RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesBack during the 1965 season, the Dallas Cowboys finished as the runner-up in the Western Conference with a 7-7 record. This set up a date with their nemesis, the Baltimore Colts , in what the NFL called the Playoff Bowl — a third-place match much like the World Cup format.
On January 9, 1966, then Colts head coach Don Shula defeated Tom Landry's Cowboys 35-3 yet years later, the league would rescind that win from Shula as well as his win against the Eagles in the same game a year later. Shula finished his career with 347 total wins (328 regular-season wins) when his win total should be at 349.
The NFL controversy may have been lost in time but the World Cup shed light on the situation. France played England in their version of a third-place game and although France's star player Kylian Mbappé benefited from the additional stats, his view of the consultation game speaks volumes.
"I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history," Mbappe told FOX Sports in French, "and play in the match tomorrow." — via FOX Sports
Critics of the current NFL record-keeping point to a simple inconsistency: if the games were played, counted in the standings at the time, and required full effort from players and coaches, why shouldn't they be included?
On the final page of the 1965 Cowboys media guide , the Playoff Bowl shows the contest was scheduled just like every other game that season.
That grey area is where the controversy lives.
On the other side, traditionalists argue the Playoff Bowl lacked true championship stakes and was often viewed as a consolation game — even derided by some figures of the era. Because of that perception, the NFL has continued to exclude those results from official postseason and coaching records.
While longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick is closet with 333 combined wins, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (307) has a chance to surpass the legendary Shula with a few more good years. Landry sits in fifth-place with 270 combined victories.
Also of note, although nearly shut out, any statistics from players such as Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith, Hall-of-Fame defensive lineman Bob Lilly, and running back Don Perkins were wiped away from the official books.
For Cowboys fans, the 1965 loss represents an early chapter in the franchise's climb towards relevance. For historians, it represents something complicated. For Don Shula, it leaves behind a lingering question linked to a Cowboys loss over 60 years ago and counting.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys loss from the 60's can change history thanks to the World Cup
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