NFL game summary for 12/26/1977:
On a clear, 46-degree day, the Dallas offense was as crisp as the weather, and the Cowboys romped to a 37-7 divisional playoff victory. The Cowboys marched 79 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead on Doug Dennison's two-yard run 13:54 into the game. Dallas' defense was superb, limiting Chicago to nine scrimmage plays in the first period. Dallas expanded its lead to 17-0 at halftime on Roger Staubach's 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Billy Joe DuPree on the fifth play of a 74-yard drive and Efren Herrera's 21-yard field goal, his first of three.
Linebacker D. D. Lewis' interception of a Bob Avellini pass on the first play of the second half gave Dallas the ball on the Chicago 19. After a four-yard loss, Tony Dorsett bolted 23 yards for the first of his two touchdowns. Dorsett also had a seven-yard scoring run among his 17 carries that produced 85 yards. Robert Newhouse added 80 yards on 16 attempts. Staubach completed eight of 13 passes for 134 yards as the Cowboys amassed a total of 375 yards, 279 of them in the first half. Dallas strong safety Charlie Waters had three interceptions to set a record for a divisional playoff game. Chicago avoided a shutout when Avellini completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Steve Schubert with 7:05 left.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 200.8 (1) | 131.7 (21) | 332.5 (3) | 35 |
| DEFENSE | 154.1 (20) | 151.9 (19) | 306.1 (22) | 31 | |
 | OFFENSE | 169.2 (4) | 174.5 (4) | 343.7 (1) | 24 |
| DEFENSE | 117.9 (3) | 111.6 (2) | 229.5 (1) | 31 |
Line: Cowboys by 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears (9-6-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Dallas Cowboys (13-2-0) | 7 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 37 |
( 0- 7) DAL Doug Dennison 2 yard rush (Efren Herrera kick) ( 0-14) DAL Billy Joe DuPree 28 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick) ( 0-17) DAL Efren Herrera 21 yard field goal ( 0-24) DAL Tony Dorsett 23 yard rush (Efren Herrera kick) ( 0-27) DAL Efren Herrera 31 yard field goal ( 0-34) DAL Tony Dorsett 7 yard rush (Efren Herrera kick) ( 0-37) DAL Efren Herrera 27 yard field goal ( 7-37) CHI Steve Schubert 34 yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick)
CHI DAL
First Downs: 15 20
Rushes-yards: 27-81 48-233
Yards/rush: 3.0 4.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 15-25-177-4 8-13-134-1
Sacked-yards: 3-34 2-2
Net pass yards: 143 132
Net yards/pass: 5.1 8.8
Total net yards: 224 365
Total plays: 55 (49% run) 63 (76% run)
Yards/play: 4.1 5.8
Fumbles-lost: 3-3 2-2
Turnovers: 7 3
Penalties-yards: 4-43 3-35
Attendance: 62,920
CHI: Bob Avellini, 15 of 25 for 177 yards and 1 TD (4 int) DAL: Roger Staubach, 8 of 13 for 134 yards and 1 TD (1 int); Danny White, 0 of 1 for 0 yards
Rushing:
CHI: Walter Payton, 19 for 60 yards; Roland Harper, 5 for 11 yards; Robin Earl, 2 for 6 yards; Bob Avellini, 1 for 4 yards DAL: Tony Dorsett, 17 for 85 yards and 2 TDs; Robert Newhouse, 16 for 80 yards; Doug Dennison, 8 for 40 yards and 1 TD; Roger Staubach, 4 for 25 yards; Larry Brinson, 3 for 3 yards
Receiving:
CHI: Steve Schubert, 5 for 69 yards and 1 TD; Walter Payton, 3 for 33 yards; James Scott, 3 for 29 yards; Greg Latta, 2 for 25 yards; Robin Earl, 1 for 15 yards; Roland Harper, 1 for 6 yards DAL: Drew Pearson, 2 for 38 yards; Tony Dorsett, 2 for 37 yards; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 28 yards and 1 TD; Robert Newhouse, 1 for 13 yards; Golden Richards, 1 for 12 yards; Larry Brinson, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
CHI: Len Walterscheid, 4 for 98 yards; Walter Payton, 3 for 57 yards; Johnny Musso, 1 for 7 yards DAL: Larry Brinson, 1 for 28 yards; Butch Johnson, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
CHI: Steve Schubert, 1 for 7 yards DAL: Butch Johnson, 3 for 26 yards; Tony Hill, 1 for 12 yards
Interceptions:
CHI: Virgil Livers, 1 for 8 yards DAL: Charlie Waters, 3 for 53 yards; D.D. Lewis, 1 for 23 yards
Punting:
CHI: Bob Parsons, 6 for 255 yards DAL: Danny White, 3 for 111 yards
Field Goals:
DAL: Efren Herrera, 3/3