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The
Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National
Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football
Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco,
Texas, and plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,
which opened for the 2009 season. The stadium took its current name
prior to the 2013 season.[5] The Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion
team in 1960.[6] The team's national following might best be represented
by its NFL record of consecutive sell-outs. The Cowboys' streak of 190
consecutive sold-out regular and post-season games (home and away) began
in 2002.[7] The franchise has made it to the Super Bowl eight times,
tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos for second most
Super Bowl appearances in history, just behind the New England Patriots
record ten Super Bowl appearances. This has also corresponded to eight
NFC championships, most in the NFC. The Cowboys have won five of those
Super Bowl appearances, tying them with their NFC rivals, the San
Francisco 49ers, and the AFC's Patriots; all three are second to
Pittsburgh's record six Super Bowl championships.[8] The Cowboys are the
only NFL team to record 20 straight winning seasons (1966–85), in which
they missed the playoffs only twice (1974 and 1984), an NFL record that
remains unchallenged.
In 2015, the Dallas Cowboys became the
first sports team to be valued at $4 billion, making it the most
valuable sports team in the world, according to Forbes.[9] The Cowboys
also generated $620 million in revenue in 2014, a record for a U.S.
sports team.[9]
Contents
1 History
1.1 1960s
1.2 1970s
1.3 1980s
1.4 1990s
1.5 2000–09
1.6 2010–13
1.7 2014
1.8 2015
1.9 2016
1.10 2017
2 Logos and uniforms
2.1 Logo
2.2 Uniforms
2.2.1 Uniform history
2.2.2 Home/road jersey history
2.2.3 Thanksgiving Day uniforms
3 Stadiums
3.1 Cotton Bowl
3.2 Texas Stadium
3.3 AT&T Stadium
4 Training camp sites
5 Rivalries
5.1 Washington Redskins
5.2 Philadelphia Eagles
5.3 New York Giants
5.4 Pittsburgh Steelers
5.5 San Francisco 49ers
5.6 Green Bay Packers
6 Season-by-season records
7 Players of note
7.1 Current roster
7.2 Pro Football Hall of Famers
7.3 Texas Sports Hall of Fame
7.4 Super Bowl MVPs
7.5 Ring of Honor
7.6 All-time first-round draft picks
8 Head coaches and staff
8.1 Head coaches
8.2 Current staff
9 Radio and television
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
History
Main article: History of the Dallas Cowboys
This
section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please
consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding
or removing subheadings. (November 2015)
1960s
Prior to the
formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of
Washington, D.C. since the Dallas Texans folded in 1952. Oilman Clint
Murchison Jr. had been trying to get an NFL expansion team in Dallas (as
was Lamar Hunt – who ended up with an AFL franchise), but George
Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins, had a monopoly in
the South.
Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington
Redskins from Marshall in 1958. An agreement was struck, but as the deal
was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms. This
infuriated Murchison and he called off the deal. Marshall then opposed
any franchise for Murchison in Dallas. Since NFL expansion needed
unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshall's position
would prevent Murchison from joining the league.
Marshall had a
falling out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had
written the music to the Redskins fight song "Hail to the Redskins" and
Marshall's wife had penned the lyrics. Breeskin owned the rights to the
song and was aware of Murchison's plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry
with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchison's attorney to sell him the
rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959. Murchison
purchased "Hail to the Redskins" for $2,500. Before the vote to award
franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he owned the
song and Marshall could not play it during games. After a few Marshall
expletives, Murchison gave the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" to
Marshall for his vote, the lone one against Murchison getting a
franchise at that time, and a rivalry was born.
1970s
The Cowboys playing against the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.
From
1970 through 1979, the Cowboys won 105 regular season games, more than
any other NFL franchise during that span.[10] In addition, they appeared
in 5 and won two Super Bowls, at the end of the 1971 and 1977 regular
seasons.
1980s
Danny White became the Cowboys' starting
quarterback in 1980 after quarterback Roger Staubach retired. Despite
going to 12–4 in 1980, the Cowboys came into the playoffs as a Wild Card
team. In the opening round of the 1980–81 NFL playoffs they avenged
their elimination from the prior year's playoffs by defeating the Rams.
In the Divisional Round they squeaked by the Atlanta Falcons 30–27. For
the NFC Championship they were pitted against division rival
Philadelphia, the team that won the division during the regular season.
The Eagles captured their first conference championship and Super Bowl
berth by winning 20–7.
1981 brought another division championship
for the Cowboys. They entered the 1981-82 NFL playoffs as the number 2
seed. Their first game of the postseason saw them blowout and shutout
Tampa Bay 38–0. For the Conference Title game they were pitted against
the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. Despite having a late 4th
quarter 27–21 lead, they would lose to the 49ers 28–27. 49ers
quarterback Joe Montana led his team to an 89-yard game-winning
touchdown drive connecting to Dwight Clark in a play known as The Catch.
The Cowboys playing against the Broncos in Super Bowl XII.
The
1982 season was shortened after a player strike. With a 6–3 record
Dallas made it to the playoffs for the 8th consecutive season. As the
number 2 seed for the 1982–83 NFL playoffs they eliminated the
Buccaneers 30–17 in the Wild Card round and dispatched the Packers 37–26
in the Divisional round to advance to their 3rd consecutive Conference
championship game. 3 times was not a charm for the Cowboys as they fell
31–17 to division rival and eventual Super Bowl XVII champions Redskins.
For
the 1983 season the Cowboys went 12–4 and made it once again to the
playoffs but were defeated at home in the Wild Card by the Rams 24–17.
Prior to the 1984 season, H.R. "Bum" Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys
from Clint Murchison Jr. Dallas posted a 9–7 record that season but
missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. After going 10–6
in 1985 and winning a division title, the Cowboys were blown out in the
Divisional round at home to the Rams 20–0.
Hard times came for
the organization as they went 7–9 in 1986, 7–8 in 1987, and 3–13 in
1988. During this time period Bright became disenchanted with the team.
During the Savings and Loan crisis, the team and Mr. Bright's Savings
and Loan were taken over by the FSLIC. During an embarrassing home loss
to Atlanta in 1987, Bright told the media that he was "horrified" at
coach Tom Landry's play calling. The FSLIC forced Mr. Bright to sell the
Cowboys to Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989.
Jones immediately
fired Tom Landry, the only head coach in franchise history, replacing
him with University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson, who was also
Jerry Jones' teammate in University of Arkansas as a fellow defensive
lineman and Michael Irvin was under his tutelage in college. With the
first pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy
Aikman. Later that same year, they would trade veteran running back
Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and
eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a
1–15 record, their worst in almost 30 years, "The Trade" later allowed
Dallas to draft a number of impact players to rebuild the team.[11]
1990s
Johnson
quickly returned the Cowboys to the NFL's elite. Skillful drafts added
fullback Daryl Johnston and center Mark Stepnoski in 1989, running back
Emmitt Smith in 1990, defensive tackle Russell Maryland and offensive
tackle Erik Williams in 1991, and safety Darren Woodson in 1992. The
young talent joined holdovers from the Landry era such as wide receiver
Michael Irvin, guard Nate Newton, linebacker Ken Norton Jr., and
offensive lineman Mark Tuinei, defensive lineman Jim Jeffcoat, and
veteran pickups such as tight end Jay Novacek and defensive end Charles
Haley.
Five-time World Champions Mural
Things started to look
up for the franchise in 1990. On Week 1 Dallas won their first home game
since September 1988 when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 17–14.
They went 2–7 in their next 9 games but won 4 of their last 6 games to
finish the season with a 4th place 7–9 record.
