Cowboys offseason countdown: 99 facts until the regular season (Day 13)

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We countdown the days to kickoff giving you an interesting fact about each number. Today is number 13

We are at day 13 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 13.

The Dallas Cowboys 1978 defense was the most effective in team history, allowing an average of only 13 points-per-game.

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The 1978 season marked the Dallas Cowboys’ return as the reigning Super Bowl champions; however, it is primarily remembered for their agonizing defeat in Super Bowl XIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nonetheless, an often-overlooked aspect of the 1978 season was the remarkable potency and efficiency of the Cowboys’ defense throughout the year, known as the “Doomsday Defense”.

January 1st 1978
Cowboys 23 - Minnesota Vikings 6

NFC Championship Game ✭ Texas Stadium

The doomsday defense dominated yielding just 66 rushing yards on 30 carries and kept Minnesota out of the end zone while advancing to the Super Bowl for the fourth time. pic.twitter.com/59YOCCuVrq

— Dallas Cowboys Old School (@CowboysOld) January 3, 2023

The team permitted ten points or fewer in eight games that season, restricting the opposing teams to a touchdown or less in five of those contests. The effectiveness of the Cowboys defense was remarkable, as they allowed only a total of 61 points during the last six games of the season.

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The “Doomsday Defense” concluded the season as the premier defense in the league for run defense, permitting an average of just 107 yards per game. The trio of Randy White, Harvey Martin, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones collectively recorded 30 sacks. The Cowboys’ secondary, spearheaded by safeties Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters, along with cornerbacks Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle, amassed a total of 16 interceptions.

Watching the Cowboys’ second Super Bowl win. Superdome. Jan. 15, 1978. Both offenses are pretty rough in this one. Denver turned the ball over 8 times (4 fumbles, 4 INTs). Randy White was just all over the place pic.twitter.com/3Ym0kvckJv

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 13, 2020

For the third year in a row, the Cowboys claimed the NFC East. They amassed a total of 384 points, which placed them at the forefront of the league in scoring, while their defense permitted only 208 points, earning them the third-best ranking in the league in points allowed.

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