Comparing and Contrasting 2007 with 1966
By Matt Cordon (kh). Filed in 1960s, Remembering Those Glory Days |
The Dallas Morning News ran a story today indicating that Cowboys players are still haunted by the dreadful loss to the Giants in the playoffs. They ain’t alone, of course. Here’s a bit from that story:
For three Dallas Cowboys players who showed up for Super Bowl XLII festivities, this has been a difficult week.
All over town, they see huge pictures of Michael Strahan and the New York Giants’ logo is on every street corner. Try as they might, they can’t escape the disappointing loss in the divisional round of the playoffs to their NFC East rival.
“It does wear off, but now it’s back because you see the Giants and where they are in the game coming up,” said tight end Jason Witten, who is in town as a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. “Getting these opportunities, having the No. 1 seed and the bye, we had it all set up to be in this situation. It’s tough. It’s tough to be a part of it because you see it. They earned it, going on the road and winning, they did earn it.”
Making it worse, the Cowboys beat the Giants twice in the regular season by 10 and 11 points, although those games were decided by a handful of plays in the second half. In the playoff game, Witten, linebackers Akin Ayodele and DeMarcus Ware said they made more mental mistakes than they had in any other game.
There are more than a couple of similarities between the end of the season for the 2007 Cowboys and the end of the campaign for the 1966 Cowboys. One is the most obvious: both ended on interceptions in the end zone. But the others are also worth noting as we prepare to watch Super Bowl XLII.
Compare: The Regular Seasons
1966
The Cowboys in 1965 overcame a slow start to finish 7-7 and qualify for their first ever playoff appearance in the Playoff Bowl. Though the team lost that game, Dallas was obviously a franchise on the rise. The 1966 season marked the first time that Dallas finished with a winning record, as the Cowboys won five of their last six and went 10-3-1 to capture the Eastern Conference title.
2007
The Cowboys in 2006 showed signs that they were contenders in the NFC. However, an 8-4 record turned into a 9-7 record, only good enough for a spot as a wildcard team in the playoffs. The team’s first playoff appearance in three years ended in disaster, as quarterback/holder Tony Romo dropped the ball on a field goal attempt that would have given Dallas the lead against Seattle. The team changed coaches, and new leader Wade Phillips led the squad to a 13-3 record that tied the club mark for wins in a season. Dallas won its first NFC East title since 1998.
Compare and Contrast: The Coaches
1966
Tom Landry had a long-standing rivalry with Green Bay head coach Vince Lombardi that dated back to the days of the 1950s Giants teams. Lombardi took over the hapless Packers in 1959 and converted the franchise into a dynasty. Landry became the first head coach of the Dallas franchise for the inaugural season of 1960 and saw the team make steady improvements that led to the 1966 season.
2007
Former Dallas coach Bill Parcells had a closer relationship with the current Giants staff than current Dallas coach Wade Phillips. Tom Coughlin was an assistant with Parcells and has a coaching style similar to the Big Tuna. Phillips, on the other hand, has a coaching philosophy that is the complete opposite of either.
Compare and Contrast: The Rivalries
1966
The Cowboys and Packers hardly had a rivalry prior to the 1966 NFL Championship Game, given that Dallas had never won a regular season game over the Packers. On the other hand, Landry to a large degree failed in his chase to beat Lombardi during the 1960s.
2007
As division rivals, the Cowboys and Giants are natural enemies, and the rivalry has heated up in recent years. Dallas swept the Giants in the regular season of 2007.
Compare: The Settings
1966
The 1966 title game marked the first time that Dallas hosted a playoff matchup. It was considered the game of the decade at the time.
2007
The divisional playoff game between the Cowboys and Giants was the first held at Texas Stadium since 1998.
Compare and Contrast: The Games
1966
Green Bay jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after scoring on offense and then recovering a Mel Renfro fumble and returning it for a score. Dallas rallied to tie the game at 14 in the first quarter, but trailed 21-17 at the half. The Packers appeared to have taken a commanding 34-20 lead in the fourth quarter after Bart Starr threw his third touchdown pass of the day, but Dallas stormed back. A 68-yard touchdown pass from Don Meredith to Frank Clarke cut the Packer lead to 34-27, and after the Dallas defense held the Packer offense, the Cowboys had one last chance to tie the game in regulation.
2007
Dallas fell behind early after Giant quarterback Eli Manning hit Amani Toomer on a 52-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter. Dallas regained its composure and tied the score early in the second. Later in the quarter, Dallas embarked on what appeared to be a season-defining drive, going 90 yards on 20 plays to take a 14-7 lead. The Giants, though, recovered to score a tying touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and the Cowboys lost their momentum. After holding Dallas to a field goal in the third quarter, New York’s defense stepped up its pressure, and the Cowboys had a difficult time moving the ball for the rest of the game. A touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs gave the Giants a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
Compare: The Final Drives
1966
After the Cowboys held the Packers late in the fourth quarter, Green Bay punted. Don Chandler’s kick went off the side of his foot, and Dallas had the ball at the Green Bay 47 with 2:19 remaining. Two plays later, the Cowboys had moved the ball to the Green Bay 22, and a few plays after that, the Packers were called for interfering with Clarke near the end zone, giving Dallas the ball at the 2. This set up the final plays:
* 1st Down: Dan Reeves ran a dive that gained a yard. He was poked in the eye on the play and was having trouble seeing.
