2014 Dallas Cowboys season | |
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Owner | Jerry Jones |
General manager | Jerry Jones |
Head coach | Jason Garrett |
Home field | AT&T Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 12–4 |
Division place | 1st NFC East |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Lions) 24–20 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Packers) 21–26 |
Pro Bowlers | QB Tony Romo RB DeMarco Murray WR Dez Bryant TE Jason Witten T Tyron Smith G Zack Martin C Travis Frederick LS L. P. Ladouceur |
AP All-Pros | RB DeMarco Murray (1st team) WR Dez Bryant (1st team) OT Tyron Smith (1st team) OG Zack Martin (1st team) QB Tony Romo (2nd team) C Travis Frederick (2nd team) |
Uniform | |
The 2014 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 55th season in the National Football League (NFL), the sixth playing their home games at AT&T Stadium and the fourth full season under head coach Jason Garrett.
The team improved on their 8–8 record from 2013, finishing 12–4 in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC. However, the Cowboys lost the conference record tiebreakers to both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers and had to start their postseason in the wild-card round. They started with a tough 24–20 win over the Detroit Lions before losing to the Packers 26–21 the following week, ending their season.
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame |
2 | 34 | DeMarcus Lawrence | DE | Boise State |
4 | 119 | Anthony Hitchens | LB | Iowa |
5 | 146 | Devin Street | WR | Pittsburgh |
7 | 231 | Ben Gardner | DE | Stanford |
7 | 238 | Will Smith | LB | Texas Tech |
7 | 248 | Ahmad Dixon | S | Baylor |
7 | 251 | Ken Bishop | DT | Northern Illinois |
7 | 254 | Terrance Mitchell | CB | Oregon |
Compensatory selection |
After the departure of long time Cowboys favorites defensive end/linebacker DeMarcus Ware and defensive tackle Jason Hatcher to free agency, and a season-ending knee injury to middle linebacker Sean Lee during organized team activities in late May, the Dallas Cowboys were one of the most heavily admonished and second-guessed NFL franchises through the entire preseason and well into the regular season. Much of the criticism was in response to the Cowboys selecting Notre Dame offensive guard Zack Martin over the perceived Cowboys savior (Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel) in the first round of the NFL draft. Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones uncharacteristically downplayed expectations for the upcoming season during spring training, emphasizing to the media and fans that it might take a little more time for the Cowboys' young players to mature into a championship-caliber team.
Adding injury to the many insults hurled at Jerry Jones, quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys organization in general, Romo did not play well during two preseason starts after receiving only a small percentage of snaps throughout training camp, due to his continuing recovery from off-season surgery to repair a herniated intervertebral disc in his lower back. For these reasons, Romo and the Cowboys' passing offense struggled for the first two games of the regular season, causing many fans and media to declare the Dallas Cowboys as the absolute worst team in the league after their week 1 loss to the 49ers at AT&T Stadium. A humiliating turnover led to defeat for Dallas, which appeared to prove all the Cowboys' critics right, that Jerry Jones should have selected quarterback Johnny "Football" Manziel in the first round of the NFL 2014 draft to eventually replace Romo. But by season's end, not only would Romo have the highest passer rating (113.2) in the NFL for the 2014 regular season, but first-round pick offensive guard Zack Martin (whom the Cowboys had drafted instead of Manziel) would have a well deserved All-Pro season while establishing himself as a critical piece in what many considered to be the best offensive line in the NFL. The stout run-blocking of the Cowboys' offensive line would help two different Cowboys running backs (DeMarco Murray in 2014 and Ezekiel Elliott in 2016 and 2018) win 3 NFL rushing titles in 5 seasons.
Following a win against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16 (and after the Philadelphia Eagles' loss to the Washington Redskins), the Cowboys clinched the NFC East title, putting them in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Cowboys finished 12–4, improving on their 8–8 record from 2013. For the season, the team was 8–0 on the road. Plenty of milestones were established by the 2014 Cowboys team, topped by DeMarco Murray's record-setting rushing season. The Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions at home 24–20 in the wild-card round of the playoffs and advanced to the divisional round. However, the Green Bay Packers defeated them 26–21, handing the Cowboys their first road loss and ending their season.
