1986 Raiders at Cowboys GOTW week 10

[@chrisuncleahmad666]

At this time, this was only the 4th ever meeting between two iconic franchises

[@nathaneast7923]

Their previous meeting, in 1983, was also at Texas Stadium and was equally memorable. The Cowboys were 7-0 and favored to win on national television, but the Raiders, despite committing 6 turnovers, shocked Dallas, 40-38, piling up 520 yards of offense against Landry's legendary "Doomsday Defense". Their meeting prior to that, in 1980, was also a tough, one-score game. Dallas won 19-13. Out of the 15 games Jim Plunkett started in 1980, he went a remarkable 13-2. The only two he lost were to the Cowboys and Eagles, the two teams who played in the NFC Championship Game that year. He later beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The 1980 Raiders are the most improbable champions in NFL history. In their first-ever meeting, in 1974, Dallas needed a win in the final game of the season to clinch a playoff berth, but Oakland prevailed (again, by one score), and knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs.

[@petermontoya1796]

I was at that game. I was in the USAF stationed in Abilene, TX. I was wearing my old Oakland Raider jacket. When Jim Plunkett went in the game, you could hear the gasps and the air leaving the old Cowboys Stadium. BTW, that hole in the roof was for Ray Guy to kick punts so they didn't hit the ceiling.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

In 1986, the thought of the Raiders and Cowboys losing nine consecutive games combined to end the season was beyond absurd. Today, I don't think many would bat an eye. How the mighty have fallen.

[@osaji922]

Last season was one for the books for both clubs though. Well, maybe more so for the Raiders. I've been rewatching the highlights to the game between them ever since. I just love the match up that much.

[@nathaneast7923]

(Manu, you're on S&BP, aren't you?) This was the year, 1986, that the NFL transitioned away from its old guard. The Raiders, Cowboys, and Dolphins all stumbled. (The Steelers stumbled the year before.) Dallas entered the year with 20 consecutive winning seasons; the Raiders entered with 20 winning seasons out of the previous 21; and the Dolphins had suffered just one losing season in their previous 16. All three teams finished without a winning record, the first time that had happened since 1964 (when the Dolphins didn't even exist!). The Raiders happened to beat both Miami and Dallas in 1986, however, with both wins coming on the road. After the 1985 season, despite Dallas becoming briefly dominant in the 1990s, and the Raiders hosting 2 of the first 3 AFC Championship Games of the new millennium, and the Dolphins... sucking pretty much nonstop, these three teams have never ruled the roost together the way they did from the mid-60s to the mid-80s. The Raiders have finished above .500 just 8 times in the last 37 years (after being above .500 in 20 out of the previous 21 years). They've fallen on some incredibly hard times, and it all started in 1986, a year in which they stood at 8-4 entering December and looked to be in full Super Bowl mode.

[@urbanleftbehind]

Game after the Phil Pozderac holding debacle. The Raiders got up to 8-4 and then dropped their last 4, the killer being an OT loss to the Eagles.

[@nathaneast7923]

And also a final game embarrassment to the 2-13 Colts. How we lost that game, Jim Plunkett's last ever, is beyond me.

[@Mark-xl1ze]

The Cowboys never beat the Raiders at Texas Stadium.

[@harrymann5523]

Week 10 Television Assignments CBS Doubleheader 1pm Bears-Buccaneers Dick Stockton, Dan Dierdorf Rams-Saints Gary Bender, Hank Stram Redskins-Packers Tim Ryan, Terry Bradshaw Vikings-Lions Jim Hill, Johnny Morris 4pm Giants-Eagles Pat Summerall, John Madden Cardinals-49ers Jack Buck, Joe Theismann NBC Single Game 1pm Jets-Falcons Don Criqui, Bob Trumpy Patriots-Colts Tom Hammond, Bob Griese Steelers-Bills Jay Randolph, Reggie Rucker Seahawks-Chiefs Len Berman, Dave Rowe Bengals-Oilers Steve Grad, Sam Rutigliano 4pm Raiders-Cowboys Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen Chargers-Broncos Charlie Jones, Jimmy Cefalo ABC Monday Night Football 9pm Dolphins-Browns Al Michaels, Frank Gifford

[@kashakamcpherson9719]

Bernie Kosar outdules Dan Marino Browns beat the Dolphins on MNF

[@dcoopthemann]

TIME IS A MOTHER F: I remember this game - and season - like it was yesterday. This was also around the time - not counting the injuries - when I thought it was "TIME" to move on from Tom Landry (R.I.P.). The game had passed Landry by. It was another 3 yrs. (1989) before the Cowboys would do so. And even though I didn't like (and still don't) how things ended up with Landry, it was DEFINITELY "TIME" to move on from him. FUNNY THING: Once again, "TIME" IS A MOTHER F., 'cause now IT'S "TIME" (long past the "TIME", actually) the Cowboys move on from the Jones'! Like Landry, the game has passed the Jones' by. UNFORTUNATELY, they own the team, so it won't be as "EASY" as moving on from them, like it was moving on from Landry.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

First of all it’s nice to see a defensive game on the NFL game of the week for a change. It seems like every GOTW in the 80s was a track meet. How does Marc Wilson get on the field with Plunkett on the bench?

