NFL
By: Greg Rector
DOOMSDAY I
From 1966 to 1974 the first Dallas Cowboys iteration of the “Doomsday Defense,” terrorized NFL opponents. Led by Hall of Fame members Bob “Mr.Cowboy,” Lilly, along with their incredible secondary group Cliff Harris, Herb Adderly, and Mel Renfro, the first “Doomsday Defense,” coached by Ernie Stautner himself a legendary defensive player for the Steelers in the 1950s which led to the Cowboys first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts, where linebacker Chuck Howley was named the games MVP in a losing effort. This group man-handled the super Miami Dolphins a year before the Dolphins undefeated season 24-3 in Super Bowl VI, bringing home the first of five Super Bowls. Until Super Bowl LIII they were the only team to not surrender a touchdown in the Super Bowl. That was no fluke as prior to Super Bowl VI they had given up only one TD in their previous 14 quarters. Several former Dolphins have said in interviews that the one team they did not want to face in the undefeated season was the Dallas Cowboys.
DOOMSDAY II
This is the group that is more famous led by the likes of Randy “The Manster,” White, Ed “Too Tall Jones,” Harvey Martin, and for a while veterans of the first Doomsday Defense Jethro Pugh and Chuck Harris. This was the group I grew up absolutely loving and nothing in my years of watching the NFL was as painful as the two Super Bowl losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowls X and XIII for me. This group did however win Super Bowl XII 27-10 over the Denver Broncos. What made them so tough was at all three levels you had to deal with great players who were simply put tough as nails. You didn’t want to go to face the Cowboys in Irving, Texas or, see them coming to your stadium. They were hard-nosed and battled you tooth and nail for 60 minutes.
Cowboys 2022 Defense
The pieces are there to develop into a “Doomsday Defense III,” the biggest reason they aren’t quite deserving as of yet? Simply put they lack the defensive tackles the other two groups had. Neville Gallimore, Osa Odigizuwha, Quentin Bohana, none strike the fear into opponents the way a Randy White or Bob Lilly did. Now they do remind me more of the Doomsday II group because of the turnovers they create and the sacks they are getting. However, it was with the passage of time that each group earned the label. As I said pieces are certainly in place and because of the overall youth of the unit the likes of Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Sam Williams have the opportunity to become a group that earns the moniker.
History Lesson
Far too many Dallas Cowboys fans have become enamored with the big play offense that we’ve seen with first Tony Romo and now with Dak Prescott. That’s never been the key to success for the Cowboys. in their best seasons, it was a tough defense, and a running game, along with timely, passing success that the Cowboys were known for. This season has been the opposite and much more back to what I have known the Dallas Cowboys to be throughout their history. Leading the NFL in sacks, near the top in turnovers, and offensively being efficient over spectacular. The Cowboys were never and don’t need to be the pass-happy team that can’t battle when it matters. After defeating the Detroit Lions 24-6 the Cowboys are giving up just 13 points a game. No one is close to that number in the NFL. They’ve beaten both Super Bowl teams from last year. It doesn’t have to be pretty to be effective, winning football. Here’s hoping that it continues and that this 21st-century unit joins the pantheon of those two great units I watched way back when.