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | August 7 | at San Diego Chargers | L 7–27 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 16 | Baltimore Ravens | L 30–37 | 0–2 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 23 | at Miami Dolphins | L 20–25 | 0–3 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
4 | August 28 | Denver Broncos | L 3–27 | 0–4 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap | |
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1 | September 7 | San Francisco 49ers | L 17–28 | 0–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
2 | September 14 | at Tennessee Titans | W 26–10 | 1–1 | LP Field | Recap | |
3 | September 21 | at St. Louis Rams | W 34–31 | 2–1 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap | |
4 | September 28 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–17 | 3–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
5 | October 5 | Houston Texans | W 20–17 (OT) | 4–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
6 | October 12 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 30–23 | 5–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap | |
7 | October 19 | New York Giants | W 31–21 | 6–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
8 | October 27 | Washington Redskins | L 17–20 (OT) | 6–2 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
9 | November 2 | Arizona Cardinals | L 17–28 | 6–3 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
10 | November 9 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 31–17 | 7–3 | Wembley Stadium (London, England) | Recap | |
11 | Bye | ||||||
12 | November 23 | at New York Giants | W 31–28 | 8–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap | |
13 | November 27 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–33 | 8–4 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
14 | December 4 | at Chicago Bears | W 41–28 | 9–4 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
15 | December 14 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 38–27 | 10–4 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | |
16 | December 21 | Indianapolis Colts | W 42–7 | 11–4 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
17 | December 28 | at Washington Redskins | W 44–17 | 12–4 | FedExField | Recap |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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49ers | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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The Cowboys were 16–17–1 against the San Francisco 49ers from 1960 to 2014. Since then, Dallas won the next three meetings, in 2016, 2017, and 2020. But the Cowboys would lose to the 49ers in the 2021 wild-card round of the playoffs.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
Titans | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
Game information | ||
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The win against the Titans meant that the Cowboys wouldn't start 0–2, which they hadn't done since 2010, when Wade Phillips was fired midway through the season and Jason Garrett was promoted to head coach.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
Rams | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
Game information | ||
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The Cowboys' 21-point comeback win against the Rams was a new Cowboys' record for the largest point deficit that a Cowboys team had come back from and won in a game that didn't go into overtime. It was the third 21-point comeback victory in Cowboys' history. The other two came in overtime, in 1984 against the New Orleans Saints and 1999 against the Washington Redskins.
The Rams' 2nd-quarter 21-point lead was the second-largest lead blown by the Rams. The biggest deficit overcome by a Rams opponent was 23 points by the Green Bay Packers in 1982, and the Denver Broncos had a 21-point rally in 1982.
Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey set a franchise record by making his 28th field goal in a row on a 40-yarder in the third quarter. Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol hit 27 straight field goals in 1996.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
Cowboys | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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After 4 weeks of regular season play, DeMarco Murray found himself in elite company with his 149-yard 2 touchdown performance against the Saints, joining Jim Brown, O. J. Simpson and former Cowboy Emmitt Smith as the only players to rush for 100 or more yards, while scoring a touchdown, in the first four games of a season.
The Cowboys' three-game winning streak was their first since the 2012 season.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Texans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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After hauling in a 34-yard completion from Tony Romo mid-way through the third quarter, Cowboys TE Jason Witten surpassed 10,000 receiving yards for his career, making him only the 3rd tight end in NFL history to do so. Witten's 59-yard day against the Texans left him just 46 yards shy of the No. 2 position held at the time by Shannon Sharpe with 10,060 career receiving yards. Tony Gonzalez led all tight ends in career receiving yards at 15,127.
The Cowboys' four-game winning streak was their first since 2011, and their best start since 2008.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
Seahawks | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Game information | ||
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DeMarco Murray's 115-yard rushing day against the Seahawks made him only the second running back in NFL history – next to Jim Brown – to rush for 100 yards in the first 6 games of the season. Jim Brown did it for the first six games of the 1958 season.
With the victory, the Cowboys improved to 5–1 on the season, their best record since the 2007 campaign.
Dallas became the first team outside the NFC West to win in Seattle since 2011.
