History behind the Cowboys' blue jersey curse explained
The Dallas Cowboys will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It marks the second straight season that the Cowboys have made the playoffs, but that's not the bigger story.
Dallas will be wearing their navy blue jerseys in their game versus the Buccaneers. If they defeat the Buccaneers, it will be their first playoff win in franchise history in navy blue.
There are varying opinions as to what led to Dallas' blue jersey being cursed. One origin is that after the team lost the 1971 Super Bowl wearing blue jerseys, they then won the following year wearing white.
Another potential origin is the loss in the 1980 NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After the defeat, they discarded their royal blue jerseys for their current navy look.
Scariest opponent for the Cowboys tonight isn’t 8-9 Tampa Bay, it is their own history.
- 0-7 vs Tom Brady.
- 8 straight losses in road playoff games (including Romo’s bobble in Seattle and Dez Caught It.)
- 1-6 all-time wearing the “blue jersey curse.”
#DallasCowboys #DALvsTB https://t.co/e52HYcNYjO
Gil Brandt, a former longtime Dallas Cowboys executive, asserts that the curse started in a 1976 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. At the time, the Cardinals were the NFC East rivals of Dallas. The home Cardinals wore white jerseys, making the Cowboys wear blue.
As a result, the Cardinals handed Dallas their first loss of the season. Speaking to The Associated Press in 2019, Brandt explained the importance of the game:
"So then that started it. And on occasion, we had everybody wanting us to wear blue jerseys on the road."
As Dallas prepares to wear the blue jersey once again, the team will be looking to make a bit of history in the process.
When was the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game in blue jerseys?
Dallas have only worn blue jerseys seven times in the playoffs over the course of their franchise history. The team has a 1-6 record in those games. Losses include the 1982 NFC championship game versus Washington and two defeats to the Carolina Panthers (1996 and 2003).
Dallas won in blue against the Los Angeles Rams in the 1978 NFC Championship Game. However, they switched from royal to navy blue in 1980 and have not been successful since.
The franchise's blue-jersey luck may finally be shifting in a positive direction. Dallas is 8-2 when they have worn their navy shirts over the last two seasons.
Those two losses include their Week 18 loss against the Washington Commanders and Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in the 2021 season.
We'll see if Dallas can break the curse tonight.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Associated Press and H/T Sportskeeda.