* 2nd Down: Tackle Jim Boeke was called for movement, pushing the ball back to the 6.
* 2nd Down: Meredith tried to hit Reeves on a swing pass that likely would have resulted in a score, but Reeves dropped the ball. Reeves probably should not have been in the game since he was seeing double as a result of his run from two plays earlier.
* 3rd Down: Pettis Norman caught a four-yard pass from Meredith to move the ball back to the 2.
* 4th Down: Bob Hayes was sent into the game to line up at tight end, a position he had never played. Linebacker Dave Robinson blew by Hayes to get to Meredith, who was forced into a desperation throw. Tom Brown of the Packers picked off the pass, ending the Cowboys’ season.
2007
The Cowboys squandered a number of opportunities against the Giants but still only trailed by four late in the game. The Dallas defense forced a punt just after the two-minute warning, giving the Cowboys the ball at the Giant 48 with 1:50 remaining. Three plays later, the Cowboys moved the ball to the Giant 22. This set up the final plays:
* 1st Down: Tackle Marc Columbo was called for a false start, pushing the Cowboys back to the 27.
* 1st Down: Tony Romo hit tight end Jason Witten for a four-yard gain.
* 2nd Down: Romo’s pass to Witten is incomplete.
* 3rd Down: Romo lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone, where receiver Patrick Crayton appeared to have a step on cornerback Corey Webster. However, Crayton hesitated for a moment on the pattern, and he was unable to get under the ball.
* 4th Down: Romo’s desperation pass on fourth down was intercepted by R.W. McQuarters. The pass was intended for receiver Terry Glenn, who had only played in part of one game during the 2007 season, rather than Terrell Owens or Jason Witten.
Compare and Contrast: Who To Blame
1966
NFL Films captured Boeke’s penalty, and the tackle was blamed for the loss. Meredith also took his share of the heat, as the replay of his failed 4th down attempt has become part of Cowboy infamy. Landry claimed that the team had blown it, but there is plenty of evidence that he had panicked at the end by sending Hayes into the game for Clarke at tight end. Reeves’ drop was another big factor, given that he should have scored.
2007
Columbo has received little of the blame for his first-down penalty that backed Dallas up to the 27. Crayton has received heat along with cornerback Jacques Reeves, who was largely responsible for New York’s drive at the end of the first half. Romo has received blame much like Meredith, and the replay of his pass attempt to Glenn will probably be the one that is most remembered. What will likely be forgotten, though, is why the pass was not directed at Owens, who was clearly the go-to man all year.
The Legacies
1966
This win was part of the Packer dynasty of the 1960s, as Green Bay went on to win the first Super Bowl. Dallas returned to the title game a year later, only to lose to Green Bay in the Ice Bowl. A number of the legends of that team– Don Meredith, Don Perkins, Frank Clarke– were not around when Dallas finally won its elusive title in 1971.
2007
Here’s the little bit of irony in this loss, especially as it relates to that 1966 squad: If Dallas had beaten the Giants (Landry’s old team, no less), the Cowboys would have hosted Green Bay for the right to play the team that is in the middle of a dynasty.
At any rate, in two seasons, Tony Romo has nearly as many heartbreaking playoff losses as Don Meredith did in the latter’s entire career. Should history repeat itself, there is a good chance that a number of the big-name players — Owens, Roy Williams, Flozell Adams, Terry Glenn– won’t be around long enough to see Dallas finally break through to win its first title since 1995.
Tuesday, February 5th 2008 at 8:41 am
Comments on two–
Great review on the dynasties. I think we’ll see the Patriots back next year. Remember, they had to upgrade wide receiver and they will do so at the LB spot. They had lost Willie McGinnest to Cleveland but still compensated well.
On the 1966 to 2007 comparison. Actually I believe it was Bob Hayes who was interferred with at the end of the game setting Dallas up at the 2, but I could be wrong. I watched that game at age 10 and occasionally have seen some highlights. It was a much better game than the Ice Bowl. Of interest was how Dallas shut down Green Bay’s vaunted running game while running well against the Pack defense.
I thin another apt comparison is the 1968 season. Dallas had a great season, had great hopes and then “blew it” against Cleveland. A 12-2 team that had a chance to play Baltimore (13-1)in a great match up that was never realized–much like the possible Dallas-GB match up this year.