Five days after Seattle's loss at home to the Cowboys, the Seahawks traded WR Percy Harvin to the New York Jets for an undisclosed draft selection. It was reported that the surprisingly sudden move by Seattle was due in large part to Harvin refusing to return to the game in the fourth quarter. While Harvin had a 46-yard kickoff return, his total yardage for rushing and receiving was –1 yard against the Cowboys.
Dan Bailey's 3rd quarter 42-yard field goal made him 100-for-110 on field goals for his career, making him the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a FG percentage of 90.826% from 2011 to 2014. Mike Vanderjagt was second in all-time NFL accuracy with a FG percentage of 86.466% from 1998 to 2006. Stephen Gostkowski was a close third in NFL accuracy with a FG percentage of 86.328% from 2006 to 2014.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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DeMarco Murray continued his amazing season by rushing for his seventh straight 100-yard game to start a season, breaking the record held by the great Jim Brown.
With the win over the Giants, the Cowboys improved to a league-best 6–1 on the season, moving into sole possession of first place in the NFC East due to the Eagles having a bye week. This was the Cowboys' best start to a season since 2007 when they also were 6–1 after the first 7 games.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Redskins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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Colt McCoy completed 83.3 percent of his passes (25–30 for 299 yards), the most in Redskins history by a quarterback with at least 30 attempts.
Murray extended his 100-yard game rushing streak to eight games with 19 carries for 141 yards.
The game was the 107th meeting in 54 years between the Cowboys and the Redskins. After the loss to Washington, the Cowboys now had a total of 64 wins to 41 losses and 2 ties in 54 years.
Including the loss to the Redskins on Monday Night, the Cowboys had played in a total of 75 Monday Night games and had an overall record of 43–32.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
Cowboys | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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Brandon Weeden started in place of Tony Romo, who had injured himself the week prior. Weeden had a rough time of it against the stingy Cardinals defense, throwing two interceptions and only managed to compile 183 yards through the air.
It was the Cowboys' third home loss of the season, and the same score as the season opener against the 49ers. The Cardinals also managed to hold DeMarco Murray under the 100-yard mark, the first team to do so in 2014.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Jaguars | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
Game information | ||
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Tony Romo's return was a successful one, as the Cowboys went across the pond and posted a comfortable win over one of the worst teams in the league.
Dez Bryant had a monster day receiving, catching six passes for 158 yards and two scores, all in the first half. DeMarco Murray got back in the 100-yard category after losing his streak in the loss to the Cardinals the week before.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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The Cowboys swept their season series against the Giants for the second year in a row. The Cowboys beat the Giants 5 out of the 6 meetings from 2012 to 2014.
With the win, Dallas improved to 8–3 on the season, setting up a showdown with the 8–3 Eagles for first place in the NFC East on Thanksgiving Day.
DeMarco Murray went over 100 yards yet again, rushing for 121 yards but failed to get in the end zone.
Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. finished his historic night with 10 catches for 146 yards and two scores.
Rapper and New York City native Jay Z attended the game and was seen having a brief conversation with Jerry Jones on the field prior to kickoff. This was somewhat of an event due to Jay Z's agency, Roc Nation, signing on as Dez Bryant's representation earlier in the month. The pair spoke briefly before the game, which led to questions about whether they were discussing Bryant's contract negotiations. Jones later claimed that the brief conversation had nothing to do with contract negotiations.[ citation needed ]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 14 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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With the 33–10 victory against Dallas, the Eagles were now 2–0 against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day and 6–0 overall for Thanksgiving games.
Tony Romo's 38-game streak with at least one touchdown pass came to an end against Philadelphia. Romo's 38-game touchdown streak was the longest in franchise history and fifth longest in NFL history and the second-longest among active streaks, behind Peyton Manning's 50. Romo was 18 of 29 for 199 yards and 0 TDs in the loss.
It was the fourth loss of the season for Dallas at home, and DeMarco Murray failed to break 100 yards for only the second time this season.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 41 |
Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Cowboys avoided going 8–8 for the first time since 2010, and clinched a winning season, the first since the 2009 team won the NFC East and won a playoff game.