Coming into 1991
the Cowboys replaced offensive coordinator Dave Shula with Norv Turner;
the Cowboys raced to a 6–5 start, then defeated the previously-unbeaten
Redskins despite injury to Troy Aikman. Backup Steve Beuerlein took over
and the Cowboys finished 11–5. In the Wild Card round they defeated the
Bears 17–13 for the Cowboys first playoff win since 1982. In the
Divisional round their season ended in a 38–6 playoff rout by the Lions.
In
1992 Dallas set a team record for regular season wins with a 13–3 mark.
They started off the season by defeating the defending Super Bowl
champion Redskins 23–10. Going into the playoffs as the number 2 seed
they had a first round bye before facing division rival the Philadelphia
Eagles. The Cowboys won that game 34–10 to advance to the NFC
Conference Championship game for the first time in 10 years. They were
pitted against the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. On January
17, 1993 the Cowboys went to Candlestick Park and defeated the 49ers
30–20 to clinch their first Super Bowl berth since 1978. Dallas defeated
the Buffalo Bills 52–17 in Super Bowl XXVII, during which they forced a
record nine turnovers. Johnson became the first coach to claim a
national championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in
professional football.
Despite starting the 1993 season 0–2, they
again defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII, 30–13 (becoming
the first team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl after starting 0–2).
Dallas finished the regular season 12–4 as the number 1 seed of the NFC.
They defeated the Green Bay Packers 27–17 in the divisional round. In
the NFC Conference Championship, Dallas beat the 49ers in Dallas, 38–21.
Dallas sent a then-NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl in 1993:
Aikman, safety Thomas Everett, Irvin, Johnston, Maryland, Newton,
Norton, Novacek, Smith, Stepnoski and Williams.
Dallas Cowboys championship banners inside AT&T Stadium
Only
weeks after Super Bowl XXVIII, however, friction between Johnson and
Jones culminated in Johnson stunning the football world by announcing
his resignation. Jones then hired former University of Oklahoma head
coach Barry Switzer to replace Johnson. The Cowboys finished 12–4 in
1994. They once again clinched a first round bye and defeated Green Bay
35–9 in the Divisional Round. They missed the Super Bowl, however, after
losing to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 38–28.
Prior
to the start of 1995 season Jerry Jones lured All-Pro cornerback Deion
Sanders away from San Francisco. Dallas started the season 4–0 including
shutting out their division rival New York Giants 35–0 at Giants
Stadium to open their season. Emmitt Smith set an NFL record with 25
rushing touchdowns that season. They ended the season 12–4 and went into
the playoffs as the number 1 seed. In the Divisional round they
dispatched their division rival Eagles 30–11 to advance to their 4th
consecutive NFC Conference Championship Game, in which they defeated
Green Bay, 38–27. In Super Bowl XXX the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh
Steelers 27–17 at Sun Devil Stadium for their fifth Super Bowl
championship. Switzer joined Johnson as the only coaches to win a
college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
The
glory days of the Cowboys were again beginning to dim as free agency,
age, and injuries began taking their toll. Star receiver Michael Irvin
was suspended by the league for the first five games of 1996 following a
drug-related arrest; he came back after the Cowboys started the season
2–3. They finished the regular season with a 10–6 record, won the NFC
East title, and entered the playoffs as the number 3 seed in the NFC.
They defeated Minnesota 40–15 in the Wild Card round but were eliminated
in the Divisional round of the playoffs 26–17 by the Carolina Panthers.
The
Cowboys went 6–10 in 1997 (including losing their last 6 games of the
season), with discipline and off-field problems becoming major
distractions.[12] As a result, Switzer resigned as head coach in January
1998 and former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to
take his place.
Gailey led the team to two playoff appearances
with a 10–6 record in 1998 and an NFC East championship, but the Cowboys
were defeated in the playoffs by the Arizona Cardinals 20–7.
In
1999 Dallas went 8–8 (during which Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal
injury in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles) ending in another playoff
loss (this time to the Minnesota Vikings 27–10). Gailey was fired and
became the first Cowboys coach who did not take the team to a Super
Bowl.
2000–09
Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to
head coach for the 2000 season. Prior to the season starting cornerback
Deion Sanders was released after 5 seasons with the team. He later
signed with division rival Washington. In Week 1, they were blown out
41–14 by Philadelphia. That game was very costly when veteran
quarterback Troy Aikman suffered a serious concussion which ultimately
ended his career. Longtime NFL QB Randall Cunningham filled in for
Aikman for the rest of the season at QB. The Cowboys finished the season
in 4th place with a 5–11 record. The only highlights of 2000 were
Emmitt Smith having his 10th consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season and a
season sweep over the Redskins.
2001 was another hard year in
Dallas. Prior to the season starting Aikman was released from the team
and he retired due to the concussions he had received. Jerry Jones
signed Tony Banks as a QB. Banks had been a starter for half of the
season the previous year for the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens
before being benched. Jones also drafted QB Quincy Carter in the second
round of that year's draft, but Banks was released during the preseason.
Ryan Leaf, Anthony Wright, and Clint Stoerner all competed for the
quarterback position that season. Dallas again finished at 5–11, last
place in the NFC East. They did sweep the Redskins for the 4th
consecutive season.
Prior to the 2002 season Dallas drafted
safety Roy Williams with the 8th overall pick. The season started out
low as the Cowboys lost to the expansion Houston Texans 19–10 on Week 1.
By far the highlight of 2002 was on October 28, when during a home game
against the Seattle Seahawks, Emmitt Smith broke the all-time NFL
rushing record previously held by Walter Payton. Their Thanksgiving Day
win over the Redskins was their 10th consecutive win against Washington.
However, that was their final win of 2002: Dallas lost their next 4
games to finish with another last place 5–11 record. The losing streak
was punctuated with a Week 17 20–14 loss against Washington. That game
was Smith's last game as a Cowboys player: he was released during the
offseason. Campo was immediately fired as head coach at the conclusion
of the season.
Jones then lured Bill Parcells out of retirement
to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003
season getting off to a hot 7–2 season, but went 3–4 for the rest of the
season. They were able to win the division with a 10–6 record but lost
in the Wild Card round to eventual conference champion Carolina Panthers
29–10.
In 2004 Dallas was unable to replicate their 2003
success, and ended 6–10. Quincy Carter was released during the preseason
and was replaced at QB by Vinny Testaverde.
Dallas got off to a
hot 7–3 start for the 2005 season but ended the season in 3rd place with
a 9–7 record. Prior to the season starting the Cowboys signed veteran
Drew Bledsoe as a quarterback.
2006 was an interesting year for
the Cowboys. Prior to the season Dallas signed free agent wide receiver
Terrell Owens who was talented yet controversial. The Cowboys started
the season 3–2. During a week 7 matchup against the Giants, Bledsoe, who
had been struggling since the start of the season, was pulled from the
game and was replaced by backup Tony Romo. Romo was unable to salvage
that game and Dallas lost 38–22. However, Romo was named the starter for
team and went 5–1 in his first 6 games. Dallas ended the season with a
9–7 2nd-place finish. They were able to clinch the number 5 playoff
seed. They traveled to play Seattle where the Seahawks won 21–20. After
the season Parcells retired and was replaced as head coach by Wade
Phillips.[13]
Dallas started off the 2007 season with a bang.
They began the season with a 12–1 start, including winning their first
five games. Their only loss during that time span came against New
England, who went undefeated that season. Despite dropping two of their
last three regular season games, the Cowboys clinched their first number
1 NFC seed in 12 years, which also granted them a first round bye and
home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Cowboys lost in the
divisional round 21–17 to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York
Giants.
In the tumultuous 2008 season, the Cowboys started off
strong, going 3–0 for the second straight year, en route to a 4–1 start.
