2012 Dallas Cowboys season

2012 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Jerry Jones
General manager	Jerry Jones
Head coach	Jason Garrett
Home field	Cowboys Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	3rd NFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Anthony Spencer LB, DeMarcus Ware LB, Jason Witten TE
AP All-Pros	DeMarcus Ware (2nd team), Jason Witten (2nd team)
Uniform
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The 2012 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 53rd season National Football League (NFL), the fourth playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the second full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys matched their win total from 2011 but missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season after losing their final game for the second straight season, this time to the Washington Redskins. Their 8–8 record was remarkable because the Cowboys trailed at some point during every game.

The 2012 Cowboys squad has been hailed by multiple statisticians as the most average team in the history of the Super Bowl era.

2012 draft class

Main article: 2012 NFL draft

2012 Dallas Cowboys draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	6	Morris Claiborne	CB	LSU
3	81	Tyrone Crawford	DE	Boise State
4	113	Kyle Wilber	LB	Wake Forest
	135	Matt Johnson	S	Eastern Washington
5	152	Danny Coale	WR	Virginia Tech
6	186	James Hanna	TE	Oklahoma
7	222	Caleb McSurdy	LB	Montana

Compensatory selection

Notes

• The Cowboys traded their original first and second-round selections to the St. Louis Rams in order to move up in the first-round and select Morris Claiborne. ^[1]

Staff

2012 Dallas Cowboys staff

Front office Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones COO/executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones Assistant director of player personnel – Tom Ciskowski Director of football administration – Todd Williams Assistant Director of pro scouting – Judd Garrett Head coaches Head coach – Jason Garrett Assistant head coach/wide receivers – Jimmy Robinson Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/offensive line – Bill Callahan Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson Running backs – Skip Peete Tight ends – John Garrett Assistant offensive line – Wes Phillips Offensive quality control/wide receivers – Keith O'Quinn

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Rob Ryan Defensive line – Brian Baker Linebackers – Matt Eberflus Secondary – Jerome Henderson Assistant secondary – Joe Baker Defensive assistant/defensive line – Leon Lett Defensive quality control/linebackers – Ben Bloom Defensive assistant- Dave Borgonzi Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Joe DeCamillis Assistant special teams/kickers – Chris Boniol Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Walt Williams Assistant strength and conditioning – Brett Bech

Rosters

Opening preseason roster

Dallas Cowboys 2012 opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks 11 Rudy Carpenter  7 Stephen McGee 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo Running backs 45 Shaun Chapas FB 25 Lance Dunbar 28 Felix Jones 29 DeMarco Murray 49 Jamize Olawale RB/FB 34 Phillip Tanner 47 Lawrence Vickers FB 35 Ed Wesley Wide receivers 19 Miles Austin 14 Cole Beasley 16 Tim Benford 88 Dez Bryant 13 Saalim Hakim 17 Dwayne Harris 15 Andre Holmes 87 Donavon Kemp 85 Kevin Ogletree 86 Raymond Radway Tight ends 84 James Hanna 83 John Nalbone 89 John Phillips FB 80 Andrew Szczerba 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 75 Jeff Adams T 64 Levy Adcock T 62 David Arkin G 67 Phil Costa C 68 Doug Free T 63 Harland Gunn G 65 Ronald Leary G 71 Nate Livings G 74 Pat McQuistan T 61 Bill Nagy G 76 Tyrone Novikoff T/G 78 Jermey Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T Defensive linemen 79 Ben Bass DE 92 Josh Brent NT 72 Rob Callaway NT 99 Kenyon Coleman DE 70 Tyrone Crawford DE 98 Clifton Geathers DE 97 Jason Hatcher DE 95 Sean Lissemore DE/NT 90 Jay Ratliff NT 96 Marcus Spears DE		Linebackers 55 Alex Albright OLB/ILB 59 Baraka Atkins OLB/DE 57 Victor Butler OLB/DE 54 Bruce Carter ILB 52 Dan Connor ILB 48 Isaiah Greenhouse ILB/FB 53 Adrian Hamilton OLB/DE 50 Sean Lee ILB 58 Orie Lemon ILB 56 Caleb McSurdy ILB 93 Anthony Spencer OLB/DE 94 DeMarcus Ware OLB/DE 46 Aston Whiteside ILB/OLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB Defensive backs 31 Mario Butler CB 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church SS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 37 Matt Johnson SS/FS 30 Isaac Madison CB 40 Danny McCray FS 26 Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB/FS 23 Brodney Pool SS 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 43 Gerald Sensabaugh FS 36 Mana Silva SS 41 Lionel Smith CB 33 Justin Taplin-Ross FS/CB 38 Eddie Whitley FS 20 Teddy Williams CB/WR 27 C. J. Wilson CB Special teams  4 Delbert Alvarado P  5 Dan Bailey K 44 Charley Hughlett LS  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS		Reserve lists 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G/C (Active/PUP) 81 Danny Coale WR (Active/PUP) 21 Mike Jenkins CB (Active/PUP) 60 Kevin Kowalski C/G (Active/PUP) 90 active, 0 inactive