After defeating the Bears in Chicago, the Cowboys were 6–0 on the road after 13 games into their 2014 season. Oddly enough, the last time Dallas lost on the road was in Chicago 45–28 nearly a year earlier on December 9, 2013. That devastating loss to the Bears began the 7–5 Cowboys' late-season slide, losing 3 out of their 4 final games, and ending the year with a 3rd straight 8–8 season and no playoff appearance for the 4th year in a row.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
Eagles | 0 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
Game information | ||
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For the second consecutive year, Dallas and Philadelphia split the season series with the road team winning all four games. Dallas had now won 5 out of their last 6 meetings in Philadelphia.
With the win, the Cowboys took a one-game lead in the NFC East with two games to go.
The victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia improved the Cowboys' road record to 7–0 for the season.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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Through the 2014 season, the Cowboys won the NFC East 22 times in their 54-year history.
After quarterback Tony Romo completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to TE Jason Witten late in the third quarter, Romo eclipsed Troy Aikman as the all-time leader in passing yards in franchise history. The throw put Romo at 32,961 passing yards in his career, passing Aikman's career total of 32,942. Romo finished the game with 218 yards, putting him at 32,971 for his career.
At the start of the game, Murray had a total of 1,686 yards on the season and needed only 87 yards to pass Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith's team record for the most rushing yards in a single season with 1,773 yards set in 1995. However, with Murray still nursing the injury, coupled with an early Cowboys rout, Murray ended up with only 22 carries for 59 yards on the day, leaving him with a total of 1,745 yards for the year, just 28 yards short of Smith's single season record with one more game left to be played.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 44 |
Redskins | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information | ||
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With the victory, the Cowboys finished 12–4 on the season, their best record since the team's 13–3 campaign of 2007. [2]
DeMarco Murray made Cowboys' history by finishing the season with 1,845 yards on 393 carries, surpassing Emmitt Smith's record of 1,773 in 1995; the 32-yard carry was Murray's longest since a 40-yard carry on December 4 against the Chicago Bears.
Dez Bryant also made Cowboys' history by catching 2 touchdown passes, giving him a total of 16 touchdown receptions on the year, breaking Terrell Owens's previous single-season touchdown reception record of 15 in 2007 (the second touchdown was originally called incomplete by the refs, but was overturned after review).
The game was the 108th meeting in 54 years between the Cowboys and Redskins. After this game, the Cowboys' all-time record versus the Redskins was 65-41-2 in 54 years.
NFC East | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(3) Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 467 | 352 | W4 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 474 | 400 | W1 |
New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 380 | 400 | L1 |
Washington Redskins | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 301 | 438 | L1 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
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Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 [a] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
2 [a] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
3 [a] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 [b] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
6 [b] | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
9 [c] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
10 [c] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
11 [d] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
12 [d] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
13 [d] | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
Tiebreakers [e] | |||||||||||
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Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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Wild card | January 4, 2015 | Detroit Lions (6) | W 24–20 | 1–0 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
Divisional | January 11, 2015 | at Green Bay Packers (2) | L 21–26 | 1–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Lions | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Game information | ||
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The Dallas Cowboys now lead the all-time head-to-head match-up against the Detroit Lions (14–12). The Cowboys also lead the all-time playoff match-up against the Lions (2–1).
This was the first time in franchise history that the Cowboys won a post-season game when trailing by 10 points or more at half time.
At the time, with this win over the Lions, the Cowboys became the team with the most NFL playoff wins with 34, one more than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Packers | 7 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game information | ||
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The Packers defeated the Cowboys 26–21, ending their season. [4] The Packers handed the Cowboys their first road loss of the season, snapping a 9-game road winning streak that began in week 16 of the 2013 season against the Washington Redskins.
The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL), and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium. After falling to the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the 2009-10 NFL Playoffs, the Cowboys sought to defend their NFC East division title and contend for a Super Bowl Championship, particularly given that Super Bowl XLV would be played at Cowboys Stadium.
The 2011 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL), the third playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the first full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The team improved on their 6–10 record from 2010, but missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season due to their week 17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
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 2013 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing home games at AT&T Stadium and the third full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys finished 8–8 for a third consecutive season, but missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season after losing their final game for the third straight season, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 2014 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 95th in the National Football League (NFL), their 27th in Arizona and their second under head coach Bruce Arians. Following an explosive 9–1 start to the regular season, they finished at 11–5, achieving their highest win total since 1975 when they were still in St. Louis. The Cardinals clinched their first playoff berth since 2009, and had a chance to become the first team to try to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, University of Phoenix Stadium. However, after season-ending injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, they were forced to start third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley in the wild-card round, losing to the Carolina Panthers, 27–16, which was the first time since 1982 when they were in St. Louis that the Cardinals went one-and-done.
