1968 Dallas Cowboys season

1968 Dallas Cowboys season
Head coach	Tom Landry
General manager	Tex Schramm
Owner	Clint Murchison, Jr.
Home field	Cotton Bowl
Results
Record	12–2
Division place	1st NFL Capitol
Playoff finish	Lost Eastern Conference Championship Game (at Browns) 20-31 Won NFL Playoff Bowl (vs. Vikings) 17-13
← 1967 Cowboys seasons 1969 →

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cowboys	7	7	14	17	45
Eagles	3	10	0	0	13

Date: September 29
Location: Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game attendance: 60,858
Game weather: 61°F; wind 12

Scoring summary

Q1	PHI	Sam Baker 23 yard field goal	PHI 3–0

Q1	DAL	Dan Reeves 2 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 7–3

Q2	DAL	Lance Rentzel 11 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 14–3

Q2	PHI	Gary Ballman 18 yard pass from King Hill (Sam Baker kick)	DAL 14–10

Q2	PHI	Sam Baker 13 yard field goal	DAL 14–13

Q3	DAL	Bob Hayes 44 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 21–13

Q3	DAL	Don Perkins 10 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 28–13

Q4	DAL	Mike Clark 26 yard field goal	DAL 31–13

Q4	DAL	Lance Rentzel 8 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 38–13

Q4	DAL	Craig Morton 4 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 45–13

Scoring summary

Q1	PHI	Sam Baker 23 yard field goal	PHI 3–0

Q1	DAL	Dan Reeves 2 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 7–3

Q2	DAL	Lance Rentzel 11 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 14–3

Q2	PHI	Gary Ballman 18 yard pass from King Hill (Sam Baker kick)	DAL 14–10

Q2	PHI	Sam Baker 13 yard field goal	DAL 14–13

Q3	DAL	Bob Hayes 44 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 21–13

Q3	DAL	Don Perkins 10 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 28–13

Q4	DAL	Mike Clark 26 yard field goal	DAL 31–13

Q4	DAL	Lance Rentzel 8 yard pass from Don Meredith (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 38–13

Q4	DAL	Craig Morton 4 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	DAL 45–13

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cowboys	0	7	14	7	28
Giants	3	0	0	7	10

Date: December 15
Location: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York
Game weather: 30°F, wind 20 mph

Scoring summary

1	NYG	Pete Gogolak 12 yard field goal	Giants 3–0

2	DAL	Bob Hayes 13 yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 7–3

3	DAL	Bob Hayes 63 yard punt return (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 14–3

3	DAL	Craig Morton 1 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 21–3

4	DAL	Walt Garrison 8 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 28–3

4	NYG	Aaron Thomas 46 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 28–10

Scoring summary

1	NYG	Pete Gogolak 12 yard field goal	Giants 3–0

2	DAL	Bob Hayes 13 yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 7–3

3	DAL	Bob Hayes 63 yard punt return (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 14–3

3	DAL	Craig Morton 1 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 21–3

4	DAL	Walt Garrison 8 yard run (Mike Clark kick)	Cowboys 28–3

4	NYG	Aaron Thomas 46 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick)	Cowboys 28–10

The 1968 Dallas Cowboys season was their ninth in the league and won the Capitol division by five games with a 12–2 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Dallas met the Cleveland Browns (10–4) in the Eastern Conference title game, held at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. In this era, the host sites were rotated, home field advantage was not adopted for the playoffs until 1975. Dallas had won the regular season game 28–7 in September, and had routed the Browns 52–14 in the previous year's playoffs, but both were played at the Cotton Bowl.

Cleveland upset the favored Cowboys 31–20, sending Dallas to the third place Playoff Bowl at the Orange Bowl in Miami, where they rallied to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 17–13.

The team averaged 30.8 points per game during the regular season, and holds the record for most points scored through the first three games of a season.

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

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