Epic Fourth Quarter Comeback in Dallas

[Poetryman690]

jimmy johnson quit why? barry switzer quit why? because Jerryworld was trouble for all involved...Irvin and co. couldn't stay on the field without Jerry's money to hide the cold hard facts of their off-field antics...after that, the league got smart and well, 16 years later, two playoff appearances, ousted 1st round both times, no SB's at all and they're still a joke...you see, remove the money and cocaine and all you have is the shady leftovers of a team that once was but never will be again...

[Poetryman690]

cowboys of staubach's time and the much superior tom landry would be WAY too much for Jerryworld anyday...IMHO

[Poetryman690]

@latenite...i am not a f*ckin morn when speaking the truth...three superbowls that jerry jones paid off but since then the league is making him and his coked-up goons earn their way and well, its never paid off, has it?...we earned our stripes prior to 1990...team of the 90's were the Bills with 4 SB's in a row,not the Dallas Hurricanes with Jimmy Johnson and Co. from Miami...but each to their own.

[Segovia06]

@Poetryman690 yeah 4 sb losses in a row and 2 of them losing to the Cowboys. You're full of shit. People are truly pathetic for trying to take away other people's success with false accusations. Aikman/Smith/irvin/moose and that entire offensive line were beasts. Not to mention the defense. Woodson/primetime/lett and co...

[txfreethinker]

Man, this brings back some memories. Just hearing the names of some of these old Cowboys like Danny White, Tony Dorsett, Dennis Thurman, Everson Walls, Charlie Waters, etc. Too sweet!

[67chevy7]

when the cowboys used to be the shit..

[MrAmericanbadboys]

the reason why they dont play these videos anymore is becuase the new era has better comebacks other than the buffalo bills 35 point comeback in the 80's i think to win in overtime

[odischeese21]

Why can't we be like this now.....

[Poetryman690]

the Cowboys WERE the only team in the NFL...from 1990 on, they've been far short of greatness at all times...

[latenitegamerz]

@Poetryman690 1990 and on? Uhh Troy Aikman bro, Troy owned the Super Bowls with 3 rings.

[peteymandem]

@Poetryman690 yeah because 1990-1998 we were shit. You're a fucking moron, that was the greatest team ever.

[oneputtsteven]

Ron Springs!! RIP - Look at the Cowboy bench!!

[komradkolonel]

I remember this game and I've told stories about it. Even when Dallas was down 13 with time running out I knew they were going to win the game. This performance showed that Danny White was an underrated quarterback who never got the credit he deserved. He could deliver the long ball better than anyone in the NFL at that time. I still say that the 1981 Cowboys were the best team in the league that season and should have won the Super Bowl.

[usaeagle1776]

wish the NFL network would show these games more then the newer ones.

[123multitaskerclone]

@usaeagle1776 same here

[usaeagle1776]

@123multitaskerclone ah the memories!

[123multitaskerclone]

@usaeagle1776 yep

[whorethrower]

I believe Marino was with Miami in '83

[usaeagle1776]

@whorethrower :your are correct.

[whorethrower]

Obviously an early 80s game cuz Marino isn't with the Dolphins yet.

[dick110590]

what year was this

[Jiltedin2007]

I still think that Roger Staubach's rally against the Washington Redskins in 1979 was far more "Epic Comeback" than this game being displayed.

And besides, it was indecisions like the Interception David Woodley threw when being up 6 points is what caused him to lose Super Bowl XVII.

[phototrap1]

The video quality here is astounding for a 1981 game. Nice post.

[flyinv1967]

this is the kind of football i liked before all those ugly uniforms came in

[usaeagle1776]

@flyinv1967 agreed.

[unlimiteddj]

Why would you even throw the ball when you are down by two and in field goal range?

[AJVersatility19]

@unlimiteddj Word up. This coulda been an easy comeback

[evry1poops1]

I miss this type of football!! This was a great era of football.....Now its all commercial and endorsments. Money runs the game not heart or the love of it.

[vomit49894]

Cool video.

[docgeri]

lol...49ers undefeated in Superbowl...cant touch this.

[d36williams]

It was cool seeing Raferty in the film. I knew his daughter when I grew up and they were always nice to me

[CatW2Kidz]

Amazing game. Featured the late Ron Springs (he died in May of this year RIP) the late Harvey Martin( died in 2001 RIP) the late Dolphin QB David Woodleyd(he died in 2003 of liver failure) and for good measure, the late commentator Merlin Olsen, who was paired with Dick Enberg for this game. This was also David Woodley's 23rd birthday. How heartbreaking of a loss for him that day.

