It is Day 25 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
This is a big one for Day 25 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. Today we revisit the afternoon the Roger Staubach era officially began. Nearly five years after Dallas selected him in the tenth round of the 1964 NFL Draft, Staubach finally made his professional debut and immediately demonstrated the playmaking ability that would eventually transform the franchise.
Sunday, September 21, 1969
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 24, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Staubach’s arrival had been delayed by his service commitment to the United States Navy, which included a tour in Vietnam. He joined a Cowboys team transitioning away from Don Meredith, with Craig Morton expected to remain the established starter. Tom Landry used both quarterbacks during the 1969 opener, but it was Staubach who produced the game’s defining moments.
Dallas struck first when Staubach connected with Lance Rentzel for a 75-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown pass of Staubach’s NFL career, giving the Cotton Bowl crowd an immediate glimpse of what the former Heisman Trophy winner could provide. St. Louis answered only with Jim Bakken’s 20-yard field goal, leaving Dallas ahead 7-3 at halftime.
The Cowboys extended their lead through some Landry creativity in the third quarter. Rookie running back Calvin Hill took a handoff and threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Rentzel, who had now scored on receptions from two different passers. Mike Clark’s extra point made it 14-3.
Clark added a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter before Staubach completed the scoring himself. The rookie quarterback scrambled into the end zone from three yards out, giving him both a passing and rushing touchdown in his first NFL appearance and securing the 24-3 victory.
Staubach completed seven of 15 passes for 220 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. His performance was far from a complete takeover of the starting position, but the athleticism, deep passing and improvisational ability that would define his career were already visible.
This game belongs on the countdown because it marked the first appearance of one of the most important players in franchise history. Staubach did not become Dallas’ permanent starter until 1971, but his debut offered an unmistakable preview. The Cowboys had found a very special quarterback who would lead them into their championship era.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Staubach’s first ever NFL completion would be that 75-yard touchdown pass to Rentzel, making the play both memorable and inspirational to all of Cowboys nation.
Countdown to kickoff
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57,56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26
