1989 Dallas Cowboys season

Last updated

1989 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner Jerry Jones
General manager Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson
Head coach Jimmy Johnson
Home field Texas Stadium
Results
Record1–15
Division place5th NFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers None

The 1989 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 30th in the National Football League (NFL), their first under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 19th playing their home games at Texas Stadium and their first season under head coach Jimmy Johnson. It was the team's first time in franchise history that Tom Landry was not the head coach, as he was fired by Arkansas oil executive Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989. Landry served as Cowboys' head coach since the team's inaugural 1960 season and led the team to 5 Super Bowl appearances, winning 2 of them in his 29 year tenure.

Contents

They failed to improve on their 3–13 record from 1988, finishing at 1–15 and missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. At the time, the 1989 Cowboys were the second team to finish 1–15 since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978; the other was the New Orleans Saints in 1980. That list doubled in the next two seasons, thanks to the New England Patriots in 1990 and Indianapolis Colts in 1991.

Jimmy Johnson had compiled a 44–4 record in his last 4 years as coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Offseason

NFL Draft

1989 Dallas Cowboys draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
11 Troy Aikman  * †  QB UCLA
229 Steve Wisniewski  *  OG Penn State He was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Raiders
239 Daryl Johnston  *  FB Syracuse
357 Mark Stepnoski  *  C Pittsburgh
368 Rhondy Weston   DE Florida
485 Tony Tolbert  *  DE UTEP
5113 Keith Jennings   TE Clemson
5119 Willis Crockett   LB Georgia Tech
5125 Jeff Roth   DT Florida
7168Kevin Peterson  LB Northwestern
8196 Charvez Foger   RB Nevada
9224 Tim Jackson   DB Nebraska
10252 Rod Carter   LB Miami (FL)
11280 Randy Shannon   LB Miami (FL)
12308 Scott Ankrom   WR TCU
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1989 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Scott AdamsTackle Georgia
Eric BrownDefensive Back Savannah State
Sean SchellerDefensive end Stanford

Summary

Besides the entry of Johnson and Jones, the Cowboys made pre-season headlines by drafting UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman with the first pick in the NFL Draft. Curiously, they also drafted quarterback Steve Walsh later in the NFL's supplemental draft (in doing so, they gave up a number one pick in the 1990 draft). Walsh had played quarterback for Jimmy Johnson at the University of Miami and led the ‘Canes to a 23–1 record as a starter and one national title.

Walsh and Aikman battled for the starting quarterback job in the pre-season, with Aikman winning the nod when the regular season began. Expectations were raised when the Cowboys finished with a strong 3–1 preseason record.

On opening day, the Cowboys were beaten by the New Orleans Saints, 28–0, and went on to finish 1–15 for the season. Aikman broke the index finger on his non-throwing hand in week four and Steve Walsh started the next five games, including the team’s only win, before Aikman returned to finish the season.

Two of the few bright spots of the season were linebacker Eugene Lockhart, who led the league in tackles, and James Dixon, who was one of the NFL’s leaders in kickoff return average.

1989 was the first season in the history of Monday Night Football that did not feature at least one Cowboys game.

The only win by the Cowboys during the season was against the rival Redskins in Washington. Though the season seemed a complete failure, it would prove to be the prelude to many great years ahead. Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, future centerpieces of the Cowboys’ 1992 to 1995 dynasty, headlined this team. During the season, star running back Herschel Walker would be traded to the Minnesota Vikings for multiple players and draft picks. By finishing 1–15 they would have received the top spot in the 1990 NFL Draft; however, the pick was forfeited because the Cowboys drafted Walsh in the Supplemental Draft. Later, they would trade and draft a running back out of Florida named Emmitt Smith, with one of the many draft choices obtained from the Vikings in the Herschel Walker trade. Other notable additions to the team that year include center Mark Stepnoski, fullback Daryl Johnston, and defensive end Tony Tolbert.

The two matchups between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles (including one on Thanksgiving) were particularly hostile and became known as the Bounty Bowls.

The 1989 season was the final NFL season for the legendary Ed "Too Tall" Jones and longtime offensive lineman Tom Rafferty.

The Cowboys’ futility matched that of the 1980 New Orleans Saints as they became the second NFL team to end a season at 1–15.

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1989 roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice squad

Rookies in italics
47 active, 7 inactive, 2 practice squad

Herschel Walker

In 1989, at the height of his NFL career, the Cowboys traded him to the Minnesota Vikings for a total of five players (LB Jesse Solomon, CB Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson, LB David Howard, DE Alex Stewart) and six draft picks (which led to Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, and Darren Woodson). This was judged to be one of the turning points in the rise of the Cowboys to the top echelon of the NFL. Walker's trade was widely perceived as an exceptionally poor move considering what the Vikings had to give up in order to get him, and remains one of the most frequently vilified roster moves of the team's history. The Vikings coaches reluctantly accepted Walker after the trade and never totally used the tool they had been given. Scout.com says "Walker was never used properly by the coaching brain trust (a total oxymoron in this case)". [1]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 10at New Orleans Saints L 0–280–1 Louisiana Superdome Recap
2September 17at Atlanta Falcons L 21–270–2 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Recap
3September 24 Washington Redskins L 7–300–3 Texas Stadium Recap
4October 1 New York Giants L 13–300–4 Texas Stadium Recap
5October 8at Green Bay Packers L 13–310–5 Lambeau Field Recap
6October 15 San Francisco 49ers L 14–310–6 Texas Stadium Recap
7October 22at Kansas City Chiefs L 28–360–7 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
8October 29 Phoenix Cardinals L 10–190–8 Texas Stadium Recap
9November 5at Washington Redskins W 13–31–8 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Recap
10November 12at Phoenix Cardinals L 20–241–9 Sun Devil Stadium Recap
11November 19 Miami Dolphins L 14–171–10 Texas Stadium Recap
12 November 23 Philadelphia Eagles L 0–27 1–11 Texas Stadium Recap
13December 3 Los Angeles Rams L 31–351–12 Texas Stadium Recap
14 December 10at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–20 1–13 Veterans Stadium Recap
15December 16at New York Giants L 0–151–14 Giants Stadium Recap
16December 24 Green Bay Packers L 10–201–15 Texas Stadium Recap

Standings

NFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
New York Giants (2)1240.7506–28–4348252W3
Philadelphia Eagles (4)1150.6887–18–4342274W1
Washington Redskins 1060.6254–48–4386308W5
Phoenix Cardinals 5110.3132–64–8258377L6
Dallas Cowboys 1150.0631–71–13204393L7

[2]

Season summary

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers

Week 5: Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Cowboys670013
Packers1077731

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: October 8, 1989
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 39 °F (4 °C)
  • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  • TV announcers (CBS): Tim Brant and Dan Jiggetts
Game information

Week 12 vs Eagles

Period1234Total
Eagles 01014327
Cowboys 00000

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Game information

"The Bounty Bowl"

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Period1234Total
Cowboys037010
Eagles0173020

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

Publications

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References

  1. ↑ Viking Update Staff (June 20, 2001). "History: Walker Trade". Scout.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
  2. ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN   0-7611-2480-2, p. 292
  3. ↑ Pro Football Reference ; Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – December 10th, 1989
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