However, things soon went downhill from there, after quarterback Tony
Romo suffered a broken pinkie in an overtime loss to the Arizona
Cardinals. With Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger playing as backups,
Dallas went 1–2 during a three-game stretch. Romo's return showed
promise, as Dallas went 3–0. However, injuries mounted during the season
with the team losing several starters for the year, such as Kyle
Kosier, Felix Jones, safety Roy Williams and punter Mat McBriar, and
several other starters playing with injuries.[14] Entering December, the
8–4 Cowboys underperformed, finishing 1–3. They failed to make the
playoffs after losing at Philadelphia in the final regular season game
which saw the Eagles reach the playoffs instead.
On May 2, 2009,
the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility collapsed during a wind storm. The
collapse left twelve Cowboys players and coaches injured. The most
serious injuries were special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who suffered
fractured cervical vertebrae and had surgery to stabilize fractured
vertebrae in his neck, and Rich Behm, the team's 33-year-old scouting
assistant, who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his
spine was severed.
The 2009 season started on a positive with a
road win against Tampa Bay, but fortunes quickly changed as Dallas fell
to a 2–2 start. In week five, with starting wide receiver Roy Williams
sidelined by injury, receiver Miles Austin got his first start of the
season and had a record setting day (250 yards receiving and 2
touchdowns) to help lead Dallas to an overtime win over Kansas City.
Following their bye week, Dallas went on a three-game winning streak
including wins over Atlanta and NFC East division rival Philadelphia.
Despite entering December with a record of 8–3, Dallas lost its slim
grip on 1st place in the division with losses to the New York Giants and
San Diego. Talks of past December collapses resurfaced, and another
collapse in 2009 seemed validated. However, the Dallas team surged in
the final three weeks of the season with a 24–17 victory at the
Superdome, ending New Orleans' previously unbeaten season in week 15.
For the first time in franchise history, Dallas posted back-to-back
shutouts when they beat division rivals Washington (17–0) and
Philadelphia (24–0) to end the season. In the process, the Cowboys
clinched their second NFC East title in three years as well as the third
seed in the NFC Playoffs. Six days later, in the wild-card round of the
playoffs, Dallas played the Eagles in a rematch of week 17. The Cowboys
defeated the Eagles for the first Cowboys' post-season win since the
1996 season, ending a streak of six consecutive NFL post-season losses.
Dallas ended their playoff run after a hard divisional playoff loss to
the Minnesota Vikings.
2010–13
After beginning the 2010 season
at 1–7, Phillips was fired as head coach and was replaced by offensive
coordinator Jason Garrett as the interim head coach.[15] The Cowboys
finished the season 6–10.
With the 9th pick of the 1st round of the 2011 draft, the Cowboys selected USC tackle Tyron Smith.
To
start the 2011 season the Cowboys played the New York Jets on a Sunday
night primetime game in New York, on September 11, 2011. The Cowboys
held the lead through most of the game, until a fumble, blocked punt,
and interception led to the Jets coming back to win the game. In week 2
Dallas traveled to San Francisco to play the 49ers. In the middle of the
2nd quarter, while the Cowboys trailed 10–7, Tony Romo suffered a rib
injury and was replaced by Jon Kitna. Kitna threw 1 Touchdown and 2
interceptions until Romo returned in the 3rd quarter as Dallas trailed
17–7. Romo then threw 3 touchdown passes to Miles Austin as the Cowboys
rallied to send the game into overtime. On the Cowboys opening
possession after 49ers punt, Romo found WR Jesse Holley on a 78-yard
pass, which set up the game-winning field goal by rookie kicker Dan
Bailey.
Dallas ended the season 8–8. They were in a position to
win the NFC East but lost to the Giants in a Week 17 primetime Sunday
Night game on NBC which allowed New York to win the division. The Giants
would go on to win Super Bowl XLVI.
The Cowboys started off the
2012 season on a high note by defeating the defending Super Bowl
Champion New York Giants 24–17 on the opening night of the season. They
would hover around the .500 mark for the majority of the season. They
lost a close Week 6 game to eventual Super Bowl XXVII Champion Baltimore
Ravens 31–29 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Going into
Week 17 they found themselves once again one win away from winning the
division. Standing in their way was the Redskins who had beat them on
Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium and whom were also one win away from
their first division title since 1999. Led by Robert Griffin III the
Redskins defeated the Cowboys at home 28-18. Dallas once again finished
the season 8–8.
In the 2013 season Dallas started off by
defeating the Giants for the second straight year this time 36–31. It
was the first time since AT&T Stadium had opened back in 2009 that
the Cowboys were able to defeat New York at home. The win was punctuated
by Brandon Carr returning an Eli Manning interception to a touchdown
late in the 4th quarter.
For the third straight year Dallas once
again found themselves stuck in the .500 area. In Week 5, they lost a
shootout to eventual AFC Champion Denver Broncos 51–48. They battled it
out with Philadelphia for control of the division throughout the season.
In December however they lost 2 crucial back to back games to Chicago
and Green Bay. They were very successful in division games having a 5–0
division record heading into another Week 17 showdown for the NFC East
crown against the Eagles. That included beating Washington 24–23 on Week
16 thanks to late game heroics of Tony Romo. However Romo received a
severe back injury in that game which prematurely ended his season. The
Cowboys called upon backup QB Kyle Orton to lead them into battle on the
final week of the season. Orton was unsuccessful who threw a game
ending interception to the Eagles which allowed Philly to win 24–22.
Dallas ended the year at 8–8 for the third year in a row. The only
difference of this 8–8 ending compared to the others was that Dallas
ended the season in second place compared to the 2 previous 3rd-place
finishes.
2014
Main article: 2014 Dallas Cowboys season
To
start off the 2014 season Dallas began by losing to San Francisco 28–17.
After that they went on a 6-game winning streak. The highlight of this
streak was defeating the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field 30–23. In Week 8,
the Redskins won in overtime 20–17, and Romo's back became once again
injured. He missed next week, a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals 28–17
with backup QB Brandon Weeden. Romo returned in Week 9 to lead a 31–17
victory of the Jacksonville Jaguars which was played at Wembley Stadium
in London, England as part of the NFL International Series.
Dallas
played into their traditional Thanksgiving home game, this time against
division rival Philadelphia. Both teams were vying for first place in
the division with identical 8–3 records. The Eagles got off to a fast
start and the Cowboys were unable to catch up, losing 33–10. They would
rebound the next week where on the road Thursday night game they
defeated Chicago 41–28 for their 9th win of the year to clinch their
first winning season since 2009. This was the first time that Dallas
played on back to back Thursdays. Week 15 was a rematch against 1st
place Philadelphia. This time it was the Cowboys who got off to a fast
start going up 21–0. Then the Eagles put up 24 answered points but
Dallas came back to win 38–27 to go into first place for the first time
in the season and improve to 10–4. Going into their Week 16 matchup at
home against Indianapolis, Dallas was in a position to clinch their
first division title since 2009 by defeating the Colts thanks to the
Eagles losing that week to the Redskins. They would not disappoint as
they blew out the Colts 42–7 to become the 2014 NFC East Champions,
eliminating the Eagles from the playoffs. Dallas would end the regular
season with a 12–4 record and an 8–0 away record when they won on the
road against Washington 44–17. They would also finish December 4–0 which
was huge for the Cowboys since they had struggled in the recent years
in the month of December.
On January 4, 2015, the Cowboys, as the
number 3 seed, hosted the number 6 seed Detroit Lions in the wild card
round of the NFL playoffs. In the game, the Lions got off to a hot
start, going up 14–0 in the first quarter. Dallas initially struggled on
both sides of the ball. However, towards the end of the second quarter
Romo threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams. Matt Prater of
the Lions would kick a field goal before halftime to go up 17–7. Dallas
came out swinging to start the second half by picking off Detroit
quarterback Matthew Stafford on the first play of the third quarter.
