Happy days are here again.

After several seasons when the offense made us long for the days of the triplets, it looks like the Cowboys are back to their free-scoring days. It’s not Aikman, Smith, and Irvin, but Romo, Barber, and Owens does have a nice ring to it.

The Cowboys have gotten off to a great start on offense, balancing big performances by Tony Romo with a rushing attack that is regularly knocking off yards in chunks, and getting help from a defense that has forced the most turnovers in the league.

How does Dallas hot three-game start match up in Cowboys history? It’s not quite the best, but it’s still pretty darn good, coming in at #3.

1. 1968

Week 1: beat Detroit 59-13
Week 2: beat Cleveland 28-7
Week 3: won at Philadelphia 45-13

Total Points: 132
Per Game Average: 44

2. 1966

Week 1: beat Giants 52-7
Week 2: beat Minnesota 28-17
Week 3: won at Atlanta 47-14

Total Points: 127
Per Game Average: 42.3

3. 2007

Week 1: beat Giants 45-35
Week 2: won at Miami 37-20
Week 3: won at Chicago 34-10

Total Points: 116
Per Game Average: 38.7

But, where does it slot in among the best three-game stretches? This year’s start ranks sixth in Cowboys history, behind the two in 1968 and 1966, and three others, two in 1971, and another one in 1966. That 1966 team was Dallas’ most prolific offense in history, and it claims three of the top seven three-game stretches in Cowboys history, including the top one.

2. 1966

Week 2: beat Minnesota 28-17
Week 3: won at Atlanta 47-14
Week 4: beat Philadelphia 56-7

Total Points: 131
Per Game Average: 43.7

4. 1971

Week 12: beat Jets 52-10
Week 13: won at Giants 42-14
Week 14: beat St. Louis Cardinals 31-12

Total Points: 125
Per Game Average: 41.7

In Weeks 11-13 in 1971, the Cowboys scored 122 points (#5), including the first two victories above, and a 28-21 win over the Rams in Week 11. That ‘71 team, Dallas’ first Super Bowl championship team, remains the only team in Cowboys history to lead the league in points and win a title in the same year. The ‘77, ‘92, and ‘93 teams all were #2 in points, while the ‘95 team was third. So, while finishing at the top of the charts on offense might not guarantee anything, it’s a good sign to at least be among the best offenses in the league. And, if the Cowboys keep up the pace they’re on, they will do that.

This year’s start is tied with a stretch from Weeks 7-9 in 1966, when the Cowboys also scored 116 points (beat Pittsburgh 52-21, lost at Philadelphia 24-23, then won 31-30 at Washington).

Which four-game stretch will Dallas be looking to best when they hit the field against St. Louis on Sunday? The run from Weeks 1-4 by Dandy Don, Bullet Bob, and Co. in 1966 is not only the best start in team history, but also the best overall stretch in team history. In that four-game stretch, the Cowboys scored 183 points, averaging 45.8 points per game.

As I said, that team is the highest-scoring team in Cowboys history, averaging 31.8 points per game (445 points in a 14-game schedule). The 1968 team was the only other Cowboys team that averaged over 30 points through an entire season, as that squad averaged 30.8 points per game (431 in 14 games).

The best scoring team since the 16-game schedule began in 1978 is the 1983 team. Danny White had a team-record season, throwing for 3,980 yards and 29 touchdowns (and rushing for four more), Tony Dorsett rushed for over 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns, and the Cowboys scored 31 or more points nine times in 16 games on the way to scoring 479 points total that season.

Funnily enough, though Tom Landry’s background was as a defensive coach, none of his 29 teams finished as the league’s best in points allowed, though they finished second once (1968) and third twice (1978 and 1982), while the offense led the league in points five times. Just a little something to chew on there.

So, there are some pretty lofty standards for this year’s team to reach, but, from the looks of it, it’s going to be quite a task to slow this team down. And, hopefully the big numbers will translate into wins, wins, and more wins…and maybe throw their name in there with that 1971 team.