In 1982, he passed Glenn Carano on the depth chart for the backup quarterback role behind Danny White. In the 1982 NFC title game against the Washington Redskins, he replaced a concussed White at the start of the second half and helped the team get back in the contest with 2 consecutive scoring drives, until making two critical interceptions, one returned by Darryl Grant for a touchdown that sealed the 31-17 loss. He completed 14 out of 29 attempts for 162 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He began to garner attention and opened some eyes from Cowboys coaches and players alike with this performance.