Week one roster

Dallas Cowboys 2012 week one roster
Quarterbacks 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo Running backs 28 Felix Jones 29 DeMarco Murray 34 Phillip Tanner 47 Lawrence Vickers FB Wide receivers 19 Miles Austin 11 Cole Beasley 88 Dez Bryant 17 Dwayne Harris 15 Andre Holmes 85 Kevin Ogletree Tight ends 87 Colin Cochart 84 James Hanna 89 Jeremy Phillips FB 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 62 David Arkin G 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G/C 63 Ryan Cook C 67 Phil Costa C 76 Derrick Dockery G 68 Doug Free T 71 Nate Livings G 78 Martin Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T Defensive linemen 92 Josh Brent NT 99 Kenyon Coleman DE 70 Tyrone Crawford DE 97 Jason Hatcher DE 95 Sean Lissemore DE/NT 90 Jay Ratliff NT 96 Marcus Spears DE		Linebackers 55 Alex Albright OLB/ILB 57 Victor Butler OLB/DE 54 Bruce Carter ILB 52 Dan Connor ILB 50 Sean Lee ILB 93 Anthony Spencer OLB/DE 94 DeMarcus Ware OLB/DE 51 Kyle Wilber OLB Defensive backs 31 Mario Butler CB 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church SS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 21 Mike Jenkins CB 37 Matt Johnson SS/FS 40 Danny McCray FS 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 43 Gerald Sensabaugh FS 36 Mana Silva SS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS		Reserve lists -- Donavon Kemp WR (IR) 60 Kevin Kowalski C/G (PUP) 56 Caleb McSurdy ILB (IR) Practice Squad 79 Ben Bass DE 16 Tim Benford WR 72 Rob Callaway NT 81 Danny Coale WR 25 Lance Dunbar RB 65 Ronald Leary G 58 Orie Lemon ILB 49 Jamize Olawale RB/FB 53 Active, 3 Inactive, 8 PS

Final roster

Dallas Cowboys 2012 final roster
Quarterbacks 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo Running backs 25 Lance Dunbar 28 Felix Jones 29 DeMarco Murray 34 Phillip Tanner 47 Lawrence Vickers FB Wide receivers 19 Miles Austin 11 Cole Beasley 88 Dez Bryant 17 Dwayne Harris 85 Kevin Ogletree Tight ends 84 James Hanna 89 John Phillips 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 62 David Arkin G 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G 63 Ryan Cook C 76 Derrick Dockery G 68 Doug Free T 60 Kevin Kowalski C 65 Ronald Leary G 71 Nate Livings G 78 Jermey Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T 75 Darrion Weems T Defensive linemen 72 Rob Callaway NT 70 Tyrone Crawford DE 97 Jason Hatcher DE 95 Sean Lissemore NT 90 Jay Ratliff NT 66 Brian Schaefering DE 96 Marcus Spears DE		Linebackers 55 Alex Albright OLB 57 Victor Butler OLB 52 Dan Connor ILB 98 Brady Poppinga ILB 59 Ernie Sims ILB 93 Anthony Spencer OLB 94 DeMarcus Ware OLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB Defensive backs 39 Brandon Carr CB 24 Morris Claiborne CB 20 Michael Coe CB 27 Eric Frampton SS 21 Mike Jenkins CB 40 Danny McCray SS 30 Sterling Moore CB 26 Charlie Peprah SS 43 Gerald Sensabaugh FS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS  2 Brian Moorman P		Reserve lists 79 Ben Bass DE (IR) 92 Josh Brent NT (NF-Ill.) 54 Bruce Carter ILB (IR) 42 Barry Church SS (IR) 99 Kenyon Coleman DE (IR) 67 Phil Costa C (IR) 37 Matt Johnson FS (IR-DFR)  6 Chris Jones P (IR) -- Donavon Kemp WR (IR) 50 Sean Lee ILB (IR) 58 Orie Lemon ILB (IR) 56 Caleb McSurdy ILB (IR) 32 Orlando Scandrick CB (IR) Practice Squad 23 Vince Agnew CB 16 Tim Benford WR 81 Danny Coale WR (IR) 15 Andre Holmes WR 64 Ikponmwosa Igbinosun DE 31 Micah Pellerin CB 48 Brashton Satele LB 87 Andre Smith TE 61 Monte Taylor LB 53 Active, 14 Inactive, 8 Practice Squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	at Oakland Raiders	W 3–0	1–0	O.co Coliseum	Recap
2	August 18	at San Diego Chargers	L 20–28	1–1	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
3	August 25	St. Louis Rams	W 20–19	2–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
4	August 29	Miami Dolphins	W 30–13	3–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 5	at New York Giants	W 24–17	1–0	MetLife Stadium	Recap
2	September 16	at Seattle Seahawks	L 7–27	1–1	CenturyLink Field	Recap
3	September 23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 16–10	2–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	Chicago Bears	L 18–34	2–2	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 14	at Baltimore Ravens	L 29–31	2–3	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
7	October 21	at Carolina Panthers	W 19–14	3–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
8	October 28	New York Giants	L 24–29	3–4	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
9	November 4	at Atlanta Falcons	L 13–19	3–5	Georgia Dome	Recap
10	November 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 38–23	4–5	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
11	November 18	Cleveland Browns	W 23–20 (OT)	5–5	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
12	November 22	Washington Redskins	L 31–38	5–6	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
13	December 2	Philadelphia Eagles	W 38–33	6–6	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
14	December 9	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 20–19	7–6	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
15	December 16	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 27–24 (OT)	8–6	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
16	December 23	New Orleans Saints	L 31–34 (OT)	8–7	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
17	December 30	at Washington Redskins	L 18–28	8–8	FedExField	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New York Giants

