Don Coryell belongs in the Hall of Fame. Long time ago. Many of his former players are there, some of his former assistants are (Madden, Gibbs) and many teams today still run his offense.
Wow I had no idea that Coach Coryell WASNT in HOF!!! I literally asdumed he was in already. Makes one wonder what the hell is the HOF panel is really doing??? Ed white, Russ Washington. Doug wilkerson, Everson Walls yes Walls 57 picks , SB winner multiple pro bowl / ALL PRO seasons with 3 teams and won an SB with Giants. Criminal I mean this AND they wait until Stabler actually dies before putting him in!! If I was Stabler family Id tell them to go "F" themselves but they are classy people but still.Im an Steeler fan since 73 and JUST put in Donnie Shell, yeah only 3plus decades too late AND; LC GREENWOOD NOT IN HOF, they should all be ashamed literally embarrassed!!! He his passed on now also.Im an Veteran of many years active duty and LC was/ is one of my heroes and I mean this.Put him in yesterday. Randy Gradishar not in?? How, how is that one even possible eh?? Of course Im partial here but why not Alan Faneca, Hines Ward??? Please both overdue. Lyle Alzado!!! I dont care about the drug thing the man was a tough and great player whom came clean before ANYONE ELSE DID , put him in now!! Cliff branch I thinlk isnt in either, dont quote me not sure but if HE isnt , fix that one immediately.Jim plunkett 6- 0 post season and guess what neither of those 80/83 Raider teams win those SB without Plunkett .These are just a small sampling of outright injustices being done to so many of our childhood heroes out there.HOF Panel get youre heads out of it and start doing youre jobs peoperly.Sorry but this was long o verdue rant but a very accurate one
@@whataboutrob442 fair enough- but he also didnt exactly get the help from his front office he needed. championship squads- cost championship money. letting dean and jefferson walk was suicide. more dean than jj- he did give the NFL arguably the most exciting high potent offense in history. and he won some big games vs good teams. imho- he deserves a place in the sun for that...
These Cowboys teams with Dorsett and Newsome ran the screen play better than anyone before or since. They are the Standard for excellence in the screen play in my opinion.
Exactly. Not only did Tom Landry pride himself in running the screen play, Landry was the best at WHEN the screen was called. He also invented the middle screen which was more difficult.
Those linemen moved around on almost every play. I don't think I know of any other team that would have some of their line turn their back on the defense like that.
@@texasstadium Roll right Screen left is a Signature Dallas play. It was used in the 1978 Divisional Playoffs against Atlanta with White as backup QB. Glen Carano as backup QB vs the Bears on Turkey day. A great play and a safe play to run for your backup QB
This game was played on my my 10th Birthday 10/26/1980. My dad took me to this game as a birthday gift. It was my first pro football game. Great game. I am still Cowboys fan but have always rooted for the Chargers ( as a result of this game) whenever they were playing anyone else.
I remember this Game. It was aired Sunday Night. The Air Coryell San Diego Chargers were the reason I started watching the NFL. They were so exciting and fun to watch.
Sunday night game. This was the Chargers' first trip to Dallas as an NFL team. They had last played in Dallas in 1962 against the Texans (who moved to KC in 1963 and became the Chiefs).
Enjoy these old games so much more than the ones today. I was four and remember this being on. The adults in the house were carrying on like I'd never seen.😂
R.I.P. Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith. R.I.P. Chargers Head Coach Don 'Air' Coryell and Running Back Chuck Muncie. R.I.P. Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, Running Backs Ron Springs and Defensive End Harvey Martin!!!
@@donwilcox728 Preston Pearson is still alive. Drew Pearson was in a car accident with his brother Moose, which led to him retiring, from football because of a severe injury to his liver., sustained in the car crash. Drew survived, his brother didn't. It was Carey "Moose" Pearson that passed away from the car accident not Preston.
My first live Cowboys game I went too!! Meet my future wife that same weekend in Dallas. Came from Houston to watch the game ,I was 13 and she was 12! Can’t believe this is on here!
I have been waiting 38 years to watch this game again. I remember this game fairly well - the Chargers outplayed the Cowboys in the first half, but the game was far from over. As a native San Diegan I was a San Diego State fan, but the Chargers were terrible until '78, so I fell in love with the Cowboys in '77 with Staubach, Dorsett, Too Tall, etc. When the Chargers hired Coryell I became a Chargers fan and they were the most exciting team in the NFL even if they didn't make it to the Super Bowl. For this game I had a hard time rooting for either team over the other (for me it was a no lose situation since I loved both teams), but I kind of leaned towards Dallas.
