Longley-est shot of all pays off

November 28, 1974

By BOB ST. JOHN / The Dallas Morning News

Editors' note: The following appeared in the final Nov. 29, 1974 edition of The Dallas Morning News.

The thing about Clint (Mad Bomber) Longley is that he isn't hung up with all the subtleties of professional football, both real and imagined. Things are simple enough, really. You just rare back and throw the football to the good guy who doesn't have a bad guy right on him.

That was about what happened on this Thanksgiving Day filled with ironies. Clint, who got the nickname of Mad Bomber for both his erratic throws and tendency to go for broke in training camp, dusted the cobwebs off the end of his nose and came in this Dallas Cowboy-Washington Redskin game for Roger Staubach, who had been knocked dizzy, with 9:57 left in the third period and Dallas trailing, 16-3. Frankly, he came in to direct a dead horse, if you will.

Again and again, it appeared the glass slipper would not fit but as this game ended in early evening Longley had thrown the Cowboys to a 24-23 victory over Washington before a packed house of 63,243 fans who came out of their shells and into hysterics by the finish.

What finally did it, what finally ended it all for George Allen's Redskins and kept Dallas alive for at least another week in the playoff picture, was the best illustration of Longley and how cool the young man from Abilene Christian had been.

The season and hopes for the playoffs were settling on the Cowboys, who faced utter desperation with second and 10 at midfield with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys had no time outs left. Tom Landry was sending in plays but Longley, who had not played a down this season, once again did not lose his cool.

"He was unbelievable for a guy who hasn't played," said fullback Walt Garrison, "One time I brought in a play and started to explain things to him and he said, ‘Shut up, Wall'!"

AP

Cowboys quarterback Clint Longley leaves the field after the best game of his career. Longley played in only six games in his two years in Dallas.

Allen had in his Nickel Defense, where back Ken Stone replaces middle linebacker Harold McLimon. Teams had completed only around 20 percent of their passes against that defense this season and nobody in memory had gotten behind it. That is the Cardinal rule ... Do not let receivers get behind you.

Just before the huddle broke Drew Pearson, who would naturally be the guy Washington doubled, told Longley, "I'm going to fake inside and then go deep." Pearson was supposed to go deep over the middle and hope. Faintly hope. But Drew faked inside and Stone bit. Then he turned and started running with safety Brig Owens and Stone straight for the goal line.

Longley calmly lofted the ball. Drew looked up and saw it and then got an extra burst of speed and ran under the ball inside the goal line for a touchdown. Rather a TOUCHDOWN!

There were, however, 28 seconds left. But to the losers go the frustration. Tackle Jethro Pugh jarred quarterback Billy Kilmer loose from the ball and end Harvey Martin, who once again played well, recovered with 12 seconds left. You might say Longley then ran out the clock with a grin on his face.

Now the Redskins need a victory in their final two games to make the playoffs. If they lose both and Dallas wins both the Cowboys can make it. But Longley is 1-0.

Prior to both games with the Redskins this season tackle Diron Talbert and some of the others had publicly stated that they hoped Staubach tried to run because they'd knock him out of the game and Dallas would have to go with that rookie. So, meet that rookie.

"Yeah," said Clint, smiling, surrounded, by newsmen. "I remember that. I enjoyed it ... Now."

Longley had come in last during preseason and filled the air with footballs and a great deal of wild success. He had not been seen since. Staubach, running, was caught by linebacker Dave Robinson in that third period and got up staggering. He was helped off. Landry turned to Longley, "Get in. Good luck," he said.

"I wasn't nervous," said Clint. "I didn't have time to be. I was just thinking about formations and plays. I had been writing down plays on the sidelines when he told me to get in. I couldn't find my helmet for a second."

Clint, who was to finish with 11 hits on 20 attempts for 203 yards and two touchdowns, had the magic that Staubach had lacked, that the Cowboys had lacked all afternoon. Dallas was at the Redskin 47 with a first down. Clint figured this was just like being at ACC. George Who? After a running play typically gained two yards, he looked down field and then laid the ball off to Garrison for 10 to the 35. Roger had seemed to try and press the ball downfield and not look for his backs.

From the 35 Clint hung in there tough as he watched tight end Billy Joe DuPree. DuPree ran a stop-and-go. He goes downfield, stops and, if the safety Owens comes for him, he just turns and takes off for the goal line. Again, Owens bit. Longley sailed him a strike at the goal line and BJ stepped over with 7:59 left in the third period. Dallas trailed l6-10. "Bomber has guts, lots of guts," said DuPree. "He hung in that pocket, got hit and threw the ball. He's got guts. Guts."

Next time Dallas got the ball Longley took the Cowboys 70 yards in 10 plays for a 17-16 lead with 1:16 left in the period. On third and eight at the Redskin 28 he made a tremendous play. All-pro linebacker Chris Hanburger blitzed. Longley took the brunt of the charge as he laid the ball off to fullback Charles Young for 14 yards. Later, an interference call on Robinson put the ball at the one and Garrison dove over.

Kilmer and the Redskin offense had done their job. They'd moved in position for a field goal, after Robinson intercepted Staubach's badly thrown pass to DuPree and taken advantage of a fumble by Garrison for another field goal. Garrison fumbled again as the second half started and Kilmer took the Redskins 3§ yards in seven plays for a 16-3 lead.

And after Dallas had gone ahead the Redskins came right back, moving 64 yards in four plays to take a 23-17 lead early in the final period. Former Cowboy, and Dallasite, Duane Thomas, looked like the running back of old. He had taken a 9-yard pass from Kilmer for the first Redskin TD and later started inside, then cut back outside and outran the Cowboys on the weak side on a 19-yard romp for Washington's final TD. Field goals of 45, 34 and 39 by Mark Moseley and the two Thomas TD's seemed enough.

Two fumbles kept Dallas from possibly coming back earlier in the final period but as Longley said later, "We didn't want to win it too quick." Young lost a fumble which could have set up a 24-yard field goal but Ed (Too Tall) Jones blocked it. Longley had Dallas on the move later but Pearson fumbled a catch after being hit at the Redskin 25 with 2:29 left and that seemed it. It ... was not.

Dallas got the ball for the waning chance that counted at its own 43 with 1:45 left. "Besides the touchdown, that play Hayes made was a big play," said Longley. That play to Bobby Hayes came on fourth and six at the Dallas 44. Bobby took the throw and just ducked in for the first down.

"Listen," added Longley, "the whole thing was the offensive line. Those guys were coming from everywhere but the offensive line was picking them up."

The book says you do not beat Washington when you suffer turnovers. Dallas lost four fumbles and suffered an interception. That's five turnovers.

But, heck, Clint Longley doesn't know anything about all those theories.