[CatW2Kidz]

This game illustrated why the Cowboys were the baddest Mother Fucking team in the N F L-to quote Ron Springs the year before when they came back to beat the Falcons in the playoffs in similar fashion.

[jermaine550]

Ron Springs has to be the best pass catching fullback in cowboys history.

[oneputtsteven]

@jermaine550 If only Danny had found him on that 3rd and 5 in SF there would be no "catch" and Big D would have another trophy.

[mrmojorisin2]

Best Cowboy uniforms ever were during this season!

[jeverettjr]

R.I.P Springs.

[madrecka]

@jeverettjr Springs passed i didn't know that? Thats Shawn Springs dad.

[darrylhaynes]

R.I.P...ron springs...

[agmapleleaf93]

Remember seeing this game (at least this quarter) at that time

--OK dallas rallied, lit up the scoreboard in 4th quarter as they did so often in that era Does anybody recall just one week before dallas got plastered in SF 45-14,

 a sign of things to come

[DoubleStar32]

Danny White won 26 of his first 28 starts at Texas Stadium. Cowboys, just like in the Staubach era pulled off many comebacks under White. If not for Eric Wrights horse collar tackle on Pearson, White would have beaten 'The Catch'!

[RGJ12]

I remember watching this game on t.v. I was 11 years old. Wow.

[bicround2006]

I think this is where the secondary got the nick name "Thurman's Thieves". Awesome 4Q!!!!! A ton of great players on both sides of the ball that year!!!!!

[troutmask1970]

woodley had a decent arm on him!!

[STP43FAN1]

Joe Rose and Jimmy Cefalo are now the Dolphins' radio announcers.

[psychoman1991]

if your not a cowoboys fan DONT watch it ..like stop talkin shit .. STOP WATCHING THE VIDEOS...you dumbass"s

[MultiBob98]

you suck

[Weissmenchland]

That's why we're the baddest dudes in the NFL!!

[JumboShot33]

Was the knee not invented back then?

[WillHear432]

For YEARS Ron Springs riddled opponents as a receiver out of the backfield.

[chrisuncleahmad]

IIRC, '81 was the first year Texas Stadium had the familiar endzone look with royal blue and the helmets facing the way they did.

[vccstudents]

David Woodley did what he did best in this game, THROW INTERCEPTIONS!

[qmcsing]

Dolphins uniforms look better back then.....

[lagamer4life]

this game was amazing no doubt

[ItstheWaveTV]

Sucks you can't celebrate in the endzone like that anymore...

[thetruckinlife]

haha, classic cowboy comeback, those were the days, i miss the Tony Hill, Tony Dorsett,Everson Walls line up

[adub4ever]

i laugh when people say " don shula is the gr8est coach of all time" its obvi between laundry knoll and lombardi

[09164]

Tom Landry > Don Shula

[09164]

the Cowboys are the ONLY TEAM in the NFL.... Everyone else are just wanna be's. 

[rayjr62]

@09164 This game didn't really matter. Cause the cowboys got bitch slapped by the 49ers in the NFC championship game this season. After this, the Cowboys would never be the same as it would take them over a decade to rebuild.

[oneputtsteven]

@rayjr62 Yeah they really slapped us alright. They forced 6 prospector turnovers and led most of the game. A 3rd down Danny White pass just passed midfield clanged off the hands of a Dallas receiver and Dallas was forced to punt. Montana led a drive 90 yard drive against a gassed Dallas defense. Then Drew Pearson got wide open on the ensuing drive and talked by a horse collar takle that would be illegal today, otherwise he scores or sets up a chip shot fieild goal. That's some slapping.

[Ned8963]

@09164 Exactly why you never go to the super bowl.

[WeDaBears000]

@09164 Hmm that's why you got 19 out of almost 45k likes.

[WeDaBears000]

@09164 Oh and I forgot to add this. CAH BOY.

[Leeejon21]

@09164 grow up kid

[RobLayton87]

@09164 Steelers 6 super bowl titles the real America's Team

[Inteva]

Simply America's Team...

[Simus1974]

Dennis Thurman & Everson Walls.....god I love those guys!!! Still to this day there some of my favorite Cowboys ever!!

[FrsBigeasy]

This wasn't the only wild game that the Dolphins played in the 1981 Season, I'm thinking of a certain Playoff Game.

