The 1984 Dallas Cowboys season was the team's 25th in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished the season with a record of 9–7, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1974. A division record of 3–5 caused them to finish fourth in the NFC East, despite equaling the overall records of the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
After 14 games, the Cowboys had a 9–5 record and would have made the playoffs had they won one of their two remaining games, or win the division had they won both games. However, the team gave up a 15-point lead against the Washington Redskins in week 15, and then lost to the Miami Dolphins by a touchdown surrendered with less than a minute to play in the final week of the season. The season was overshadowed by a quarterback controversy between Danny White and Gary Hogeboom, with Hogeboom getting the majority of the starts.
The season's nadir occurred in week 12, when the 0–11 Buffalo Bills defeated the visiting Cowboys 14–3.
Offseason The Cowboys went through major changes during the offseason, as key players Drew Pearson, Billy Joe Dupree, Harvey Martin, Robert Newhouse, and Pat Donovan all retired, and Butch Johnson was traded to the Denver Broncos. Bum Bright bought the team from Clint Murchison Jr.
NFL draft
Roster
Dallas Cowboys 1984 roster Quarterbacks Gary Hogeboom Steve Pelluer Danny White P
Running backs Gary Allen Tony Dorsett Norm Granger James Jones Chuck McSwain Timmy Newsome Ron Springs
Wide receivers Doug Donley Duriel Harris Tony Hill Kirk Phillips Mike Renfro
Tight ends Fred Cornwell Doug Cosbie Brian Salonen Offensive linemen Dowe Aughtman G Brian Baldinger G/T John Hunt G Syd Kitson C/G Kurt Petersen G Phil Pozderac T Tom Rafferty C Herbert Scott T/G Glen Titensor G
Defensive linemen John Dutton DT Jim Jeffcoat DE Ed Jones DE Don Smerek DT Mark Tuinei DT Randy White DTLinebackers Steve DeOssie MLB Anthony Dickerson OLB Mike Hegman OLB Eugene Lockhart MLB Jeff Rohrer OLB Jimmie Turner OLB
Defensive backs Vince Albritton SS Bill Bates SS Dextor Clinkscale SS Michael Downs FS Ron Fellows CB Victor Scott CB Dennis Thurman FS Everson Walls CB
Special teams Rafael Septién K John Warren PReserve lists Chris Arendt DE (IR) Bob Breunig LB (IR) Billy Cannon Jr. OLB (IR) Jim Cooper T (IR) Carl Howard CB (IR) Ron Jenkins WR (IR) Howard Richards T (IR) Chris Schultz T (IR)
Rookies in italics 49 active, 8 inactive
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 at Los Angeles Rams W 20–13 1–0 Anaheim Stadium 65,403 Recap 2 September 9 at New York Giants L 7–28 1–1 Giants Stadium 75,921 Recap 3 September 16 Philadelphia Eagles W 23–17 2–1 Texas Stadium 64,521 Recap 4 September 23 Green Bay Packers W 20–6 3–1 Texas Stadium 64,222 Recap 5 September 30 at Chicago Bears W 23–14 4–1 Soldier Field 63,623 Recap 6 October 7 St. Louis Cardinals L 20–31 4–2 Texas Stadium 61,438 Recap 7 October 14 at Washington Redskins L 14–34 4–3 RFK Stadium 55,431 Recap 8 October 21 New Orleans Saints W 30–27 5–3 Texas Stadium 50,966 Recap 9 October 28 Indianapolis Colts W 22–3 6–3 Texas Stadium 58,724 Recap 10 November 4 New York Giants L 7–19 6–4 Texas Stadium 60,235 Recap 11 November 11 at St. Louis Cardinals W 24–17 7–4 Busch Stadium 48,721 Recap 12 November 18 at Buffalo Bills L 3–14 7–5 Rich Stadium 74,391 Recap 13 November 22 New England Patriots W 20–17 8–5 Texas Stadium 55,341 Recap 14 December 2 at Philadelphia Eagles W 26–10 9–5 Veterans Stadium 66,322 Recap 15 December 9 Washington Redskins L 28–30 9–6 Texas Stadium 64,286 Recap 16 at Miami Dolphins L 21–28 9–7 Orange Bowl 74,139 Recap Division opponents are in bold text
Season summary
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12 In their first visit to Rich Stadium and first overall to Buffalo since 1971, the Cowboys lost for the first time in four meetings with the Bills. The teams did not meet again until Super Bowl XXVII.
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Standings
Season recap The Cowboys announced that they would celebrate their 25th anniversary during the 1984 season under the theme "Silver Season".
The sale of the franchise from the Murchison family to an 11-member limited partnership headed by Dallas businessman Harvey Roberts ("Bum") Bright was approved by NFL owners on March 19 and the sale was completed on May 18.
Gary Hogeboom replaced Danny White as the starting quarterback in the preseason, and a quarterback controversy ensued throughout the season. After a 4–1 start, Hogeboom played poorly in losses to St. Louis and Washington, and was replaced by White in both games. The following week against New Orleans, White had to relieve Hogeboom again, this time after Hogeboom injured his right wrist early in the second half. White led the Cowboys to victory, overcoming a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
White started the next two games, but after a poor performance by both quarterbacks against the Giants, Hogeboom regained the starting position. The constant change at quarterback didn't help the team's inconsistent play, and they reached their lowest point at Buffalo late in the season, suffering a humiliating 14–3 loss at the hands of the winless Bills. Afterwards, White would go on to start at quarterback for the rest of the season. Still, despite all the turmoil surrounding the Cowboys, they held a 9–5 record going into the season's final two weeks and were tied for the division lead. However, two heartbreaking losses to the Redskins (a game in which the Cowboys led 21–6 at halftime) and Dolphins ended the Cowboys' string of postseason appearances at nine.
The Cowboys perennially potent offense fell into disarray during the 1984 season. The offensive line was ravaged by injury and retirement, and Cowboy quarterbacks were under duress all season. The line also struggled to open holes for the running game, despite another productive season from running back Tony Dorsett, who rushed for 1,189 yards. Turnovers were another source of frustration, as the offense turned it over 42 times. The defense once again featured a strong pass rush, led by perennial all-pro defensive tackle Randy White, as well as an opportunistic secondary, with safety Michael Downs leading the way with seven interceptions. However, stopping the run was a problem throughout the season, as the defense allowed 4.4 yards per carry.
Awards The Cowboys had three players represent them in the Pro Bowl: Randy White, Doug Cosbie, and Bill Bates, who became the first player to be chosen for the Pro Bowl for outstanding play on special teams coverage units. White was named to the associated press' All-NFL first team for his play at defensive tackle, while safety Michael Downs was named second team All-NFL, despite being overlooked for the pro bowl.
Publications The Football Encyclopedia Total Football Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes
References
External links 1984 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site Dallas Cowboys 1984 season