However, the Cowboys failed to capitalize on the turnover, as Dan Bailey
missed a field goal during Dallas's ensuing drive. Detroit then kicked
another field goal to make the score 20–7. A DeMarco Murray touchdown
later in that quarter closed the gap to 20–14. A 51-yard Bailey field
goal almost 3 minutes into the fourth quarter trimmed the Cowboys'
deficit to 3. The Lions got the ball back and started driving down the
field. On 3rd down-and-1 of that Lions drive, Stafford threw a 17-yard
pass intended for Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, but the ball hit
Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens in the back a fraction of a second
before he ran into Pettigrew. The play was initially flagged as
defensive pass interference against Hitchens. However, the penalty was
then nullified by the officiating crew. The Cowboys got the ball back on
their 41-yard line and had a successful 59-yard drive which was capped
off by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Williams to give the
Cowboys their first lead of the game at 24–20. The Lions got the ball
back with less than 2:30 to play in regulation. Stafford fumbled the
ball at the 2 minute mark. The fumble was recovered by Cowboys defensive
end DeMarcus Lawrence, who then fumbled the ball which was recovered by
the Lions. Lawrence would redeem himself by sacking Stafford on a 4th
down-and-3 play. The sack led to Stafford fumbling the ball again, which
Lawrence recovered to seal the game for the Cowboys, who won 24–20.
This was the first time in franchise playoff history that Dallas had
been down by 10 or more points at halftime and rallied to win the game.
The following week, the Cowboys traveled to Lambeau Field in Green Bay,
Wisconsin to play the Packers in the divisional round. Despite having a
14–7 halftime lead, the Cowboys fell to the Packers 26–21, thus ending
their season. The season ended on an overturned call of a completed
catch by Dez Bryant. The catch was challenged by the Packers, and the
referees overturned the call because of the "Calvin Johnson rule."
During
the 2015 offseason the Cowboys allowed running back DeMarco Murray to
become a free agent. Murray signed with the division rival Philadelphia
Eagles. On July 15 wide receiver Dez Bryant signed a 5-year, $70 million
contract.
2015
Main article: 2015 Dallas Cowboys season
At
home against the New York Giants, Dallas won 27–26. Dez Bryant left the
game early with a fractured bone in his foot. On the road against the
Philadelphia Eagles, Romo suffered a broken left collarbone, the same
one he injured in 2010, and Brandon Weeden replaced him. Dallas won
20–10 to begin the season 2–0, but then went on a seven-game losing
streak. Dallas finished the season 4–12 and last in their division.
2016
Main article: 2016 Dallas Cowboys season
After
a preseason injury to Tony Romo, rookie quarterback Dak Prescott was
slated as the starting quarterback, as Romo was expected to be out 6–8
weeks. In game 1 against the New York Giants, Dallas lost 20–19. After
this loss, Dallas would go on an eleven-game winning streak. After much
speculation leading to a potential quarterback controversy, Romo made an
announcement that Prescott has earned the right to take over as Cowboys
quarterback.
In game 10, Romo suited up for the first time this
season and was the backup quarterback. Dallas defeated the Baltimore
Ravens to win their 9th straight game, breaking a franchise record of 8
straight games set in 1977. It also marked rookie running back Ezekiel
Elliott breaking Tony Dorsett's single season rushing record for a
Cowboys rookie. Prescott also tied an NFL rookie record held by Russell
Wilson and Dan Marino by throwing multiple touchdowns in 5 straight
games. Dallas finished 13–3, tying their best 16-game regular season
record. While Dallas defeated Green Bay at Lambeau Field in week 6, the
Packers would win at AT&T Stadium in the divisional round of the NFL
playoffs on a last-second field goal, ending their season.
Dak
Prescott was named NFL Rookie of the Year in the NFL honors on February
4, 2017, and Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing yards. Both
Prescott and Elliott made the 2017 Pro Bowl. This is the first time the
Cowboys sent two rookies to the Pro Bowl.[16]
2017
Main article: 2017 Dallas Cowboys season
2017
was the first season since 2002 without quarterback Tony Romo, who
retired on April 4 after 14 seasons with the Cowboys. The season also
featured second-year running back Ezekiel Elliott being suspended for 6
games after violating the league's conduct policy. The suspension was to
begin at the start of the year but was pushed back to November. The
Cowboys finished the year at 9-7 without making the playoffs. Following
the season Dez Bryant was released after eight seasons in Dallas and
Jason Witten retired after 15 seasons, ending an era.
The Dallas
Cowboys' 2017 season was the subject of the third season of Amazon's
sports documentary series All or Nothing. The series is produced by NFL
Films.[17].
Logos and uniforms
Logo
The Cowboys' script logo.
The
Dallas Cowboys' blue star logo, representative of Texas as "The Lone
Star State", is one of the most well-known team logos in professional
sports. The blue star originally was a solid shape until a white line
and blue border was added in 1964. The logo has remained the same since.
Today, the blue star has been extended to not only the Dallas Cowboys,
but owner Jerry Jones' AFL team, the Dallas Desperados that have a
similar logo based on the Cowboys. The blue star also is used on other
entries like an imaging facility and storage facility.
Uniforms
The
Dallas Cowboys' white home jersey has royal blue (PMS 287 C) solid
socks, numbers, lettering, and two stripes on the sleeves outlined in
black. The home pants are a common metallic silver-green color (PMS 8280
C) that help bring out the blue in the uniform. The navy (PMS 289 C)
road jerseys (nicknamed the "Stars and Stripes" jersey) have white
lettering and numbers with navy pinstripes. A white/gray/white stripe
are on each sleeve as well as the collared V-neck, and a Cowboys star
logo is placed upon the stripes. A "Cowboys" chest crest is directly
under the NFL shield. The away pants are a pearlish metallic-silver
color (PMS 8180 C) and like the home pants, enhance the navy in the
uniforms. The team uses a serifed font for the lettered player surnames
on the jersey nameplates.[2][3][4]
The team's helmets are also a
unique silver with a tint of blue known as "Metallic Silver Blue" (PMS
8240 C) and have a blue/white/blue vertical stripe placed upon the
center of the crown. The Cowboys also include a unique, if subtle,
feature on the back of the helmet: a blue strip of Dymo tape with the
player's name embossed, placed on the white portion of the stripe at the
back of the helmet.
Front of Dallas Cowboys helmet
Back of Dallas Cowboys helmet
Uniform history
When
the Dallas Cowboys franchise debuted in 1960, the team's uniform
included a white helmet adorned with a simple blue star and a
blue-white-blue stripe down the center crown. The team donned blue
jerseys with white sleeves and a small blue star on each shoulder for
home games and the negative opposite for away games. Their socks also
had two horizontal white stripes overlapping the blue.
c1960–1963
Blue home uniforms
White away uniforms
In
1964 the Cowboys opted for a simpler look (adopting essentially the
team's current uniform) by changing their jersey/socks to one solid
color with three horizontal stripes on the sleeves; the white jersey
featured royal blue stripes with a narrow black border, the royal blue
jersey white stripes with the same black outline. The star-shouldered
jerseys were eliminated; "TV" numbers appeared just above the jersey
stripes. The new helmet was silverblue, with a blue-white-blue
tri-stripe down the center (the middle white stripe was thicker). The
blue "lone star" logo was retained, but with a white border setting it
off from the silver/blue. The new pants were silverblue, with a
blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In 1964 the NFL allowed teams to wear white
jerseys at home; several teams did so, and the Cowboys have worn white
at home ever since, except on certain "throwback" days.
