The 1973 Dallas Cowboys season was their 14th in the league. The team matched their previous output of 10–4.1973 Dallas Cowboys They qualified for the playoffs for the eighth straight season. After a 4–3 start the Cowboys won six of their last seven games to win the NFC East with a solid 10–4 record.
In the Divisional Playoffs the Dallas Cowboys beat the Los Angeles Rams 27–16 in Texas Stadium to earn their fourth straight Championship Game Appearance. However, not even the home crowd at Texas Stadium could help the Cowboys as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings 27–10. This was Roger Staubach's first full season as the starting quarterback.
Dallas had posted a 7-0 record against former AFL teams after the 1970 merger until it lost 14-7 to defending Super Bowl champion Miami on Thanksgiving Day.
NFL draft
Roster
Dallas Cowboys 1973 roster Quarterbacks Craig Morton Roger Staubach
Running backs Walt Garrison Calvin Hill Robert Newhouse Cyril Pinder Les Strayhorn
Wide receivers Bob Hayes Mike Montgomery Drew Pearson Golden Richards
Tight ends Billy Joe DuPree Jean Fugett Offensive linemen Jim Arneson G John Fitzgerald C Dave Manders C Ralph Neely T John Niland G Blaine Nye G Rodney Wallace T/G Rayfield Wright T
Defensive linemen Larry Cole DE Bill Gregory DT/DE Bob Lilly DT Harvey Martin DE Jethro Pugh DT Pat Toomay DELinebackers John Babinecz OLB Rodrigo Barnes MLB Dave Edwards OLB Lee Roy Jordan MLB D. D. Lewis OLB
Defensive backs Benny Barnes CB Cornell Green SS Cliff Harris FS Mel Renfro CB Mark Washington CB Charlie Waters CB
Special teams Marv Bateman P Toni Fritsch KReserve lists Mike Clark K (IR) Chuck Howley LB (Ret.) Mike Keller MLB (IR) Otto Stowe WR (IR) Billy Truax TE (IR)
Taxi Squad Jack Concannon QB Larry Robinson RB John Smith WR Bruce Walton T
Rookies in italics 40 active, 9 inactive
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 16 at Chicago Bears W 20–17 1–0 Soldier Field 49,970 Recap 2 New Orleans Saints W 40–3 2–0 Texas Stadium 52,715 Recap 3 September 30 St. Louis Cardinals W 45–10 3–0 Texas Stadium 64,729 Recap 4 at Washington Redskins L 7–14 3–1 RFK Stadium 54,314 Recap 5 October 14 at Los Angeles Rams L 31–37 3–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 81,428 Recap 6 October 21 New York Giants W 45–28 4–2 Texas Stadium 58,741 Recap 7 October 28 at Philadelphia Eagles L 16–30 4–3 Veterans Stadium 63,300 Recap 8 November 4 Cincinnati Bengals W 38–10 5–3 Texas Stadium 54,944 Recap 9 November 11 at New York Giants W 23–10 6–3 Yale Bowl 70,128 Recap 10 November 18 Philadelphia Eagles W 31–10 7–3 Texas Stadium 59,375 Recap 11 November 22 Miami Dolphins L 7–14 7–4 Texas Stadium 58,089 Recap 12 December 2 at Denver Broncos W 22–10 8–4 Mile High Stadium 51,508 Recap 13 December 9 Washington Redskins W 27–7 9–4 Texas Stadium 62,195 Recap 14 December 16 at St. Louis Cardinals W 30–3 10–4 Busch Memorial Stadium 43,946 Recap Division opponents are in bold text
Standings
Season summary
Week 1 at Bears
Week 2
Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Mar-03.
Week 3
Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-Oct-23.
Week 4
Week 10
Pro-Football-Reference.com
Playoffs
Round Date Opponent Result Game Site Attendance Recap Divisional December 23, 1973 Los Angeles Rams W 27–16 Texas Stadium 64,291 Recap NFC Championship December 30, 1973 Minnesota Vikings L 10–27 Texas Stadium 60,272 Recap
Publications The Football Encyclopedia Total Football Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes
References
External links 1973 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site