The 2014 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 55th overall and the 18th in the state of Tennessee. It marked the first under head coach Ken Whisenhunt, as well as the first full season following the death of longtime owner Bud Adams, who died during the 2013 season. The Titans finished the season with 10 consecutive losses to finish with a 2–14 record, not only tying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the league's worst record, but the Titans also suffered their worst season since 1994, when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers.
The 2015 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 97th season overall, 95th in the National Football League (NFL), and the tenth under head coach Mike McCarthy. With a Week 15 win over the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff spot for the seventh consecutive season, but they failed to win their fifth consecutive NFC North title after a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, the fifth-seeded Packers traveled to Washington to face the fourth-seeded Redskins in the wild-card round. They beat the Redskins 35–18, and then traveled to Arizona for a rematch against the second-seeded Arizona Cardinals, where the Packers' season ended as they lost to the Cardinals in overtime, 26–20. One highlight of the Packers' season was a stunning come-from-behind victory over their division rivals Detroit Lions, which resulted in a 61-yard game-winning Hail Mary pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers II as time expired.
The 2015 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), the seventh playing their home games at AT&T Stadium and the fifth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys finished the regular season at 4–12. It was the team's worst record since 1989, when they went 1–15, and the first time the Cowboys finished in last place in the NFC East since 2002.
The 2016 Green Bay Packers season was their 98th season overall, 96th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 11th under head coach Mike McCarthy. Despite a 4–6 start to the season, the Green Bay Packers went on a 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a 10–6 record. The team clinched the NFC North for the fifth time in six years with their week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. They routed the fifth-seeded New York Giants 38–13 in the wild card round of the playoffs and defeated the top-seeded and heavily favored Dallas Cowboys 34–31 in the divisional round of the playoffs, but their season came to an end when they were beat by the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game 44–21.
The 2016 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their 28th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 8th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their 6th full season under head coach Jason Garrett.
The 2016 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 20th playing their home games at FedExField and the third under head coach Jay Gruden.
The 2017 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 58th in the National Football League (NFL), their 29th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 9th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their 7th full season under head coach Jason Garrett.
The 2017 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their first playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their third under head coach Dan Quinn. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof.
The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous season, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.
The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.
The 2018 season was the Washington Redskins' 87th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Jay Gruden. This was the first season since 2011 that quarterback Kirk Cousins was not on the roster, as he joined the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason as a free agent.
The 2018 season was the Houston Texans' 17th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Bill O'Brien. This marked the first season since 2005 that Rick Smith would not be the general manager as he took a leave of absence for family reasons. Despite an 0–3 start, their first in a decade, the Texans surpassed their win total from the previous season with a Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins. They had a franchise record 9 consecutive wins that also broke the NFL record for most consecutive wins after starting 0–3. The streak ended with a Week 14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With a Week 15 win over the New York Jets, the Texans clinched their first 10-win season under head coach Bill O’Brien, their first 10-win season since 2012 and their third 10-win season in franchise history.
The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2019 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 60th in the National Football League (NFL), their 11th playing home games at AT&T Stadium and their ninth and final season under head coach Jason Garrett. It also marked the return of tight end Jason Witten, who retired in 2018 and spent a year as the color analyst for Monday Night Football. Wide receiver Cole Beasley, who was the second-longest tenured player on the roster, left the team in the offseason and signed with the Bills.
The 2023 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 64th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 35th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, and their fourth under head coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys matched their 12–5 record from the previous two seasons and won the NFC East division for the first time since the 2021 season and the second time in three seasons. They ended up in a three-way tie with the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions for first place in the NFC at 12–5. However, they lost the conference tiebreaker to the 49ers but won the head to head tiebreaker over the Lions, giving them the second seed in the playoffs. Although the Cowboys lost to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, they clinched their third straight playoff berth before taking the field when the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, respectively. This marked the Cowboys' first run of three consecutive postseason appearances since appearing in six straight from 1991 to 1996.