In 1966,
the team modified the jerseys, which now featured only two sleeve
stripes, slightly wider; the socks followed the same pattern. In 1967
the "lone star" helmet decal added a blue outline to the white-bordered
star, giving the logo a bigger, bolder look. The logo and this version
of the uniform has seen little change to the present day.
c1964–1966
White home uniforms
Blue away uniforms
The only notable changes in the last 40 years were:
from 1970–1973 when the "TV" numbers were moved from the shoulders to the sleeves above the stripes
from 1982–1988 the pants featured a white uniform number in an elliptical blue circle worn near the hip.
the removal of the indented serifs on the front and back jersey numbers
in the early 1980s (seen currently on the throwback jersey)
In
1980 the blue jersey was rendered in a slightly darker shade than the
1964–79 version; from 1981–1994 the dark jerseys sported numbers that
were gray with white borders and a blue pinstripe. The stripes on the
sleeves and socks also used the same gray with white border scheme (sans
navy pinstripe).
Player names on jersey backs, which appeared in
1970, were originally in block-letter style; from 1982 onward the names
were slightly smaller and in footed, "serif" style.
the 1996
addition of the word "Cowboys" in the center of the neckline which
lasted until 1998 on the white jersey but currently remains on the blue
jersey.
During the 1976 season, the blue-white-blue stripe on the
crown of the helmets were temporarily changed to red-white-blue to
commemorate the United States' bicentennial anniversary.
The "throwback" NFL 75th Anniversary uniform was introduced in 1994.
In
1994, the NFL celebrated their 75th Anniversary, and the Dallas Cowboys
celebrated their back-to-back Super Bowl titles by unveiling a white
"Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day. This jersey was used for
special occasions and was worn throughout the 1994–1995 playoffs. During
the same season, the Cowboys also wore their 1960–63 road jersey with a
silver helmet for one game as part of a league-wide "throwback" policy.
During
the 1995 season, the team wore the navy "Double-Star" jersey for games
at Washington and Philadelphia and permanently switched to solid color
socks (royal blue for the white uniform, and navy blue for the dark
uniform). The navy "Double-Star" jersey was not seen again until the
NFL's Classic Throwback Weekend on Thanksgiving Day 2001–2003.
In
2004, the Cowboys resurrected their original 1960–1963 uniform on
Thanksgiving Day. This uniform became the team's alternate or "third
jersey" and was usually worn at least once a year, primarily
Thanksgiving Day. Two exceptions were when the Cowboys wore their normal
white uniforms on Thanksgiving in 2007 and 2008. While the team didn't
wear the throwback uniform exactly on Thanksgiving Day in those two
years, Dallas wore them on a date around Thanksgiving for those two
years. In 2007 Dallas wore the throwback uniform on November 29, 2007
against the Green Bay Packers. In 2008 Dallas wore the throwback uniform
on November 23, 2008 against the San Francisco 49ers. The team went
back to wearing this uniform at home on Thanksgiving Day in 2009 while
their opponent was the Oakland Raiders who wore their AFL Legacy Weekend
throwbacks. Dallas wore this alternate uniform on October 11, 2009 as
part of one of the NFL's AFL Legacy Weekends when they traveled to
Kansas City to play the Chiefs who were sporting their AFL Dallas
Texans' uniforms. This created a rare game in which neither team wore a
white jersey and the first time the Cowboys wore the alternative uniform
as a visiting team. The 1960–1963 uniform may also be used on other
special occasion. Other instances include the 2005 Monday Night game
against the Washington Redskins when the team inducted Troy Aikman,
Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irving into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and the
2006 Christmas Day game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In
2013, the NFL issued a new helmet rule stating that players will no
longer be allowed to use alternate helmets due to the league's enhanced
concussion awareness. This caused the Cowboys' white 1960s throwback
helmets to become non-compliant. The team instead decided to wear their
normal blue jerseys at home for Thanksgiving, which has since become an
annual tradition.[18] In 2017, the team initially announced that they
will wear blue jerseys at home on a more regular basis, only to rescind
soon after.[19][20]
In 2015, the Cowboys released their Color
Rush uniform, featuring a variation of the 1990s "Double Star"
alternates with white pants and socks. The uniform was first used in a
Thanksgiving game against the Carolina Panthers and in subsequent
Thursday Night Football games during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
The
Cowboys also unveiled a navy uniform-white pants combination which was
first used on December 10, 2017 against the Giants.[2]
Home/road jersey history
In
1964, Tex Schramm started the tradition of the Cowboys wearing their
white jersey at home, contrary to an unofficial rule that teams should
wear colored jerseys at home. Schramm did this because he wanted fans to
see a variety of opponents' colors at home games.[18][21][22] Since
then, a number of other teams have worn their white uniforms at home,
including the Miami Dolphins. According to Mike McCord, the Cowboys'
equipment director, one of the reasons why the Cowboys started wearing
white at home was because of the intense heat during Cowboys' home games
at Texas Stadium.[19][20]
Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly jerseys shown at Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Throughout
the years, the Cowboys' blue jersey has been popularly viewed to be
"jinxed" because the team often seemed to lose when they wore them. This
purported curse drew attention after the team lost Super Bowl V with
the blue jerseys.[23] However, the roots of the curse likely date back
earlier to the 1968 divisional playoffs, when the blue-shirted Cowboys
were upset by the Cleveland Browns in what turned out to be Don
Meredith's final game with the Cowboys. Dallas's lone victory in a
conference championship or Super Bowl wearing the blue jerseys was in
the 1978 NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Since
the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, league rules were changed to allow the Super
Bowl home team to pick their choice of jersey. Most of the time, Dallas
will wear their blue jerseys when they visit Washington, Philadelphia
(sometimes), Miami, or one of the handful of other teams that
traditionally wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of
the season due to the hot climates in their respective cities or other
means. Occasionally opposing teams will wear their white jerseys at home
to try to invoke the curse,[24] such as when the Philadelphia Eagles
hosted the Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship Game,[25] as well as
their November 4, 2007 meeting. Various other teams followed suit in the
1980s.
Although Dallas has made several tweaks to their blue
jerseys over the years, Schramm said he did not believe in the
curse.[26] Since the league began allowing teams to use an alternate
jersey, the Cowboys' alternates have been primarily blue versions of
past jerseys and the Cowboys have generally had success when wearing
these blue alternates. With the implementation of the 2013 NFL helmet
rule for alternate jerseys, the team decided instead to wear their
regular blue jerseys for their Thanksgiving game, something they have
not done at home since Schramm started the white-jersey-at-home
tradition.[18]
Thanksgiving Day uniforms
With the Cowboys
traditionally hosting Thanksgiving Day games, separate uniform practices
have been used for these games in recent years. Through the 2000
season, the Cowboys continued the usual practice of wearing white at
home. In 2001, the Cowboys wore blue at home for the first time in
years, but it was an older design of the blue jersey. Dallas would lose
the game, but again wore the older blue jersey at home on Thanksgiving
the next year and won. With the 2002 victory, it seems an exception the
theory of the blue jersey jinx is invoked on Thanksgiving.
Thus,
the Cowboys continued wearing blue at home on Thanksgiving from
2003–2006, however it was always an older-styled blue jersey. In 2007
and 2008, the Cowboys returned to wearing white at home for their
Thanksgiving game. Since 2009, the Cowboys returned to wearing blue at
home on Thanksgiving only. (From 2009–2012, the team again decided to go
with an older-styled blue uniform as they had in previous years on
Thanksgiving, and since 2013 have worn the newer-styled blue jersey.)
In
the 2015 season, the Cowboys wore their Color Rush variation of the
1990s "Double Star" jerseys for a Thanksgiving game against the Carolina
Panthers.[27]
Stadiums
Cotton Bowl
Main article: Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The main entrance of the Cotton Bowl
The
Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1932 and became known as "The
House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running
back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the
late 1940s. Originally known as the Fair Park Bowl, it is located in
Fair Park, site of the State Fair of Texas. Concerts or other events
using a stage allow the playing field to be used for additional
spectators. The Cotton Bowl was the longtime home of the annual Cotton
Bowl Classic college football bowl game, for which the stadium is named.
