Flashback 1982: Third time wasn't a charm in the NFC Championship game

For those who remember the 1982 season, it was strange from the very start. After the first two regular season games there was a strike that lasted two months. Due to the length of the strike the NFL season was reduced to just nine games. There was also no divisions for the 1982 season. It was simply the AFC and NFC. The top eight teams in each conference would make the playoffs and it became known as the Super Bowl tournament.

The Cowboys finished the 1982 season with a 6-3 record and took the second overall seed in the NFC behind the 8-1 Redskins. It was the Cowboys who handed the Redskins their only regular season loss in 1982, but the Cowboys lost their final two games of the season, which knocked them out of the number one seed.

Entering the 1982 season the Cowboys had lost the last two NFC Championship games. In 1980 they were handled easily by the Eagles in Philadelphia, 20-7. In 1981 they traveled to San Francisco to play the 49ers in what ended up being one of the best Championship games in NFL history. Although the game is mostly remembered for one catch that still haunts me to this day. Not to mention a blown call at the end of the game that this writer still believes was an incomplete pass and not a fumble. The Cowboys lost 28-27 to the 49ers that day. Bad memories for sure. But lets move on.

The Cowboys returned to the NFC Championship game for the third year in a row in 1982. Once again they would have to play on the road. This time traveling to RFK Stadium to play the hated Redskins. The Redskins fans had made no secret that they wanted the Cowboys in the worse way. They chanted "We Want Dallas" and actually rocked the field level stands up and down as the Redskins won their playoff game to advance to the NFC Championship game.

For those who don't remember this game and simply look at the final score they would be led to believe that they Cowboys were beaten pretty convincingly that day, but in reality they were in this game almost to the end with a chance to win or least force overtime, but one final mistake did them in late in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had failed to advance to the Super Bowl in 1980 and 1981. Their 1982 opportunity would be no different.

One of my passions is watching and writing about past Cowboys games. Some popular and some not so much. To me being a fan is knowing your teams history and embracing the good times as well as the bad times. It's easy to talk about the great games in Cowboys history, but I feel we should also be fascinated by the not so great games as well and what happened during those games.

The Cowboys entered the 1982 NFC Championship game wearing their new blue jerseys for the first time in post season play. They received the opening kickoff and started at their 15 yard line. A combination of Danny White passes and the running of Tony Dorsett and Ron Springs got the Cowboys down to the Redskins 15 yard line. The drive almost came to a halt when Dorsett fumbled at the 10 yard line, but tight end Doug Cosbie was lucky to be behind Dorsett and fell on the loose ball. On 3rd and 5 from the 10 yard line Danny White fired the ball into the end zone for Drew Pearson, but a Redskins cornerback made a nice play and knocked the ball down. Cowboys kicker Rafael Septien kicked a 27 yard field goal and the Cowboys took a 3-0 lead.

One of the keys to beating the Redskins was to keep their offense off the field. On the Cowboys opening drive they did just that as they put together a 14 play drive that ate up 7:45 of the first quarter clock.

The Redskins went to work on their first possession as well. From the start the Cowboys defense seemed over matched by the Redskins huge offensive line as well as running back John Riggins who seemed to gain five or six yards every time he touched the ball. The Redskins quickly drove to the Cowboys 19 yard line. From there quarterback Joe Theismann connected with wide receiver Charlie Brown, who had beaten Cowboys cornerback Dennis Thurman into the end zone. The Redskins took the lead, 7-3.

The Cowboys failed to match their opening drive when they got the ball back and gained only seven yards in three plays and were forced to punt.  Danny White's punt went only 31 yards and the Redskins took over at their own 40 yard line.

The Redskins faced a 4th and 1 from the Cowboys 40 yard line and decided to go for it. Riggins was able to get the first down and the drive continued. The Cowboys defense was able to make a stand at the ten yard line and forced the Redskins to attempt a field goal. Mark Mosley's kick hit the left upright and was no good. The Cowboys had caught a break with not allowing points and now they needed to take advantage of it.