[@russellseilhamer4552]

Also Mike Sherrard got hurt so did Danny White. Gil Brandt hadn’t had a good draft in years by that point. Acquiring Herschel Walker would pay huge dividends in a few years. Tom Landry was like Rasputin, the Cowboys demise had been predicted since 1979 and time and again they came back. Defensively the Cowboys were probably stronger in the mid 80s. The o line and receiver position was a problem. Rasputin ran out of lives in mid 1986. 20 straight winning seasons. Tom Landry was a few plays away from 6 or 7 championships. No man had worse playoff luck but this game was the turning point of decline for the Landry era Cowboys

[@dcoopthemann]

@@russellseilhamer4552 Yeah, people OVERLOOK the Sherrard injury (I don't) because he never went on to become a big time receiver, due to those injuries, but it was definitely a turning point in what eventually happened to the Landry era. No question about it. Everything you say about Brandt's drafts, etc, is also 100% correct. That being said, the game had passed Landry by, the advantage they had over all the other teams, they no longer had, like moving the draft back from January to April (cool for me, 'cause the draft often falls on my Birthday or always right around it. April 23rd.). Like for instance, the Cowboys were still running the Flex Defense until Jimmy Johnson came in and changed it. The Flex Defense was designed to stop teams who ran on 1st. and 2nd. down - which all teams did majority of the time, in the "OLD DAYS", then send the dogs after the QB - who obviously had to "PASS" on 3rd. down - majority of the time. "BUT" Bill Walsh (R.I.P.) and his disciples came along with their it's "EASIER" to complete a 5 - 6 yard pass on 1st. or 2nd. down West Coast Offense (actually it was started in Cincinnati with the Bengals, not the 49ers), effectively putting an end to the Flex Defense. Yet and still, Landry continued to run it. It was also notorious hard for young players to learn it. Teams also started using what Dallas was doing to them - on Dallas. This is what happens when you're successful. No doubt about it, though: Years and years of BAD DRAFTING was what really did Landy's Cowboys in. This is also overlooked way too often when talking about Landry's "DEMISE" toward the end of his career, but not by me and a couple of my brothers, who grew up Cowboys fans! FUNNY: People - and a lot of Cowboys fans, too - still talk about Danny White like a dog (but not me or my brothers, 'cause we know better. When I was a kid, I used to think that was the COOLEST THING when he would play QB, then stay in and punt! That, and the Landry Shuffle! They need to bring back the Landry Shuffle more often), 'cause he "LOST" 3 straight NFC Championship Games. Forget the fact the team was "AGING" and the drafts were "HORRIBLE." I'm not saying Danny White's a Hall Of Famer, but I will say this: He's never even gotten a vote to get to the table, 'cause of the "PERCEPTION" of "LOSING" those 3 straight NFC Championship Games. "REAL" Cowboys fans WISH they could "LOSE" 3 straight NFC Championship Games now!

[@jmad627]

As a long time, since 1971, hardcore and mostly suffering New York Giants fan, I found your comments very interesting.

[@dcoopthemann]

@@jmad627 Thank you. I actually have a couple of brothers (I'm the youngest in my family out of 11 boys) and other family members that are Giants fans. I was actually born in Northern New Jersey. The Giants have always been a bit of a "FUNNY TEAM" to me. They do VIRTUALLY NOTHING for years (so I understand what you're saying there, as a long time suffering fan! I've been a Cowboys fan since 1974 and NO WAY did I ever think they would go this long - since the 1995 - 1996 season without even SNIFFING the Super Bowl! I've literally DOUBLED MY AGE since the last time they got anywhere near a Super Bowl! SMFH), then put together a GREAT TEAM for a few years, WIN, then repeat the whole process all over again! Strange team, indeed.

[@nathaneast7923]

This was a sloppy game that featured 10 turnovers. After Marc Wilson threw 3 picks, he was benched, and Plunkett brought the Raiders back in the 4th quarter to win, as he so often did. After Steve Pelluer threw 5 interceptions in 3 quarters... Tom Landry refused to bench him, and Dallas recorded zero first downs in the 4th quarter. Tom Flores >>> Tom Landry

[@EzraStyles-b6n]

Marc Wilson stunk on ice

[@charleswilliamsjr]

Which games MONROE LOUISIANA did air at noon and 3.pm!