Harvey Martin chases Minnesota's Fran Tarkenton in the 1973 NFC Championship Game.

IRVING, Texas - With the Cowboys celebrating a half-century of football in 2010, DallasCowboys.com is reliving the entire journey, from winless upstart to the most valuable, relevant professional franchise in the sport.

From February to July we'll recap each season in detail, remembering the people, games, plays and moments which fostered the legend of America's Team.

We continue today with the story of the 1973 season:

After playing without injured Roger Staubach for most of the 1972 season, but still reaching the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys' star quarterback returned to full-time duty in 1973. The Cowboys finished with the same 10-4 record, though this time the NFC East crown was good enough to earn them homefield advantage throughout the playoffs because of the yearly rotation system in place prior to 1975.

On Dec. 30, the 12-2, Fran Tarkenton-led Minnesota Vikings proved they were the NFC's best team, regardless of location, dominating the Cowboys in a 27-10 route. After breaking through for a Super Bowl in '71, the Cowboys again found themselves reaching the championship precipice but falling short.

Storyline: With Staubach's return came a renewed proficiency in the offense, which scored nearly five points per game more than it had in 1972, finishing second in the NFL at 27.3 points per game. Calvin Hill broke his own regular-season team rushing record with 1,142 yards, and the Cowboys dominated most opponents with a mix of high-efficiency passing and a controlled ground game. They outrushed opponents by a 947-yard margin for the season.

MVP: Staubach had one of his finest years statistically after healing his injured shoulder in the off-season. He accounted for 26 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, while throwing for 2,428 yards, with a 94.6 quarterback rating, tops in the league.

Biggest Win: Trailing Washington by a game in the NFC East standings, the Cowboys posted a 27-7 win over the Redskins in the next-to-last game of the season, taking over command of divisional tiebreakers. By beating St. Louis the next week, the Cowboys secured themselves two home playoff games, winning the first 27-16 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Toughest Loss: Despite his brilliance throughout the season, Staubach couldn't work up any magic in the NFC Championship loss to Minnesota at Texas Stadium. He threw for just 89 yards with four interceptions, including one that Bobby Bryant returned for a fourth-quarter touchdown to extend Minnesota's lead back to 14 points. With Hill hurt, the offense ground to a halt, the Cowboys' only touchdown coming on a punt return by Golden Richards.

Achievement: With a 40-3 win over New Orleans on Sept. 24, the Cowboys and Tom Landry reached their 100th regular season victory. Landry would coach the club another 15 seasons, he and the club finishing their partnership with 250 wins, still third-most in the all-time league annals. Jimmy Johnson has the second-most victories as Cowboys coach in the regular season, reaching the win column 44 times in five years.

Check Out The 1973 Team History Page