Record 4–10 Playoff finish did not qualify Start date 1963 Home field Cotton Bowl | Division place 5th NFL Eastern Head coach Tom Landry Owner Clint Murchison Jr. | |
Similar 1965 Dallas Cowboys, 1963 San Francisco 49ers sea, 1960 Dallas Cowboys, 1970 Dallas Cowboys | ||
The 1963 Dallas Cowboys season was their fourth in the league. The Cowboys became the only professional football team in Dallas, when the Texans of the AFL announced their move to Kansas City. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5–8–1, winning only four games. The Cowboys didn't qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
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Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Season recap
The Cowboys were expecting to turn their fortunes around and have a good year, but won only 3 of their first 10 games. The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, stands out as a pivotal moment in the season. Not only was the nation's psyche impacted by this event, but also the image of the city of Dallas was tarnished. On November 24, just two days after this historic event, the NFL decided to play its normal schedule of games, with the Cowboys traveling to face the Cleveland Browns. On game day when the team was introduced, the public address announcer would not say the Dallas Cowboys, they were just the Cowboys. The crowd also vented their frustration and pain at the players during the contest. The Cowboys lost that day 17–27 and would go on to have only one more win in the remaining 3 games.
On September 29, 1963, Billy Howton became the NFL's all-time receiving leader, breaking Don Hutson's record for career receptions and receiving yards. He retired at the end of the year, after playing in 12 seasons with 503 catches, 8,459 yards and 61 touchdowns.