Week One: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	7	10	7	24
Giants	0	3	7	7	17

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 5
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), fair
• Game attendance: 82,287
• Referee: Jim Core
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter NYG - Lawrence Tynes 22-yard field goal, 9:10. Giants 3-0. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:20. DAL - Kevin Ogletree 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:01. Cowboys 7-3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:33. Third quarter DAL - Kevin Ogletree 40-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:24. Cowboys 14-3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36. NYG - Ahmad Bradshaw 10-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:11. Cowboys 14-10. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 5:13. DAL - Dan Bailey 33-yard field goal, 0:40. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:31. Fourth quarter DAL - Miles Austin 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:57. Cowboys 24-10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 7:06. NYG - Martellus Bennett 9-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:36. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 3:21. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 22/29, 307 yards, 3 TD, INT NYG – Eli Manning - 21/32, 213 yards, TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray - 20 carries, 131 yards NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw - 17 carries, 78 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Kevin Ogletree - 8 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TD NYG – Victor Cruz - 6 receptions, 58 yards Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee - 12 tackles, 10 solo NYG – Antrel Rolle - 9 tackles, 9 solo

The Cowboys opened its 2012 campaign at MetLife Stadium in the Annual Kickoff Game against their NFC East foe, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. After a scoreless first quarter, the Giants picked up the season's first points as kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter. Dallas would close out the half with quarterback Tony Romo finding wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys added onto its lead. Romo hooked up with Ogletree again with a 40-yard touchdown pass. New York answered with a 10-yard run from running back Ahmad Bradshaw, yet Dallas responded in kind with a 33-yard field goal from kicker Dan Bailey. The Cowboys pulled away for good in the fourth quarter with Romo connecting with wide receiver Miles Austin on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Giants closed out the game with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to former Dallas tight end Martellus Bennett.

With the win, the Cowboys began the season at 1–0.

Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Two: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	7	0	0	7
Seahawks	10	3	7	7	27

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 68,008
• Referee: Donovan Briggans
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

First quarter SEA - Steven Hauschka 21-yard field goal, 11:43. Seahawks 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:10. SEA - Jeron Johnson 3-yard blocked punt return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:23. Seahawks 10-0. Second quarter DAL - Miles Austin 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:09. Seahawks 10-7. Drive: 15 plays, 95 yards, 7:31. SEA - Steven Hauschka 25-yard field goal, 1:57. Seahawks 13-7. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 7:05. Third quarter SEA - Anthony McCoy 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 5:05. Seahawks 20-7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:08. Fourth quarter SEA - Marshawn Lynch 3-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 7:57. Seahawks 27-7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 7:38. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 23/40, 251 yards, TD, INT SEA – Russell Wilson - 15/20, 151 yards, TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray - 12 carries, 44 yards SEA – Marshawn Lynch - 26 carries, 122 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 63 yards, TD SEA – Anthony McCoy - 5 receptions, 41 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee - 14 tackles, 4 solo SEA – Kam Chancellor - 9 tackles, 7 solo