(Beginning with the January 2010 game, the Cotton Bowl Classic has been
played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.) The Dallas Cowboys called the
Cotton Bowl home for 11 years, from the team's formation in 1960 until
1971, when the Cowboys moved to Texas Stadium. It is the only Cowboys
stadium within the Dallas city limits. The Cowboys hosted the Green Bay
Packers for the 1966 NFL Championship at the Cotton Bowl.
Texas Stadium
Main article: Texas Stadium
The outside of Texas Stadium
For
the majority of the franchise's history the Cowboys played their home
games at Texas Stadium. Just outside the city of Dallas, the stadium was
located in Irving, Texas. The stadium opened on October 24, 1971, at a
cost of $35 million and with a seating capacity of 65,675. The stadium
was famous for its hole-in-the-roof dome. The roof's worn paint had
become so unsightly in the early 2000s that it was repainted in the
summer of 2006 by the City of Irving. It was the first time the famed
roof was repainted since Texas Stadium opened. The roof was structurally
independent from the stadium it covered. The Cowboys lost their final
game at Texas Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens, 33–24, on December 20,
2008. After Cowboys Stadium was opened in 2009, the Cowboys turned over
the facility to the City of Irving.
In 2009, it was replaced as
home of the Cowboys by Cowboys Stadium, which officially opened on May
27, 2009 in Arlington, Texas.[28] Texas Stadium was demolished by
implosion on April 11, 2010.
AT&T Stadium
Main article: AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium during a game
AT&T
Stadium, previously named Cowboys Stadium, is a domed stadium with a
retractable roof in Arlington, Texas. After failed negotiations to build
a new stadium on the site of the Cotton Bowl, Jerry Jones along with
the city of Arlington, Texas a suburb of Fort Worth, funded the stadium
at a cost of $1.3 billion. The stadium is located in Tarrant County, the
first time the Cowboys will call a stadium home outside of Dallas
County. It was completed on May 29, 2009 and seats 80,000, but is
expandable to seat up to 100,000. AT&T Stadium is the largest domed
stadium in the world.[29]
A highlight of AT&T Stadium is its
gigantic, center-hung high-definition television screen, the largest in
the world. The 160 by 72 feet (49 by 22 m), 11,520-square-foot (1,070
m2) scoreboard surpasses the 8,736 sq ft (812 m2) screen that opened in
2009 at the renovated Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri as the
world's largest.[30][31][32]
At the debut pre-season game of
Cowboys Stadium, a punt by Tennessee Titans kicker, A. J. Trapasso, hit
the 2,100 in. screen above the field. The punt deflected and was ruled
in-play until Titans coach Jeff Fisher informed the officials that the
punt struck the scoreboard. (Many believe Trapasso was trying to hit the
suspended scoreboard, based on replays and the angle of the kick.) The
scoreboard is, however, within the regulation of the NFL guidelines —
hanging approximately five feet above the minimum height. No punts hit
the scoreboard during the entire 2009 regular season during an actual
game. Also, on August 22, 2009, the day after AJ Trapasso hit the
screen, many fans touring the facility noted that half of the field was
removed with large cranes re-positioning the screen. According to some
fans, a tour guide explained that Jerry Jones invited a few professional
soccer players to drop kick soccer balls to try to hit the screen. Once
he observed them hitting it consistently he had the screen moved up
another 10 feet.
The first regular season home game of the 2009
season was against the New York Giants. A league record-setting 105,121
fans showed up to fill Cowboys Stadium for the game before which the
traditional "blue star" at the 50-yard line was unveiled for the first
time; however, the Cowboys lost in the final seconds, 33–31.[33]
The
Cowboys got their first regular season home win on September 28, 2009.
They beat the Carolina Panthers 21–7 with 90,588 in attendance. The game
was televised on ESPN's Monday Night Football and marked a record 42nd
win for the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.[34]
On July 25, 2013, the Cowboys announced that AT&T will take over the naming rights for the stadium.[35]
Training camp sites
Dallas Cowboys training camp locations:[36]
1960: Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon
1961: St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
1962: Northern Michigan College, Marquette, Michigan
1963–1989: California Lutheran College, Thousand Oaks, California
1990–1997: St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas
1998–2002: Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas
2001, 2004–2006, 2008, 2012–2015: River Ridge Sports Complex, Oxnard, California
2002–2003, 2007, 2009: The Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
2010–2011: The Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas and River Ridge Sports Complex, Oxnard, California
2016–present: The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas
Rivalries
The
NFC East, composed of the Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington
Redskins and New York Giants, is one of the least-changed divisions of
the original six formed in the wake of the NFL-AFL merger (its only
major changes being the relocation of the Cardinals franchise from St.
Louis to Arizona and its subsequent move to the NFC West in the league's
2002 realignment). Three of the four teams have been division rivals
since the Cowboys' entry into the NFL. As such, the Cowboys have some of
the longest and fiercest rivalries in the sport.
Washington Redskins
Main article: Cowboys–Redskins rivalry
The
Redskins and Dallas Cowboys enjoy what has been called by Sports
Illustrated the top NFL rivalry of all time and "one of the greatest in
sports." Some sources trace the enmity to before the Cowboys were even
formed, due to a longstanding disagreement between Redskins owner George
Preston Marshall and Cowboys founder Clint Murchison Jr. over the
creation of a new football team in the South, due to Preston's TV
monopoly in that region. The two teams' storied on-field rivalry goes
back to 1960 when the two clubs first played each other, resulting in a
26–14 Washington victory. Since that time, the two teams have met in 116
regular season contests and two NFC Championships. Dallas leads the
regular season all-time series 70–42–2, and the Redskins lead the
all-time playoff series 2–0. The Cowboys currently have a 14–7 advantage
over the Redskins at FedEx Field. Some notable moments in the rivalry
include Washington's victory over Dallas in the 1982 NFC Championship
and the latter's 1989 win over the Redskins for their only victory that
season. The last Cowboys game with Tom Landry as coach was a win over
Washington on December 11, 1988. In the 2010s, the Redskins have
struggled to consistently compete for the Division title, but still play
the Cowboys particularly tough, posting an impressive upset victory
against Dallas in 2014, despite being outclassed by the Cowboys in the
overall standings.
Philadelphia Eagles
Main article: Cowboys–Eagles rivalry
The
competition with Philadelphia has been particularly intense since the
late 1970s, when the long-moribund Eagles returned to contention. In
January 1981, the two teams faced off in the NFC Championship, with
Philadelphia winning 20–7. A series of other factors heightened tensions
during the 1980s and 1990s, including several provocative actions by
Philadelphia fans and Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan. Among these were the
1989 "Bounty Bowls", in which Ryan allegedly placed a bounty on Dallas
kicker Luis Zendejas and Veterans Stadium fans pelted the Cowboys with
snowballs and other debris. A 1999 game at Philadelphia saw Eagles fans
cheering as Michael Irvin lay motionless and possibly paralyzed on the
field. In 2008 the rivalry became more intense when in the last game of
the year in which both teams could clinch a playoff spot with a victory,
the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Cowboys 44–6. The following
season, the Cowboys avenged that defeat by beating the Eagles three
times: twice during the regular season to claim the title as NFC East
champions and once more in a wild-card playoff game by a combined score
of 78–30, including a 24–0 shutout in week 17. That three game sweep was
Dallas' first over any opponent and the longest winning streak against
the Eagles since 1992–1995 when Dallas won seven straight matches
against Philadelphia. During the 2013 season Dallas won the first
meeting 17–3 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. They would meet
again in Week 17 at AT&T Stadium with the winner clinching the 2013
NFC East title. The Cowboys came into the game at a disadvantage with
starting quarterback Tony Romo out with a season ending back injury
which put backup Kyle Orton as the starter. It was a tight game with the
Eagles up 24–22 with less than 2 minutes to go in regulation. Orton got
the ball and started driving down the field when he was intercepted by
the Eagles defense, which ended the game and the Cowboys season. In
2014, the Cowboys and Eagles both won against each other on the road,
with Philadelphia posting a dominant 33–10 win on Thanksgiving Day in
Dallas, and Dallas returning the favor two weeks later by defeating the
Eagles 38–27 in Philadelphia. The second game between these rivals
clenched a playoff spot for Dallas and led to formerly first place
Philadelphia missing out on the post-season. Dallas leads the regular
season all-time series 63–50.