@@bconni2 - Oh,. they had it once they hired Don Coryell! I was a big San Diego State fan! It was easy to support both the Charger and Cowboys then - Cowboys in the NFL, Chargers in the AFC! My two teams, and my dream Super Bowl that almost happened (if not for the Ice Bowl in Cincinnati and The Catch in SF).
That's why the Cowboys Cardinals games were so great in the mid 70's when Don coached the Cards. Mel Gray, Pat Tilley and Terry Metcalf with Jim Hart always gave us hard games, the Cards split with us from 1974-1977 (I think we swept them in 1976 though). Also, this game shows that one of the most underrated Cowboys of all time #87 Jay Saldi. This would have been the BEST Super Bowl in 1981 but sadly Drew Pearson was tackled and it was minus 20 in Cincinnati. Instead people got one of the most boring super duds of all time the 49ers and Bengals. America's Team vs Air Coryell Super Bowl 1981 or Kenny Anderson and Chris Collinsworth vs Montana and Clark?OMG how boring. The Cowboys Chargers 1983 and 86 games were great as well Hell, the Cowboys vs Chargers early to mid 80's pre season games were great. This is one of my favorite Cowboys games of all time, I have over 550 on dvd. I am Desperately trying to find the Cowboys./Chargers in dvd, If anyone can help me I can trade, please let me know..
Felony Strutter always wanted to see Dallas vs Oakland in Super Bowl 15. Raiders smashed Eagles. 81 Cowboys and 81 Chargers may have been a great game. Both capable of beating each other. SF dynasty began with Danny White fumble.
When this game was on my city had a blackout and I never saw the second half. I actually went out to the driveway and got in my brother's car and listened to the rest of the game on the radio......yes I am that big of a fan. Thanks for the upload! Finally approximately 39 years later l saw it all. What a wild game between two powerhouses.
Dallas was so good at those screens. I don't know of many teams who moved their offensive line like that. And that broken play to Saldi just showed how well coached that team was. He had 4 guys immediately set up a wall to get to the end zone and they were set up for a play on the other side of the field to start.
Better announcers and a much improved brand of football than today's NFL 'video passing game'. The NFL Corporate moe moes have ruined today's game. Thank you RU-vid!
wow, i've always wanted to see this game with the great Dan Fouts vs Cowboys - HUGE THANKS ! very surprising that it was 1st ever meeting between the two teams.
I used to live by Chuck Munchie back in 1981. Players back then were not making 6 digits salaries as his Condo was in East San Diego. He moved a couple of years later due to the Strike of more money for all players. Chuck Munchie always had the munchies,, lol, for he was known for his habit of smoking,lol.. He was a great person for what I learned from just living a street away... near 32nd and University next to I805...
one of the very most rawly talented people ever in the nfl, among the handful of my favorite players of all time in any sport -- ironically enough i myself moved to san diego in the mid 80s just after he left the game
@@herecomesforego1787 His thighs were massive!!! As kids we used to hang out by his condo to catch a glimpse of him. His legs were so huge he had customized fittings for his pants. Classic Running Back of late 70s early 80s!!!
The Chargers had the best overall tight end in Kellen Winslow but we had the best team, depth at tight end; BJ DuPree, Jay Saldi and Doug Cosbie. Danny White was GREAT QB. Danny White vs Dan Fouts. The Cowboys had Drew Pearson, Tony "Thrill" Hill and Butch Johnson vs Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson then Wes Chandler
They were very evenly matched teams. Both lost championship game in 1980 and 1981. Cowboys went further in 1982 and 1983. Cowboys were overall a little better defensively. Of course im talking about the danny white cowboys. Not pre 1980
No no you didnt have the best teamAND you know why? Because you didnt go back to SB until how long?? Early 90s then you guys had the best team.Otherwise you huys were on youre way to losing 3 straight NFC conf.championship games. Thank you
@@kevinc4632 , Yeah those were three very frustrating years. Against the Eagles and Redskins the Cowboys laid a dud - couldn't do anything they wanted to against those teams. In '81 against the 49ers they played like they deserved to go to the Super Bowl but the breaks didn't go their way in their last drive.
I loved this game and remember it as if it were yesterday. The Chargers had an explosive offense and the Cowboys were among the elite in the league. Would have loved to have seen these two teams play in the Super Bowl that season because the game would have been as exciting as this Monday Night game, which was far better than the Super Bowl itself.