With the huge loss, the Cowboys fell to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	7	0	0	3	10
Cowboys	7	3	0	6	16

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 81,984
• Referee: Robert Dalton
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter TB - Luke Stocker 1-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 10:51. Buccaneers 7-0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:20. DAL - DeMarco Murray 11-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:22. Tied 7-7. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 2:01. Second quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 2:51. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 3:25. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 26-yard field goal, 11:10. Cowboys 13-7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:26. DAL - Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 2:43. Cowboys 16-7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:01. TB - Connor Barth 28-yard field goal, 0:40. Cowboys 16-10. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 2:03. Top passers TB – Josh Freeman - 10/28, 110 yards, TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo - 25/39, 283 yards, INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin - 19 carries, 53 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray - 18 carries, 38 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Mike Williams - 2 receptions, 33 yards DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 107 yards Top tacklers TB – Mason Foster - 8 tackles, 7 solo DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 5 solo; Anthony Spencer - 7 tackles, 5 solo

Hoping to rebound from their tough road loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cowboys returned to Arlington to host their home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that they had blown out a year before. This game, however, was a close one throughout. In the first quarter, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tossed an interception to Aqib Talib, which set up for a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman to tight end Luke Stocker for Tampa Bay to take the first lead. Dallas would immediately respond after a Sean Lee interception set up Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray for an 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Shortly before the half, kicker Dan Bailey booted a 32-yard field goal for Dallas to take the lead, 10–7. After a scoreless third quarter, Dallas pulled away with Dan Bailey knocking in a pair of field goals, one from 26 yards and another from 22 yards to make the game 16–7. Tampa Bay attempted a furious rally to take the game back after a 28-yard field goal by Connor Barth, but Dallas would recover the following onside kick and effectively took a knee to end the game.

With the victory, Dallas improved their season to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Four: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	10	14	10	34
Cowboys	0	7	3	8	18

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 90,080
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CHI - Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, 4:15. Bears 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 7:07. CHI - Charles Tillman 25-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 2:38. Bears 10-0. DAL - Miles Austin 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:14. Bears 10-7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:24. Third quarter CHI - Devin Hester 34-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 11:54. Bears 17-7. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 3:06. CHI - Lance Briggs 74-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 6:11. Bears 24-7. DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 2:11. Bears 24-10. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 4:00. Fourth quarter CHI - Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal, 11:24. Bears 27-10. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:47. CHI - Brandon Marshall 31-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:28. Bears 34-10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:02. DAL - Jason Witten 5-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Dez Bryant pass from Kyle Orton), 0:34. Bears 34-18. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 2:29. Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler - 18/24, 275 yards, 2 TD DAL – Tony Romo - 31/43, 307 yards, TD, 5 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte - 13 carries, 52 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 24 yards Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall - 7 receptions, 138 yards, TD DAL – Jason Witten - 13 receptions, 112 yards, TD Top tacklers CHI – Chris Conte - 11 tackles, 8 solo DAL – Sean Lee - 14 tackles, 10 solo

With the loss, the Cowboys enter their bye week with 2–2. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo had a forgettable game, tossing 5 interceptions, including 2 that were run back for touchdowns.

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Six: Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	3	10	9	29
Ravens	3	14	7	7	31

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 71,384
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin

Game information

First quarter BAL - Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 7:50. Ravens 3-0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:10. DAL - Felix Jones 22-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 3:18. Cowboys 7-3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32. Second quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 42-yard field goal, 11:29. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:02. BAL - Ray Rice 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 7:29. Tied 10-10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:00. BAL - Torrey Smith 19-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 0:41. Ravens 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:34. Third quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 43-yard field goal, 11:37. Ravens 17-13. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:23. BAL - Jacoby Jones 108-yard kickoff return (Justin Tucker kick), 11:24. Ravens 24-13. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13. DAL - Dez Bryant 7-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:19. Ravens 24-20. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:05. Fourth quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal, 8:22. Ravens 24-23. Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 5:07. BAL - Ray Rice 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 4:41. Ravens 31-23. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:41. DAL - Dez Bryant 4-yard pass from Tony Romo (pass failed), 0:32. Ravens 31-29. Drive: 18 plays, 80 yards, 4:09. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 25/36, 261 yards, 2 TD, INT BAL – Joe Flacco - 17/26, 234 yards, TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray - 14 carries, 93 yards BAL – Ray Rice - 16 carries, 63 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant - 13 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD BAL – Anquan Boldin - 5 receptions, 98 yards Top tacklers DAL – Danny McCray - 7 tackles, 6 solo BAL – Ray Lewis - 14 tackles, 8 solo

With the loss, the Cowboys fell into 2–3 and dropped to 0–4 all-time against the Ravens. Horrible clock management by head coach Jason Garrett on the final drive left Dallas' kicker with a 50+ yard field goal attempt that he pushed wide as time expired.

Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	3	10	6	19
Panthers	0	7	0	7	14

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 73,981
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 19-yard field goal, 14:16. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 18 plays, 91 yards, 10:10. CAR - Brandon LaFell 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 0:14. Panthers 7-3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:00. Third quarter DAL - Miles Austin 26-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:38. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:54. DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 2:13. Cowboys 13-7. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 3:27. Fourth quarter CAR - Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 11:38. Panthers 14-13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:20. DAL - Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 3:25. Cowboys 16-14. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:07. DAL - Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Cowboys 19-14. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:15. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 24/34, 227 yards, TD CAR – Cam Newton - 21/37, 233 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Felix Jones - 15 carries, 44 yards CAR – Cam Newton - 6 carries, 64 yards Top receivers DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD CAR – Steve Smith Sr. - 7 receptions, 83 yards Top tacklers DAL – DeMarcus Ware - 8 tackles, 3 solo CAR – Luke Kuechly - 15 tackles, 8 solo

The Cowboys beat the Panthers to improve to a .500 record.

Week 8: vs. New York Giants

Week Eight: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	13	10	0	6	29
Cowboys	0	10	14	0	24

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny skies (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 94,067
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter NYG - Lawrence Tynes 41-yard field goal, 11:53. Giants 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:07. NYG - Lawrence Tynes 37-yard field goal, 7:11. Giants 6-0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:00. NYG - Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:41. Giants 13-0. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:01. Second quarter NYG - Lawrence Tynes 26-yard field goal, 14:22. Giants 16-0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:21. NYG - Jason Pierre-Paul 28-yard interception return (Lawrence Tynes kick), 13:05. Giants 23-0. DAL - Felix Jones 4-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 5:22. Giants 23-7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:07. DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 0:58. Giants 23-10. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:39. Third quarter DAL - Tony Romo 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:16. Giants 23-17. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:44. DAL - John Phillips 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:43. Cowboys 24-23. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:24. Fourth quarter NYG - Lawrence Tynes 43-yard field goal, 10:20. Giants 26-24. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:26. NYG - Lawrence Tynes 37-yard field goal, 3:31. Giants 29-24. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 3:09. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning - 15/29, 192 yards, INT DAL – Tony Romo - 36/62, 437 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw - 22 carries, 78 yards DAL – Felix Jones - 13 carries, 19 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Rueben Randle - 2 receptions, 68 yards DAL – Jason Witten - 18 receptions, 167 yards Top tacklers NYG – Stevie Brown - 8 tackles, 8 solo DAL – Brandon Carr - 5 tackles, 5 solo; Morris Claiborne - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Kenyon Coleman - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Jay Ratliff - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Anthony Spencer - 5 tackles, 2 solo

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3–4 on the season and 0–4 at Cowboys Stadium against the Giants. A late go-ahead touchdown catch by Dez Bryant was overturned on review as it showed that as Bryant's hand came down to brace his landing, barely a tip of one finger came down on the end line, thus ruling him out of bounds.

Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Nine: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	6	0	0	7	13
Falcons	0	6	0	13	19

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,840
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 10:46. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:07. DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 3:42. Cowboys 6-0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:33. Second quarter ATL - Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 14:15. Cowboys 6-3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:27. ATL - Matt Bryant 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 6-6. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:03. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter ATL - Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 14:16. Falcons 13-6. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:23. ATL - Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 7:49. Falcons 16-6. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:50. DAL - Kevin Ogletree 21-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:21. Falcons 16-13. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:28. ATL - Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:17. Falcons 19-13. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:04. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 25/35, 321 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan - 24/34, 342 yards Top rushers DAL – Felix Jones - 9 carries, 39 yards ATL – Michael Turner - 20 carries, 102 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Kevin Ogletree - 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD ATL – Julio Jones - 5 receptions, 129 yards Top tacklers DAL – Bruce Carter - 10 tackles, 9 solo ATL – Jonathan Babineaux - 7 tackles, 5 solo; Akeem Dent - 7 tackles, 4 solo

During this game, Jason Witten's 7 receptions brought him to a franchise record of 754, surpassing Michael Irvin's previous record of 750. ^[2]

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3–5.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	3	7	21	38
Eagles	7	0	10	6	23