New York Giants
Main article: Cowboys–Giants rivalry
The
first game ever played between the Giants and Cowboys was a 31–31 tie
on December 4, 1960. Dallas logged its first win in the series on
October 29, 1961 and New York's first was on November 11, 1962. Among
the more notable moments in the rivalry was the Giants' defeat of Dallas
in the 2007 playoffs en route to their victory in Super Bowl XLII and
winning the first regular season game played at Cowboys Stadium in 2009.
Dallas currently leads the all-time series 64–45–2.[37]
Pittsburgh Steelers
Main article: Cowboys–Steelers rivalry
The
two teams met in the first regular season game the Cowboys ever played
in 1960 (a 35–28 loss to the Steelers), the first-ever regular season
victory for the expansion Cowboys in 1961, and would later meet in three
Super Bowls, all of them closely contested events. The Steelers-Cowboys
is to date the Super Bowl matchup with the most contests. The Steelers
won Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII; both games were decided in the
final seconds, first on a last-second throw by Roger Staubach, then as a
fourth-quarter rally by Dallas fell short on an onside kick. The
Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX in January 1996. It is said that the rivalry
was fueled in the 1970s due to the stark contrast of the teams: the
Cowboys, being more of a "flashy" team with Roger Staubach's aerial
attack and the "flex" Doomsday Defense; while the Steelers were more of a
"blue-collar" team with a strong running game and the 1970s-esque Steel
Curtain defense, a contrast that still exists today.[38] In addition,
both teams have national fan bases rivaled by few NFL teams, and both
come from areas with a strong following for football at all levels.
Dallas leads the all-time series 16–13 including the playoffs.[37]
San Francisco 49ers
Main article: 49ers–Cowboys rivalry
The
bitter rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers has
been going on since the 1970s.[39][40] The NFL Top 10 ranked this
rivalry to be the tenth best in the history of the NFL. San Francisco
has played Dallas in seven postseason games. The Cowboys defeated the
49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, and again in the 1972
Divisional Playoff Game. The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San
Francisco, which saw the 49ers' Joe Montana complete a game-winning pass
to Dwight Clark in the final minute (now known as The Catch) is one of
the most famous games in NFL history. The rivalry became even more
intense during the 1992–1994 seasons. San Francisco and Dallas faced
each other in the NFC Championship Game three separate times. Dallas won
the first two match-ups, and San Francisco won the third. In each of
these pivotal match-ups, the game's victor went on to win the Super
Bowl. Both the Cowboys and the 49ers (and the New England Patriots) are
second all time in Super Bowl victories to the Pittsburgh Steelers with
five each. The 49ers-Cowboys rivalry is also part of the larger cultural
rivalry between California and Texas. The 49ers lead the series
all-time series with a record of 15–13–1.
Green Bay Packers
Main article: Cowboys-Packers rivalry
The
Cowboys–Packers rivalry is rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the
Green Bay Packers.[citation needed] It is one of the best known
intra-conference rivalry games in the NFL. The two teams do not play
every year; instead, they play once every three years due to the NFL's
rotating division schedules, or if the two teams finish in the same
place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season.
The rivalry has also resulted in notable playoff games.[41][42]
The all time regular seasons series record is 15–13 in favor of the Packers, and the postseason series is tied 4–4.
