replacement teams.
The replacement Cowboys easily defeated the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, with the Eagles game being of particular note. The Eagles fielded a team completely made up of replacements, and were no match for the Cowboys, who played several of their veterans throughout the game. Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan was displeased with head coach Tom Landry for doing this and afterwards made it clear that he was looking forward to playing the Cowboys in two weeks when the non-replacement Eagles returned. The following week the Cowboys missed an opportunity to take command in the NFC East when they suffered a devastating loss to the Washington Redskins. Despite playing Danny White and Tony Dorsett the entire game against a Redskins team fielded entirely of replacement players, the Cowboys came up short 13–7.
The striking players returned the following week and on October 25, even though the Philadelphia Eagles were already assured of winning against the Cowboys 30–20, they attempted to go for a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the game. Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan wasn't happy about the strike game they lost to Dallas, when Randy White and Ed “Too Tall” Jones were still playing at the end of the game. In the rematch, the Eagles took a kneel down to run down the clock, putting the ball at the Dallas 34 yard line with 10 seconds left. On the next play, quarterback Randall Cunningham faked taking another kneel down and threw a pass to the end zone that drew a pass-interference penalty, placing the ball on the one-yard line, from where running back Keith Byars scored with 2 seconds left for a final result of 37-20. Dallas came out of the strike with a 3-2 record, but lost 4 straight games in November and December to fall out of playoff contention.
The Cowboys were up and down the rest of the season, following another victory over the Giants with a loss to the woeful Detroit Lions. The Cowboys squandered a 5–4 record down the stretch with a 4-game losing streak, sandwiching heartbreaking losses to the Vikings and Redskins with an embarrassing home loss to the Falcons. After the Falcons game, Cowboys owner Bum Bright questioned coach Landry's play-calling, and Cowboys team president Tex Schramm said of the loss, "this is probably the lowest I've been in my career." The Cowboys rebounded in the last two games, however, defeating the Los Angeles Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals, and eliminating both from the playoffs in the process.
Running back Herschel Walker had another terrific season, leading the Cowboys in rushing and receiving, and leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1606, while former star running back Tony Dorsett posted career lows in rushing yards with 456. Quarterback Danny White struggled with turnovers throughout the season, and was replaced by Steve Pelleur late in the season. The Cowboys offensive line had trouble with pass protection again, allowing 52 sacks, while the receiving corps was mediocre, with Mike Renfro leading the way with 662 yards on 46 catches. Defensively, the Cowboys really struggled against the pass, finishing 27th in passing yards allowed, despite posting 51 sacks and 23 interceptions. The Cowboys were solid against the run, finishing 6th overall and only allowing 3.5 yards a carry.
NFL replacement players After the league decided to use replacement players during the strike, besides hiring a new team (referred by the media as "Rhinestone Cowboys"), Dallas forced veterans like Randy White, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Danny White and Tony Dorsett, to cross the picket line to avoid losing their contract annuities (delayed payments).
This strategy backfired, as there have been several interviews with former players mentioning that this caused a rift inside the team that lasted for years, and that it was one of the main reasons for the franchise's decline during the Eighties decade.
