The Dallas Cowboys ended the 1987 season with a record of 7 wins and 8 losses, finishing second in the NFC East. The NFL players, unable to reach a contract agreement with the owners, went on strike for the second time in six seasons after the second week of games. Unlike the last strike, the owners replaced the striking players with free agents and veteran players who were willing to cross the picket line. The NFL cancelled all games for the week of September 27, and began playing with the replacement players on October 4. The strike ended on October 15, but the replacement players played the next weekend as well. The replacement players participated in three weeks worth of games overall.