The Cowboys offense once again was stuffed by the Redskins defense and only gained 9 yards in three plays. They were forced to punt again and this time Danny White's punt only traveled 29 yards.

The bad punt by White didn't hurt the Cowboys as the defense forced the Redskins offense into a three and out as well.

On the Redskins punt Cowboys returner Rod Hill muffed the punt at the 11 yard line and the ball rolled towards the end zone. The Redskins recovered the ball in the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but because it was a muff the Redskins were not awarded the touchdown. They did however take over at the Cowboys 11 yard line where the muff happened.

It took the Redskins only four plays to capitalize on the turnover. Big John Riggins leaped over the Cowboys defense from the one yard line and scored. The Redskins took a 14-3 in the second quarter.

On the kickoff things continued to go bad for the Cowboys. Once again Rod Hill mishandled the ball at the goal line and it rolled into the end zone. He was able to get possession of the ball and was about to run it out of the end zone when he decided to take a knee. His foot and the ball seemed to cross the goal line, which would have meant a safety for the Redskins, but the officials ruled that the ball stayed in the end zone and awarded the ball to the Cowboys at their 20 yard line.

From the 20 yard line Danny White fired a pass to a wide open Tony Hill at the 41 yard line, but Hill dropped it in full stride. If Hill would have caught the ball there was a good chance he would have scored on the play. The Cowboys ended up going three and out once again.

The Cowboys defense then forced the Redskins into another three and out as the two minute warning approached. The Redskins punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback and the Cowboys took over at their 20 yard line with 57 seconds left in the first half.

Danny White finally got the Cowboys offense moving for the first time since the games opening drive. He found Tony Dorsett on a screen pass that gained 19 yards to the 39 yard line. Then White connected with Timmy Newsome that got the Cowboys to the Redskins 45 yard line with just 31 seconds remaining. White then completed a pass to Butch Johnson at the 32 yard line with 23 seconds. There was plenty of time left for a Septien field goal attempt to get the Cowboys a little closer and end the first half on a positive note.

But it just wasn't meant to be for the Cowboys. Danny White once again dropped back to pass and couldn't avoid the tank that was headed straight for him. That tank was Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley who took an inside rush and took aim straight at Danny White. Manley hit White with such force that he planted him into the RFK Stadium hard grass and his helmet hit even harder causing a concussion. White laid on the ground and couldn't get to his feet. On the hit by Manley, White lost the ball, but it was ruled an incomplete pass and not a fumble. So the Cowboys maintained possession.

With just 19 seconds left and no timeouts backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom entered the game. On his first play he connected with Timmy Newsome at the 23 yard line, but the Cowboys were unable to stop the clock or get in position for a field goal attempt. The clock ran out in the first half and the Cowboys found themselves down 14-3 and wondering what would happen with their quarterback Danny White for the rest of the game.

The second half kickoff started with the Redskins fumbling the ball. But once again the Cowboys weren't able to capitalize on a golden opportunity and the Redskins recovered deep in their own territory. The Cowboys defense were able to force another three and out. And after a bad punt the Cowboys took over at the Redskins 39 yard line.

Danny White had come out of the locker room with the rest of the team after halftime, but it was obvious that he was not able to return to the game. His eyes seemed glossy and as he sat on the bench he seemed to be 1,000 miles away.

So Gary Hogeboom was now the Cowboys quarterback and it would be up to him to bring the Cowboys back and lead them to the Super Bowl.

On the Cowboys first drive of the third quarter Hogeboom took control of the offense and drove the Cowboys down to the Redskins six yard line. From there he connected with Drew Pearson who just made it over the goal line before being hit. The Cowboys had their first touchdown of the game and pulled closer at 14-10. Hogeboom didn't seem fazed with how big the moment was and he giving the Cowboys and their fans hope that something special was going to happen.

Like so many other times in this NFC Championship game the Cowboys allowed something bad to happen after doing something positive. The Redskins returned the kickoff 76 yards to the Cowboys 20 yard line. The Cowboys defense forced the Redskins into a 3rd and 18, but Theismann was able to convert on a completion to the seven yard line. The Redskins offensive line along with Riggins once again over powered the Cowboys defense and Riggins scored from the four yard line. The Redskins went back ahead by 11 again 21-10.