[speranzayaya]

he ran out of bounds because there was 11 seconds left with the lead. why risk the fumble mr. announcer

[RedFoxAce]

Is it just me, or was the game played at a much brisker pace back then than today?

[paininspain]

@RedFoxAce seems today they rely on more running game. I know live in Canada, moved from england and the cfl is more pass orientated, but i enjoy both forms of football.

[coolhand1005]

@RedFoxAce I've noticed that too. Seems like the game was just faster then .....

[Wiseguy0709]

Thurmond's Thieves in action!

[thegorn68]

This is the first game I ever went to. I was in 7th Grade.

[brucedavis76]

man danny white could really wing that ball

[RedFoxAce]

Agree....he was throwing those straight, level strikes.

[gfpirate]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Tony Hill was one of the most underrated and underappreciated wide receivers in Cowboys history. In this time frame, he made three big plays, including a nice over the shoulder catch to set Cosbie's touchdown. I beginning to think the only guys who knew how good he was were the defensive backs who covered him. I live in Dallas, and for sure, neither the fans nor media here give him his just due.

[oneputtsteven]

@gfpirate Everything you say about Tony was true, however you leave out the fact that Tony rounded off his patterns and hated going over the middle(unlike Drew Pearson)

[paininspain]

@gfpirate Hill was a great receiver but like White followed from the team of the 70's and they both lived in that shadow. If White had taken the cowboys to the superbowl then both may have been appreciated more. White had a good record as a qb, but never won the big game.

[gfpirate]

@paininspain I agree. I also think, in hindsight, the Cowboys would have been better off tinkering their offense to fit White's strengths, which more of the short passing game. As I look back on these highlights, I'm really starting to believe he would have been an excellent "West Coast" offense quarterback.

[paininspain]

@gfpirate I started following this sport back in 85 in england, and 1st team i knew was the cowboys, so i have supported em since. I saw them at wmbley in a pre season game vs the bears. White had a good arm, very accurate and yes you maybe right about the offense should have been made to fit his game.

[coolhand1005]

@gfpirate I agree, Tony Hill made a lot of big plays, also ran well after the catch, but against the Eagles in the 1980 NFC Championship he got criticized for not playing very hard & heard he was kinda like Alvin Harper, long on talent but had a tendency to be lazy at times. But he made a lot of catches for Danny White in the early 80's. As much talent as Dallas had from 1980-1982 I don't know how they didn't get to another SB, oh I forgot: Eagles, 49ers & Redskins, lol.

[Ariamaluum]

@coolhand1005. They never really found a player to replace Thomas Henderson. Well, Gil Brandt did in Lawrence Taylor but unfortunately the Cowboys finished 12-4 while the Giants finished 4-12 due to Phil Simms injury. Giants had the higher pick. So, the Cowboys were the victims of their own success.

[DwayneTraylor]

@gfpirate For what it's worth, Tony Hill was a very talented player, but a cancer in the locker room. He was a great #2 reciever to Drew Pearson, but his attitude is what ostracized him as a "Cowboy Great."

[5lowrollD]

RE: 7:40 Mike Downs played that one with class... He could have run it, buy why risk fumble? Why run up the score and rub it in? Total awareness of the clock and game situation. But I gotta love Butch Johnson urging him to run. lol

[5lowrollD]

Landry's calm demeanor at 5:37 is priceless. Gotta love the Man. We miss you Tom.

[markmissestexas]

Keep these posts coming. This is awesome.

I'd love to find out how I can get my hands on the full length games.

[nymike06]

Thanks for posting this video! I remember this game like it was yesterday. What a wild shootout & great game in Cowboys history it would become.

[cbaldwinjr]

Boy David Woodley screwed the pooch in that game

[NocturalRyte]

He actually had his best day ever but just could not overcome the Cowboy magic.

[ekimklaw]

@NocturalRyte Woodley threw more interceptions in his career than touchdowns. He had a very good arm though. In this Dallas game, I think he was trying to force his passes. That usually doesn't work out so well.

[AllPro777]

@NocturalRyte

The "Cowboy magic" is in reverse this season...

[TheTruthfulAsshole]

@NocturalRyte Not counting that last pick he threw 4. Two pretty bad ones. So he did screw up.

[samuelrosenbalm]

@cbaldwinjr  No, as of monday, I will have screwed the pooch.

[cbaldwinjr]

@samuelrosenbalm

LMAO...damn

[bbgun1967]

Great game; great memories. Thanks for posting.