Dallas Cowboys and the rivalry with Buddy Ryan

One of the great rivalries in the history of the NFL involved the Dallas Cowboys, Buddy Ryan and his Philadelphia Eagles and a game called the “Bounty Bowl.”

Buddy Ryan passed away at 82 years of age to cancer on Tuesday morning, leaving a legacy of one of the best defensive schemes in the history of the NFL, becoming famous with the ’85 Chicago Bears as they not only won Super Bowl XX, but they became the greatest defense of all-time.

That defensive scheme led to Ryan eventually becoming the head coach of the Eagles in the late ’80s and early ’90s (1986-90), leading to one of the most intense rivalries in the history of the NFL. Ryan and then-Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, who is one of the most revered coaches in football, didn’t even acknowledge each other following games.

Even when Ryan coached against the second head coach in Cowboys history, Jimmy Johnson, the same thing occurred, but included more back-and-forth between the two opinionated head coaches in the “Bounty Bowl.” In fact there were two “Bounty Bowls” and the Cowboys lost both of those games, during a season of ’89 where they finished 1-15, by scores of 27-0 and 20-10.

As for the game called the “Bounty Bowl,” it was said by at least one Cowboys player that Ryan offered bounties on players, and in an Associated Press article, it mentioned that incident:

"“Philadelphia routed the Cowboys 27-0 on Thanksgiving Day with hardly any holiday feelings in the air. Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas claimed Ryan put a $200 bounty on him, something Ryan laughed off as ridiculous.”"

Though at the time it’s likely Cowboys fans disliked Ryan, all these years later, one must enjoy the fact Ryan is a big part of how intense the Eagles and Cowboys rivalry has stayed throughout the years, as you won’t hear many Cowboys fans speak highly of the Eagles, and vice versa.

There was also the time Ryan ran up the score on the Landry-led Cowboys in ’87 in a game at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Eagles had the game sealed, and it looked like in the final seconds of the game the Eagles were going to kneel the ball, only to throw the ball in the end zone and have a pass interference penalty called on the Cowboys.

That put the Eagles on the 1-yard line, and with two seconds on the clock, instead of kneeling the ball, the rivalry grew with Keith Byars running the ball into the end zone. The PAT eventually left the final score 37-20.

Some may or may have not had a problem with that route to the final touchdown on that day in ’87, but looking back at it, it makes for a special time in the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry. It was so much of a rivalry that neither Landry nor Ryan attempted to shake hands following the game, which let everyone know just how personal the rivalry was.

For his Eagles head coaching career Ryan was 43-35-1 in the regular season. In five seasons with the Eagles Ryan’s teams were 8-2 against the Cowboys.

Even today, the Cowboys and Eagles rivalry is intense, as the game Tony Romo was injured for the first time came against the Eagles, and even back in ’99, Michael Irvin’s final game of his career was against the Eagles in Philadelphia, where he suffered a neck injury.

Even with the dislike fans of the Cowboys had for Ryan, one cannot overlook what he brought to the NFL with the 46 defense that is still used today, as his son Rex Ryan is the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, and Rob Ryan is a defensive assistant coach for the Bills as well.

The Ryans also have more history with the Cowboys, as Rob Ryan was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator from 2011-13, so the Ryans and the Cowboys being linked eventually came full circle.

There is nothing but respect for Buddy Ryan because he coached his way … a way that showed a no-nonsense, rough and gruff way to get his point across. His greatest defensive unit was the ’85 Bears that were 15-1, but for Cowboys fans, his time with the Eagles brought rivalries with two Super Bowl-winning head coaches and helped mold the Eagles and Cowboys rivalry to this day, which someone who loves a good rivalry will be grateful for.

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Though Cowboys fans never cheered for his teams when he was at the helm of the Eagles, and though Ryan always wanted to beat the Cowboys, there is still a mutual admiration for all that Ryan brought to the game of pro football.

Rest peacefully, Mr. Buddy Ryan.

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