The Cowboys offense seemed to have new life with Gary Hogeboom leading them. He once again took control and drove the Cowboys to the Redskins 23 yard line. He threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Butch Johnson that got the Cowboys back in the game 21-17 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

The Cowboys defense forced another Redskins punt and Hogeboom went back to work. From the Cowboys 45 yard line Hogeboom found Ron Springs wide open at the Redskins 36 yard line. But like Tony Hill in the first half, Springs let the ball go through his hands. Also like Tony Hill, there was a good chance that Springs would have scored on the play. That incompletion ended the third quarter with the Cowboys still looking to take the lead back from the Redskins.

The Cowboys drive stalled at the Redskins 24 yard line. Always reliable Rafael Septien could have pulled the Cowboys to within one point of the Redskins, but he missed a 41 field goal and they remained down 21-17.

As the Cowboys defense was once again forcing the Redskins into a three and out, Danny White was seen on the sideline warning up. From the look on his face he was not ready to return and if he was it would have been a difficult decision for Tom Landry to make. Deciding between his starting quarterback and the backup that had led the Cowboys to two third quarter touchdowns.

It was a medical decision not to allow Danny White back into the game due to his concussion. It was now Hogeboom's team and the Super Bowl awaited these hungry Cowboys.

Gary Hogeboom and the offense took possession at the Cowboys 32 yard line after the Redskins punted. From there Hogeboom made his first mistake of the game. He tried to get a pass over a Redskins linebacker, but Mel Kaufman made a leaping play for the interception and the Redskins took over at the Cowboys 40 yard line.

The Cowboys defense held the Redskins at the 12 yard line, but Mark Mosley kicked a field goal and the Redskins went ahead by seven, 24-17 with 7:00 left in the game.

There were so many lost opportunities for the Cowboys up to that point in the game. Plus two turnovers that the Redskins converted into 10 points, but the Cowboys still only found themselves down 24-17 with plenty of time left in the game.

On the Cowboys next possession the road to Super Bowl XVII came to grinding halt. They took over at their 20 yard line and that is when Hogeboom made his second and biggest mistake of the game.

Dropping back to set up a screen pass on the left to Dorsett, his pass was tipped by Dexter Manley. Fellow defensive lineman Darryl Grant leaped and came down with the interception at the ten yard line and scored easily. The Redskins went ahead 31-17 with just over six minutes left to play.

Even being down 14 points and the clock ticking down, Hogeboom and the Cowboys offense were not about to give up. They were able to drive to the Redskins 38 yard line, but failed to convert a 4th and 10 and the Redskins took over.

Behind the running of John Riggins the Redskins were able to run out the final four minutes and crush the Cowboys dreams as well as Cowboys fans.

What the 1982 NFC Championship game came down to was the Cowboys inability to take advantage of opportunities they had like two dropped passes that could have been touchdowns. Add in three turnovers that resulted in 17 Redskins points. The Redskins played a near perfect game and that was what head coach Joe Gibbs said they needed to do to beat the Cowboys.

The Redskins came out looking to establish the running game against the Cowboys, which they did as John Riggins gained 140 yards rushing. It should be noted that in the previous three games against the Redskins the Cowboys defense only allowed 25, 12 and 26 yards rushing to Riggins.

So for the third year in a row the Cowboys came up short in the NFC Championship game. All these years later that is still what is talked about from the 1980's and the Cowboys. How they just couldn't get over that hump and advance to the Super Bowl. How Danny White just couldn't get the job done. How the game had passed Tom Landry on. Some would agree with those accusations, but as someone who remembers the early 80's very well I couldn't disagree more. What really matters for this particular game against the Redskins is that the Cowboys never gave up even after being down 14-3 and 21-10. They fought hard as they overcame losing their leader at quarterback and had to put their faith in the backup quarterback. This game is a perfect example that simply looking at the 31-17 final score doesn't tell the whole story. The Cowboys may have lost a heart breaker, but they did Cowboys Nation proud with their effort.