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 69,144
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter PHI - Riley Cooper 2-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 9:53. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:07. DAL - Felix Jones 11-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:13. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:40. Second quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 3:50. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:10. Third quarter PHI - Jeremy Maclin 44-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 12:52. Eagles 14-10. Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 1:13. PHI - Alex Henery 40-yard field goal, 4:32. Eagles 17-10. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 6:10. DAL - Dez Bryant 30-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:00. Tied 17-17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32. Fourth quarter DAL - Dwayne Harris 78-yard punt return (Dan Bailey kick), 13:35. Cowboys 24-17. DAL - Brandon Carr 47-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 12:25. Cowboys 31-17. PHI - Stanley Havili 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick failed), 1:55. Cowboys 31-23. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:31. DAL - Jason Hatcher defensive fumble recovery in end zone (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 38-23. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo - 19/26, 209 yards, 2 TD PHI – Nick Foles - 22/32, 219 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Felix Jones - 16 carries, 71 yards PHI – LeSean McCoy - 16 carries, 82 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant - 3 receptions, 87 yards, TD PHI – Jeremy Maclin - 8 receptions, 93 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – Bruce Carter - 10 tackles, 10 solo PHI – DeMeco Ryans - 8 tackles, 7 solo; Kurt Coleman - 8 tackles, 6 solo

With the win, the Cowboys improved to 4–5.

Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Eleven: Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	7	6	0	7	0	20
Cowboys	0	0	3	17	3	23

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 81,936
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter CLE - Ben Watson 10-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick), 4:01. Browns 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:55. Second quarter CLE - Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal, 12:09. Browns 10-0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:44. CLE - Phil Dawson 37-yard field goal, 5:07. Browns 13-0. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:16. Third quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 44-yard field goal, 4:16. Browns 13-3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:44. Fourth quarter DAL - Felix Jones 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 13:49. Browns 13-10. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 3:59. DAL - Dez Bryant 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:46. Cowboys 17-13. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:11. CLE - Ben Watson 17-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick), 1:07. Browns 20-17. Drive: 1 play, 17 yards, 0:03. DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 20-20. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:05. Overtime DAL - Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 6:07. Cowboys 23-20. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:32. Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden - 20/35, 210 yards, 2 TD DAL – Tony Romo - 35/50, 313 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson - 28 carries, 95 yards DAL – Felix Jones - 14 carries, 43 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Greg Little - 3 receptions, 53 yards; Josh Gordon - 5 receptions, 53 yards DAL – Dez Bryant - 12 receptions, 145 yards, TD Top tacklers CLE – Sheldon Brown - 9 tackles, 9 solo DAL – Danny McCray - 8 tackles, 8 solo

After being down 13–0 against the Browns in the first half, the Cowboys outscored the Browns 20–7 to send the game into overtime. The Cowboys kicked the game-winning field goal and improved to 5–5 on the season and 2nd place in the NFC East.

Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Twelve: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	28	0	10	38
Cowboys	3	0	10	18	31

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 90,166
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews

Game information

First quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:17. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:40. Second quarter WAS - Aldrick Robinson 68-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 13:47. Redskins 7-3. Drive: 5 plays, 93 yards, 2:57. WAS - Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 7:00. Redskins 14-3. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:37. WAS - Pierre Garcon 59-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 2:14. Redskins 21-3. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 3:01. WAS - Santana Moss 6-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 0:05. Redskins 28-3. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 0:25. Third quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 33-yard field goal, 11:48. Redskins 28-6. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:12. DAL - Dez Bryant 85-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:24. Redskins 28-13. Drive: 1 play, 85 yards, 0:14. Fourth quarter WAS - Niles Paul 29-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 12:48. Redskins 35-13. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:36. DAL - Felix Jones 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Tony Romo run), 9:54. Redskins 35-21. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 2:54. DAL - Dez Bryant 11-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:18. Redskins 35-28. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 0:41. WAS - Kai Forbath 48-yard field goal, 2:58. Redskins 38-28. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 5:20. DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 0:18. Redskins 38-31. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 2:40. Top passers WAS – Robert Griffin III - 19/27, 304 yards, 4 TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo - 37/62, 441 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers WAS – Alfred Morris - 24 carries, 113 yards, TD DAL – Felix Jones - 6 carries, 14 yards Top receivers WAS – Pierre Garcon - 4 receptions, 86 yards, TD DAL – Dez Bryant - 8 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers WAS – Perry Riley - 9 tackles, 6 solo DAL – Anthony Spencer - 10 tackles, 7 solo

