text: 1974: 8-6, Playoffs missed The Cowboys faltered slightly in 1974, finishing 8–6 and missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Bob Lilly retired following the season, capping his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
  1975: Third Super Bowl appearance
  After missing the playoffs in 1974, the team drafted well the following year, adding defensive lineman Randy White (a future Hall of Fame member) and linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. The influx of talent helped the Cowboys back to the playoffs in 1975 as a wild card, where they beat the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to advance to Super Bowl X, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21–17.
  1976
  In 1976, the team went 11–3, winning the NFC East. However, they were quickly eliminated from the playoffs with a 14–12 loss to the Rams.
  For perhaps a season or two, some of the pro football teams played off season basketball. 1976 was one of those years.
  This page is the only mention of it on the Internet as of this notation.
  The Dallas Cowboys beat The Pittsburgh Steelers 77 - 49 on May 17 at The Memorial Auditorium (now Convention Center) in Dallas, TX.
  [File:1976 Cowboys vs. Steelers program. submitted by Ron McKee]
  1977: Second Super Bowl victory