The Cowboys showed some early season fight with two wins over Tampa Bay and a near-miss against Philadelphia, but still stood only 3–7 after ten weeks, and were seemingly out of playoff contention.
Because of the dismal 1–15 record from the previous season, the home opener against the San Diego Chargers was threatened to be blacked out for the local television market, since Texas Stadium was not sold out.
Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams Practice squad Rookies in italics 46 active, 10 inactive, 3 practice squad The Porkchop Bowl was the NFL matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys which followed the infamous Bounty Bowl II.
The week before game day in Dallas, Philadelphia head coach Buddy Ryan and Ted Plumb, his offensive coordinator, were out for dinner.
When the game began, Dallas fans tossed pork chops and similar simulated meat products from the stands toward the Eagles bench.