The Dallas Cowboys posted thier best regular season record in 1968 by winning 12 games and losing only 2. They had the highest scoring offense in the NFL and the 2nd scoring defense in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys burst out the gates by winning their first 6 games by an average of 3 Touchdowns. At mid season the Cowboys lost 2 of 3 but then finished off the season by winning their remaining 5 games. The Cowboys offense was led by Pro Bowlers Don Meredith at QB, Don Perkins at RB, Bob Hayes at WR and John Niland and Ralph Neely on the offensive line. The Defense was led by All Pros Bob Lilly at DT and Chuck Howley at LB as well as Pro Bowlers Lee Roy Jordan at MLB, George Andrie at DE and Mel Renfro at safety.
The Cowboys entered the 1968 NFL Playoffs as one of the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl. The Packes had slipped to a 6-7-1 record so the Cowboys would not have to face their recent arch rivals. The Cowboys faced the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland in the first round. The game was tied 10-10 at half time but the Browns pulled away in the 2nd half thanks to 3 interceptions by Don Meredith. The Browns won the game by a final score of 31-20 ending the Cowboys hopes for that elusive NFL Championship.
The Cowboys first 4 picks in the 1968 NFL draft all turned out to be busts. They finally struck gold in the 5th and 6th round when the selected Blaine Nye and DD Lewis both of whom stared for the Cowboys over the next decade. The Cowboys also selected Larry Cole in the 16th round who helped solidify the Cowboys defense for the next 13 seasons!
1968 Dallas Cowboys draft picks
| Rnd | Pos | College/Univ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis Homan | WR | Alabama |
| 2 | Dave McDaniels | WR | Miss. Valley St. |
| 3 | Ed Harmon | LB | Louisville |
| 4 | John Douglas | LB | Missouri |
| 5 | Blaine Nye | G | Stanford |
| 6 | D.D. Lewis | LB | Mississippi St. |
| 7 | Bob Taucher | T | Nebraska |
| 8 | Frank Brown | DT | |
| 9 | Ken Kmiec | DB | Illinois |
| 10 | Ben Olison | FL | Kansas |
| 11 | Ron Shotts | RB | Oklahoma |
| 12 | Wilson Whitty | LB | Boston Univ. |
| 13 | Carter Lord | FL | Harvard |
| 14 | Ron Williams | DB | West Virginia |
| 15 | Tony Lunceford | K | Auburn |
| 16 | Larry Cole | DE | Hawaii |
| 17 | George Nordgren | RB | Houston |
1968 Dallas Cowboys schedule and results
| Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Date | Opp | Tm | Opp | |
| 1 | September 15 | W | Detroit Lions | 59 | 13 |
| 2 | September 22 | W | Cleveland Browns | 28 | 7 |
| 3 | September 29 | W | Philadelphia Eagles | 45 | 13 |
| 4 | October 6 | W | St. Louis Cardinals | 27 | 10 |
| 5 | October 13 | W | Philadelphia Eagles | 34 | 14 |
| 6 | October 20 | W | Minnesota Vikings | 20 | 7 |
| 7 | October 28 | L | Green Bay Packers | 17 | 28 |
| 8 | November 3 | W | New Orleans Saints | 17 | 3 |
| 9 | November 10 | L | New York Giants | 21 | 27 |
| 10 | November 17 | W | Washington Redskins | 44 | 24 |
| 11 | November 24 | W | Chicago Bears | 34 | 3 |
| 12 | November 28 | W | Washington Redskins | 29 | 20 |
| 13 | December 8 | W | Pittsburgh Steelers | 28 | 7 |
| 14 | December 15 | W | New York Giants | 28 | 10 |
| Playoffs | |||||
| Division | December 21 | L | Cleveland Browns | 20 | 31 |
1968 Dallas Cowboys Roster
