Due to ties not counting as a half-win/half-loss at the time, the Cowboys became the first post-World War II team in NFL history to have a .000 winning percentage, being equaled since by the 1976 Buccaneers, 2008 Lions, and 2017 Browns.
[2][3][4][5] As a footnote to this decision, when the NFL began considering expansion to Texas, the Washington Redskins founder and owner George Preston Marshall strongly opposed the move,[6] as he had enjoyed a monopoly in the South for three decades (apart from the one-year appearance of the original Dallas Texans in 1952).
[12] Gil Brandt, who had served as a part-time scout for the Rams under Schramm, was named player personnel director.
The day after the title game, Landry was announced as head coach of the proposed NFL team in Texas, a franchise that had yet to be awarded.
The franchise was allowed to retain both players, but had to give their third-round and ninth-round choices in the 1962 NFL draft to the Bears and Colts, respectively.
The Cowboys' final pre-season game on September 4 was played in rural northeastern Oregon; they lost 49–14 to the Los Angeles Rams at Pendleton's rodeo grounds.
[17][18] Other notable transactions prior to the season included acquiring quarterback Eddie LeBaron from the Washington Redskins, offensive end Billy Howton from the Cleveland Browns, and signing former San Francisco 49ers fullback Gene Babb.
[19] Conference opponents are in bold text Expectations certainly were not high for the Cowboys heading into their inaugural season, but they got off to a hopeful start, as the team took a 14–0 lead on Bobby Layne and the Pittsburgh Steelers early in their first game and led throughout before succumbing in the fourth quarter 35–28.
The next week they played the eventual league champion Philadelphia Eagles to a near deadlock, losing 27–25, the difference being two blocked extra points.