With the loss to their long-time rival the Washington Redskins during a Thanksgiving Day showdown, the Cowboys dropped to 5–6 on the season and 6–1 against the Redskins on Thanksgiving. Along with the loss, the Cowboys also lost 2 key defensive players for an extended period of time. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick broke his left hand, but the team was still hopeful that he would be able to return before the end of the season. But of the three injuries suffered during the game, Bruce Carter's was probably the most devastating. Carter dislocated his left elbow during the game and was out for the rest of the season after having surgery. At that point, the Cowboys had lost 4 starters on defense due to injuries, and were on their 3rd and 4th string middle linebackers after losing both Carter and Sean Lee for the season. Also the Cowboys lost starting receiver Miles Austin to a hip strain caused by linebacker London Fletcher in the back of the end zone. Although he did not return to the game, he was cleared to play for the Cowboys' week 13 game.

Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Thirteen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	7	10	7	9	33
Cowboys	0	10	7	21	38

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 2
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 81,851
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter PHI - Bryce Brown 10-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 5:38. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:35. Second quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 13:34, Eagles 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 59 yards, 7:04. PHI - Bryce Brown 5-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 6:07. Eagles 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:47. DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:41. Eagles 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:26. PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Eagles 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 0:41. Third quarter DAL - Dez Bryant 23-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:18. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:42. PHI - Riley Cooper 15-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 5:27. Eagles 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:51. Fourth quarter DAL - Miles Austin 27-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 13:41. Tied 24–24. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:46. PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 9:51. Eagles 27–24. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 3:50. DAL - Dez Bryant 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:35. Cowboys 31–27. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 4:16. DAL - Morris Claiborne 50-yard defensive fumble return (Dan Bailey kick), 3:50. Cowboys 38–27. PHI - Damaris Johnson 98-yard punt return (run failed), 0:31. Cowboys 38–33. Top passers PHI – Nick Foles – 22/34, 251 yards, TD DAL – Tony Romo – 22/27, 303 yards, 3 TD Top rushers PHI – Bryce Brown – 24 carries, 169 yards, 2 TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 23 carries, 83 yards, TD Top receivers PHI – Jason Avant – 4 receptions, 79 yards DAL – Jason Witten – 6 receptions, 108 yards Top tacklers PHI – Nnamdi Asomugha – 8 tackles, 7 solo DAL – Danny McCray – 10 tackles, 7 solo

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	7	0	10	20
Bengals	10	3	6	0	19

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 63,590
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin

Game information

First quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 8:36. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 6:24. CIN - Andrew Hawkins 8-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Josh Brown kick), 6:41. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:55. CIN - Josh Brown 25-yard field goal, 1:39. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:58. Second quarter DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 10:33. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:27. CIN - Josh Brown 33-yard field goal, 3:24. Bengals 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 7:09. Third quarter CIN - Josh Brown 25-yard field goal, 9:22. Bengals 16–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:38. CIN - Josh Brown 52-yard field goal, 6:45. Bengals 19–10. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 1:09. Fourth quarter DAL - Dez Bryant 27-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:35. Bengals 19–17. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:12. DAL - Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 3:44. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 25/43, 268 yards, TD, INT CIN – Andy Dalton – 20/33, 206 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 21 rushes, 53 yards, TD CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 12 rushes, 89 yards Top receivers DAL – Jason Witten – 4 receptions, 62 yards CIN – Marvin Jones – 3 receptions, 45 yards Top tacklers DAL – Anthony Spencer – 11 tackles, 5 solo CIN – Vontaze Burfict – 10 tackles, 6 solo

Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Steelers	0	10	7	7	0	24
Cowboys	3	7	7	7	3	27

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), clear skies (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 95,595
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Game information

First quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 8:36. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:31. Second quarter DAL - Jason Witten 17-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:02. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:40. PIT - Shaun Suisham 32-yard field goal, 6:03. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:59. PIT - Heath Miller 30-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 0:34. Tied 10-10. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 1:37. Third quarter DAL - Dez Bryant 24-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:03. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:32. PIT - Jonathan Dwyer 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 4:16. Tied 17-17. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:47. Fourth quarter PIT - Antonio Brown 7-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 12:37. Steelers 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:16. DAL - DeMarco Murray 3-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 6:55. Tied 24-24. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:08. Overtime DAL - Dan Bailey 21-yard field goal, 13:36. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 2 plays, -2 yards, 0:39. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger - 24/40, 339 yards, 2 TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo - 30/42, 341 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Isaac Redman - 3 carries, 30 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray - 14 carries, 81 yards, TD Top receivers PIT – Mike Wallace - 4 receptions, 95 yards DAL – Miles Austin - 7 receptions, 79 yards Top tacklers PIT – Ryan Clark - 8 tackles, 6 solo DAL – Danny McCray - 7 tackles, 5 solo