@@tonyarceneaux286 Dan Fouts was a great pocket passer with terrific targets, but with no running game, the offense had no balance. Furthermore, that defense was not very good. They had a better team than the Bengals, but their inability to run the football in a frigid Cincinnati in 1981 did them in and prevented from playing against San Francisco in what would have been a very exciting Super Bowl.
@@nymike06 And I think in 1981 the Chargers lost the AFC Championship to the Bengals in the coldest game in NFL history. Of course, the 1981 NFC Championship was won by the 49ers over Dallas, with "The Catch". KODAK made it their signature advertisement for years. All of this from memory, excuse me if I made a mistake
I remember this game. It was a Sunday night game in 1980. Loved the Air Coryell Chargers back in the day. Chargers fell apart in the second half but still a great game.
I remember a game between these teams,when Fouts connected with Winslow at about mid-field,where Everson Walls and Dennis Thurman"POPPED"Winslow,launching the ball 10 yards back toward the Cowboys endzone,where John Jefferson caught the deflection in FULL-stride,and took it"to the house"!!
In this game, Chargers wide receiver, Charlie Joiner, was trying to catch a quick slant pass from quarterback, Dan Fouts, Joiner was hit by Cowboys cornerback Steve Wilson. Joiner's teammate, alternate wide receiver, John Jefferson being alert, caught the deflected pass off of Joiner's hands and sprinted to the end zone for a 58 yard touchdown catch and run.
The Jay Saldi TD is in my top 10 Cowboys TD's of all time. I actually have Jay's game worn jersey from the 1982 MNF game @ Houston.....the 80's BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA JERSEYS (NICKNAME)
Didn't realize Dorsett ever missed a game for the Cowboys? He must have really finished the season strong to get over a 1'000 yards because he was off to a slow start. Charlie Joiner 's face mask always looked not to solid. Looks like he paid the price for that under protection in this game on that hit. 49:53
This brings back great childhood memories. I was 8 when I saw this game argued with my dad to let me stay up late on school night to finish watching the game.
Would have loved to have seen a Chargers-Cowboys Super Bowl during the Air Coryell and Tom Landry era. Both teams reached their respective conference championship games in 1980 and 1981 but unfortunately fell short.
Chargers blew so many games. Fouts 400yds and he still lost. I remember this one as such a heartbreaker. Then to lose to Jim Plunkett in the AFC championship after losing to Gifford Neilson the previous year.
Chargers look BIG up front, defensively. They had lots of "D" talent, but a Musical Chairs of defensive coordinators didn't help them. Great uniforms San Diego has here. Like the bright yellow numbers. That catch by Butch Johnson early in the game belongs in a highlight reel. You can't beat that concentration. That San Diego defensive back was all over him. Muncie was a beast, no matter who he played for. One of the Greats, IMHO.
No team in NFL history has ever -- over a six-year time period -- lost as many games as San Diego did between 1980 and 1985 *despite* scoring 24 or more points.
@@donaldpennington7646 Well actually the Chargers won a lot in those days. Their problem was their Swiss cheese defense, not their pass-oriented offense.
If this game were played today there would have been about $1 million dollars in fines assessed from the head to head hits LOL. This game alone may have given a few players CTE
I remember in the 1980s being told that the best team of the 1970s was Dallas. But nobody told me they got that honor by only HALF A GAME! At the 2:38:43 mark, you can see they beat out the Dolphins by one measly tie. Well, OK then... It is what it is.
The Week 8, Interconference Sunday Night Matchup, of the 1980 NFL season, between the Chargers and Cowboys had so many big plays on offense, defense, and special teams. The Chargers, built a ten point lead at halftime, and then were blown away, when the Cowboys offense, scored four touchdowns the third quarter. Seven turnovers doomed the Chargers offense. 42-31 Cowboys!!!
There in the last minute of the video, we get the spiel that United Airline flies more people to Hawaii than any other airline. When I was a kid we heard that all the time. I always wondered, "So what???"
This San Diego team of that era is another perfect example of how a team owner can destroy his own franchise... Jerry Jones is not the first one to do it.
I know they were called "Air Coryell", but damn they should've gave more carries to Muncie.... That would've at least limited the turnovers the Chargers made which costed them the game.
The players didn't wonder why..... Ask any of them and they will tell you how cheap the owner was. It's why they lost John Jefferson. They knew they needed defensive help but also knew it wasn't going to be purchased. I'm a Broncos fan forever but I loved the Chargers except 2 times a year. 😉