1987 Dallas Cowboys replacement rosterQuarterbacks Kevin Sweeney (3 games) Danny White (3 games) Loren Snyder (3 games) Stan Yagiello (1 game) Ben Bennett (1 game)
Running backs Alvin Blount RB (3 games) Tony Dorsett RB (3 games) David Adams RB/KR (3 games) Gerald White FB (3 games) E. J. Jones FB (3 games) Robert Lavette RB (2 games) Antonio Rice FB (1 game)
Wide receivers Kelvin Edwards WR (3 games) Cornell Burbage WR/PR (3 games) Mike Renfro WR (3 games) Sebron Spivey WR/KR (3 games) Chuck Scott WR (3 games) Vince Courville WR (3 games) Lam Jones WR (3 games) Terence Steward WR (2 games) Karl Powe WR (2 games) Clay Pickering WR (1 game)
Tight ends Rich Borresen TE (3 games) Tim Hendrix TE (3 games) Offensive linemen Daryle Smith T (3 games) Bob White G (3 games) Mike Zentic C (3 games) Sal Cesario G (3 games) Steve Cisowski T (3 games) Dave Burnette T (3 games) Gary Walker G (2 games) Jon Shields G (3 games) Gary Westberry T (3 games) George Lilja C (1 game) Nate Newton G (1 game)
Defensive linemen Randy White DT (3 games) Ed Jones DE (3 games) Don Smerek DE (3 games) Mike Dwyer DT (3 games) Randy Watts DE (3 games) Ray Perkins DE (3 games) Walt Johnson DT (3 games) Javan Ross DE (3 games) Kevin Brooks DT (2 games) Darryl Lee DT (1 game)Linebackers Dale Jones OLB (3 games) Russ Swan MLB (3 games) Jeff Hurd OLB (3 games) Chris Duliban OLB (3 games) Victor Simmons MLB (3 games) Harry Flaherty OLB (3 games) Kirk Timmer OLB (1 game)
Defensive backs Robert Williams CB (3 games) Tommy Haynes S (3 games) Alex Green S (3 games) Jimmy Armstrong CB (2 games) Bruce Livingston CB/PR (3 games) Bill Hill CB (3 games) Anthony Coleman S (3 games)
Special teams Buzz Sawyer P (3 games) Luis Zendejas K (2 games) Kerry Brady K (1 game) Tom Dixon P/K (1 game)
Roster
1987 Dallas Cowboys final roster Quarterbacks Paul McDonald Steve Pelluer Kevin Sweeney Danny White
Running backs Darryl Clack Tony Dorsett Todd Fowler Timmy Newsome Herschel Walker
Wide receivers Rod Barksdale Kelvin Edwards Kelvin Martin Mike Renfro
Tight ends Thornton Chandler Doug Cosbie Steve Folsom Offensive linemen Brian Baldinger G/T Kevin Gogan T Crawford Ker G George Lilja C Nate Newton G Tom Rafferty C Daryle Smith T Bob White C/G Jeff Zimmerman G
Defensive linemen Kevin Brooks DT Jim Jeffcoat DE Ed Jones DE Danny Noonan DT/DE Don Smerek DE Mark Walen DE/DT Randy White DTLinebackers Ron Burton MLB Steve DeOssie MLB Jeff Hurd OLB Jesse Penn OLB Jeff Rohrer OLB Russ Swan MLB
Defensive backs Vince Albritton SS Bill Bates SS Michael Downs FS Ron Francis CB Manny Hendrix CB Victor Scott FS Everson Walls CB Robert Williams CB
Special teams Roger Ruzek K Mike Saxon PReserve lists Ray Alexander WR (IR) Gordon Banks WR (IR) Everett Gay WR (IR) Mike Hegman LB (IR) Garth Jax LB (IR) Eugene Lockhart LB (IR) Kurt Petersen G (IR) Phil Pozderac T/retired Brian Salonen LB (IR) Mike Sherrard WR (IR) Robert Smith DE (IR) Glen Titensor G (IR) Mark Tuinei T (IR)
Rookies in italics
Schedule Weeks 4-6 were played with Replacement players
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 13 at St. Louis Cardinals L 13–24 0–1 Busch Stadium 47,241 Recap 2 September 20 at New York Giants W 16–14 1–1 Giants Stadium 73,426 Recap 3 September 27 Buffalo BillsCanceled - Players' Strike 4 October 4 at New York Jets W 38–24 2–1 Giants Stadium 12,370 Recap 5 October 11 Philadelphia Eagles W 41–22 3–1 Texas Stadium 40,622 Recap 6 Washington Redskins L 7–13 3–2 Texas Stadium 60,415 Recap 7 October 25 at Philadelphia Eagles L 20–37 3–3 Veterans Stadium 61,630 Recap 8 New York Giants W 33–24 4–3 Texas Stadium 55,730 Recap 9 November 8 at Detroit Lions L 17–27 4–4 Pontiac Silverdome 45,325 Recap 10 November 15 at New England Patriots W 23–17 5–4 Sullivan Stadium 60,567 Recap 11 November 22 Miami Dolphins L 14–20 5–5 Texas Stadium 56,519 Recap 12 November 26 Minnesota Vikings L 38–44 5–6 Texas Stadium 54,229 Recap 13 December 6 Atlanta Falcons L 10–21 5–7 Texas Stadium 40,103 Recap 14 December 13 at Washington Redskins L 20–24 5–8 RFK Stadium 54,882 Recap 15 at Los Angeles Rams W 29–21 6–8 Anaheim Stadium 60,700 Recap 16 December 27 St. Louis Cardinals W 21–16 7–8 Texas Stadium 36,788 Recap Division opponents are in bold text
Standings
References