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Saints	7	10	7	7	3	34
Cowboys	0	14	3	14	0	31

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 23
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 92,570
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

First quarter NO - Mark Ingram 9-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:25. Saints 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35. Second quarter DAL - Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:47. Tied 7-7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:28. DAL - Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:43. Cowboys 14-7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:23. NO - Lance Moore 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:11. Tied 14-14. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 4:32. NO - Garrett Hartley 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17-14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 0:47. Third quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 47-yard field goal, 10:26. Tied 17-17. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:34. NO - Pierre Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:03. Saints 24-17. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:14. Fourth quarter NO - David Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 11:10. Saints 31-17. Drive: 10 plays, 98 yards, 4:53. DAL - Dwayne Harris 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:35. Saints 31-24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:10. DAL - Miles Austin 19-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:15. Tied 31-31. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:14. Overtime NO - Garrett Hartley 20-yard field goal, 10:33. Saints 34-31. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:00. Top passers NO – Drew Brees - 37/53, 446 yards, 3 TD DAL – Tony Romo - 26/43, 416 yards, 4 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram - 21 carries, 53 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 40 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston - 10 receptions, 153 yards DAL – Dez Bryant - 9 receptions, 224 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers NO – Patrick Robinson - 8 tackles, 7 solo DAL – Dan Connor - 11 tackles, 7 solo

The loss dropped Dallas to 8–7 and mathematically eliminated them from gaining a wild card spot. However, if they were to beat the Washington Redskins in week 17, Dallas would win the NFC East.

Week 17: at Washington Redskins

Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	7	0	11	18
Redskins	0	7	7	14	28

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 82,845
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter DAL - Jason Witten 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:59. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 7:37. WAS - Alfred Morris 17-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:28. Tied 7-7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:31. Third quarter WAS - Robert Griffin III 10-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:10. Redskins 14-7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:14. Fourth quarter DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 14:09. Redskins 14-10. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:01. WAS - Alfred Morris 32-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 10:32. Redskins 21-10. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:37. DAL - Kevin Ogletree 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dwayne Harris pass from Tony Romo), 5:50. Redskins 21-18. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:45. WAS - Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 1:09. Redskins 28-18. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 1:51. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 20/37, 218 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT WAS – Robert Griffin III – 9/18, 100 yards Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 17 carries, 76 yards WAS – Alfred Morris – 33 carries, 200 yards, 3 TD Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 4 receptions, 71 yards WAS – Pierre Garçon – 3 receptions, 46 yards Top tacklers DAL – Dan Connor – 9 tackles, 5 solo WAS – London Fletcher – 11 tackles, 4 solo

With the loss, Dallas ended the season with an 8–8 record, and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Cowboys loss marks their third season finale loss in the last five seasons where they faced a win-or-go-home situation for the playoffs. All those season finale games came against NFC East opponents. In 2008, they lost 44–6 to the Philadelphia Eagles failing to clinch a wild card spot. In 2011, they lost 31–14 to the New York Giants failing to win the NFC East title. The loss also brought their record in Week 17 games to 2–11 since 2000.

Season recap

The Cowboys started the season on September 5, playing a Wednesday game for the first time in franchise history. ^[3]

Against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 11 during the fourth quarter, the Cowboys became the second team in NFL history to score touchdowns via interception, fumble return and punt return in the same quarter.^{[ citation needed ]} The first one was the San Francisco 49ers in 1966.^{[ citation needed ]}

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Washington Redskins	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	436	388	W7
New York Giants	9	7	0	.563	3–3	8–4	429	344	W1
Dallas Cowboys	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	376	400	L2
Philadelphia Eagles	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	280	444	L3

Footnotes

^{^[a]} The Week 17 game was originally going to be aired on Fox which, due to playoff implications, competed with NBC for the slot. ^[4] The game was ultimately moved to NBC. ^[5]

References

1. "2012 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". ProSportsTransactions.com.
2. "Witten Becomes Cowboys' All-Time Receptions Leader". cbslocal.com. November 5, 2012.
3. "Dallas Cowboys | Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys".
4. Hanzus, Dan (December 22, 2012). "Fox, NBC vie for piece of Cowboys-Redskins showdown". National Football League . Retrieved December 27, 2012.
5. Michael David Smith (December 23, 2012). "Cowboys-Redskins flexed to Sunday Night Football in Week 17". Profootballtalk.com . Retrieved December 27, 2012.

External links

• "2012 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
• Official website
• Team Column