Season-by-season records
Main article: List of Dallas Cowboys seasons
Players of note
Main article: List of Dallas Cowboys players
Current roster
Dallas Cowboys roster
viewtalkedit
Quarterbacks
4 Dak Prescott
7 Cooper Rush
3 Mike White
Running backs
21 Ezekiel Elliott
49 Jamize Olawale FB
45 Rod Smith
Wide receivers
10 Tavon Austin RB
11 Cole Beasley
13 Michael Gallup
17 Allen Hurns
15 Deonte Thompson
83 Terrance Williams
Tight ends
80 Rico Gathers
89 Blake Jarwin
86 Dalton Schultz
87 Geoff Swaim
Offensive linemen
71 La'el Collins T
75 Cameron Fleming T
72 Travis Frederick C
73 Joe Looney C/G
70 Zack Martin G
61 Adam Redmond C/G
77 Tyron Smith T
76 Xavier Su'a-Filo G
52 Connor Williams G
Defensive linemen
92 Dorance Armstrong Jr. DE
97 Taco Charlton DE
96 Maliek Collins DT
98 Tyrone Crawford DT/DE
94 Randy Gregory DE
56 Datone Jones DT/DE
90 DeMarcus Lawrence DE
93 Daniel Ross DT
99 Antwaun Woods DT
Linebackers
59 Chris Covington OLB
50 Sean Lee OLB
53 Justin March-Lillard OLB
54 Jaylon Smith OLB/MLB
48 Joe Thomas MLB
55 Leighton Vander Esch MLB
57 Damien Wilson OLB
Defensive backs
24 Chidobe Awuzie CB
30 Anthony Brown CB
20 Ibraheim Campbell SS
35 Kavon Frazier SS
38 Jeff Heath SS/FS
31 Byron Jones CB
27 Jourdan Lewis CB
23 Tyree Robinson FS/SS
25 Xavier Woods FS/CB
Special teams
6 Chris Jones P
91 L. P. Ladouceur LS
2 Brett Maher K
Reserve lists
85 Noah Brown WR (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
79 Parker Ehinger G/T (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
-- Marqueston Huff FS (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
95 David Irving DT/DE (Susp.)
60 Marcus Martin G/C (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
28 Jameill Showers SS/FS (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
67 Dustin Stanton G (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
16 Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
Practice squad
18 Dres Anderson WR
63 Jake Campos T
46 Jordan Chunn RB
34 Treston Decoud CB/FS
14 Lance Lenoir WR
32 Donovan Olumba CB
41 Kyle Queiro OLB/SS
36 Bo Scarbrough RB
51 Aziz Shittu DT
78 Cody Wichmann G
Rookies in italics
Roster updated September 11, 2018
Depth chart • Transactions
53 Active, 8 Inactive, 10 Practice squad
→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters
AFC East
BUF
MIA
NE
NYJ
North
BAL
CIN
CLE
PIT
South
HOU
IND
JAX
TEN
West
DEN
KC
LAC
OAK
NFC East
DAL
NYG
PHI
WAS
North
CHI
DET
GB
MIN
South
ATL
CAR
NO
TB
West
ARI
LAR
SF
SEA
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Seasons Inducted
26 Herb Adderley CB 1970–1972 1981
8 Troy Aikman QB 1989–2000 2006
73 Larry Allen G 1994–2005 2013
19 Lance Alworth WR 1971–1972 1978
89 Mike Ditka TE 1969–1972 1988
33 Tony Dorsett RB 1977–1987 1994
79 Forrest Gregg OT 1971 1977
94 Charles Haley DE 1992–1996 2015
22 Bob Hayes WR 1965–1974 2009
88 Michael Irvin WR 1988–1999 2007
74 Bob Lilly DT 1961–1974 1980
25 Tommy McDonald WR 1964 1998
81 Terrell Owens WR 2006-2008 2018
20 Mel Renfro CB 1964–1977 1996
21 Deion Sanders CB, KR 1995–1999 2011
22 Emmitt Smith RB 1990–2002 2010
81 Jackie Smith TE 1978 1994
12 Roger Staubach QB 1969–1979 1985
54 Randy White DT, LB 1975–1988 1994
70 Rayfield Wright OT 1967–1979 2006
Coaches and Contributors
Name Position Seasons Inducted
Jerry Jones Owner/Executive 1989–present 2017
Tom Landry Coach 1960–1988 1990
Bill Parcells Coach 2003–2006 2013
Tex Schramm President/GM 1960–1989 1991
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Main article: Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Super Bowl MVPs
Super Bowl MVP Winners
Super Bowl Player Position
V Chuck Howley LB
VI Roger Staubach QB
XII Randy White DT
Harvey Martin DE
XXVII Troy Aikman QB
XXVIII Emmitt Smith RB
XXX Larry Brown CB
Ring of Honor
Unlike
many NFL teams, the Cowboys do not retire jersey numbers of past
standouts as a matter of policy. Instead, the team has a "Ring of
Honor", which is on permanent display encircling the field. Originally
at Texas Stadium, the ring is now on display at AT&T Stadium in
Arlington. The first inductee was Bob Lilly in 1975 and by 2005, the
ring contained 17 names, all former Dallas players except for one head
coach and one general manager/president. Although the team does not
officially retire jersey numbers, some are kept "unofficially inactive",
so it is uncommon to find any current players wearing the number of one
of the "Ring of Honor" inductees. For instance, the jersey numbers of
inductees Aikman (8), Staubach (12), Hayes and Smith (22), Irvin (88),
and Lilly (74) were not worn during the 2008 season. For the 2010
season, number 88 was issued to rookie Dez Bryant.
The Ring of
Honor has been a source of controversy over the years. Tex Schramm was
believed to be a "one-man committee" in choosing inductees and many
former Cowboys players and fans felt that Schramm deliberately excluded
linebacker Lee Roy Jordan because of a bitter contract dispute the two
had during Jordan's playing days. When Jerry Jones bought the team he
inherited Schramm's Ring of Honor "power" and immediately inducted
Jordan.
Jones also has sparked controversy regarding his
decisions in handling the "Ring of Honor". For four years he was
unsuccessful in convincing Tom Landry to accept induction. Meanwhile, he
refused to induct Tex Schramm (even after Schramm's induction to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame). In 1993, thanks in part to the efforts of
Roger Staubach as an intermediary, Landry accepted induction and had a
ceremony on the day of that year's Cowboys-Giants game (Landry had
played and coached for the Giants). In 2003, Jones finally chose to
induct Tex Schramm. Schramm and Jones held a joint press conference at
Texas Stadium announcing the induction. Unfortunately, Schramm did not
live to see his ceremonial induction at the Cowboys-Eagles game that
fall.
Some of the more recent inductees were Troy Aikman,
all-time NFL leading rusher Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, known as
"The Triplets". The Cowboys waited until Smith had retired as a player
before inducting Aikman and Irvin, so all three could be inducted
together, which occurred during halftime at a Monday Night Football home
game against the arch-rival Washington Redskins on September 19, 2005.
The
most recent inductees are defensive end Charles Haley, offensive
lineman Larry Allen, and wide receiver Drew Pearson, who were inducted
into the Ring of Honor during halftime of the Cowboys' game vs. the
Seattle Seahawks on November 6, 2011, and safety Darren Woodson, who was
inducted on November 1, 2015.
All-time first-round draft picks
Main article: List of Dallas Cowboys first-round draft picks
Head coaches and staff
Head coaches
Main article: List of Dallas Cowboys head coaches
Current staff
Dallas Cowboys staff
vte
Front office
Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones
COO/executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones
Senior director of football operations/football administration – Todd Williams
Director of salary cap & player contracts – Adam Prasifka
Vice president player personnel – Will McClay
Senior executive, college scouting – Tom Ciskowski
Director of college scouting – Lionel Vital
Director of pro scouting – Alex Loomis
Assistant director of college scouting – Chris Hall
Director of football research – Tom Robinson
Head coaches
Head coach – Jason Garrett
Offensive coaches
Offensive coordinator – Scott Linehan
Quarterbacks – Kellen Moore
Running backs – Gary Brown
Wide receivers – Sanjay Lal
Assistant wide receivers – Kyle Valero
Tight ends – Doug Nussmeier
Offensive line – Paul Alexander
Assistant offensive line – Marc Colombo
Offensive assistant – Stephen Brown
Defensive coaches
Defensive coordinator/defensive line – Rod Marinelli
Defensive tackles – Leon Lett
Linebackers – Ben Bloom
Defensive backs/passing game coordinator – Kris Richard
Safeties – Greg Jackson
Defensive assistant – Ken Amato
Special teams coaches
Special teams coordinator – Keith O'Quinn
Assistant special teams – Doug Colman
Support staff
Director of advance scouting & special projects – Judd Garrett
Strength and conditioning
Director of strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik
Strength and conditioning – Brett Bech
Strength and conditioning – Markus Paul
Assistant strength and conditioning – Kendall Smith
→ Coaching staff and management
→ More NFL staffs
AFC East
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Radio and television
See also: Dallas Cowboys Radio Network
As
of 2010, the Cowboys' flagship radio station is KRLD-FM. Brad Sham is
the team's longtime play-by-play voice. Working alongside him is former
Cowboy quarterback Babe Laufenberg, who returned in 2007 after a
one-year absence to replace former safety Charlie Waters. The Cowboys,
who retain rights to all announcers, chose not to renew Laufenberg's
contract in 2006 and brought in Waters. However, Laufenberg did work as
the analyst on the "Blue Star Network", which televises Cowboys
preseason games not shown on national networks. The anchor station is
KTVT, the CBS owned and operated station in Dallas. Previous stations
which aired Cowboys games included KVIL-FM, KRLD, and KLUV-FM. Kristi
Scales is the sideline reporter on the radio broadcasts.
During
his tenure as Cowboys coach, Tom Landry co-hosted his own coach's show
with late veteran sportscaster Frank Glieber and later with Brad Sham.
Landry's show was famous for his analysis of raw game footage and for
him and his co-host making their NFL "predictions" at the end of each
show. Glieber is one of the original voices of the Cowboys Radio
Network, along with Bill Mercer, famous for calling the Ice Bowl of 1967
and both Super Bowl V and VI. Mercer is perhaps best known as the
ringside commentator of World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980s.
Upon Mercer's departure, Verne Lundquist joined the network, and became
their play-by-play announcer by 1977, serving eight years in that
capacity before handing those chores permanently over to Brad Sham, who
joined the network in 1977 as the color analyst and occasional fill-in
for Lundquist.
Longtime WFAA-TV sports anchor Dale Hansen was the
Cowboys color analyst with Brad Sham as the play-by-play announcer from
1985–1996.
Dave Garrett served as the Cowboys' play-by-play
announcer from 1995–97, when Brad Sham left the team and joined the
Texas Rangers' radio network team as well as broadcast Sunday Night
Football on Westwood One.
Seeking to expand its radio
broadcasting scope nationally, the Cowboys began a five-year partnership
with Compass Media Networks on February 2, 2011. The result was the
America's Team Radio Network, a supplement to the franchise's regional
one.[43] Beginning with the 2011 season, Kevin Burkhardt and Danny White
handled the broadcasts, with Jerry Recco as the studio host.[44]