2020 Dallas Cowboys season

Last updated

2020 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner Jerry Jones
General managerJerry Jones
Head coach Mike McCarthy
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan
Home field AT&T Stadium
Results
Record6–10
Division place3rd NFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers None
Uniform
Dallas Cowboys Uniforms - 2016 Season.png

The 2020 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 61st in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Mike McCarthy. This was the first season since 2006 that Jason Garrett was not part of the coaching staff, as his contract expired on January 14, 2020. For the second time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, as he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 17, 2020. For the first time since 2012, center Travis Frederick was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on March 23, 2020.

Contents

The Cowboys failed to improve upon their 8–8 season from the previous year after their Thanksgiving loss to the Washington Football Team. The next week, they were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens to suffer their first losing season since 2015. Factors in their struggles during the season included multiple key injuries, most notably starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffering a compound fracture and dislocation to his ankle during their Week 5 win against the New York Giants. Their defense surrendered a per-game average of 29.6 points over a total of 6,183 yards gained. [1] The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year in Week 17 via their loss to the New York Giants.

Offseason

Signings

PositionPlayerAge2019 teamContract
QB Andy Dalton 33 Cincinnati Bengals 1 year, $7 million
TE Blake Bell 29 Kansas City Chiefs 1 year, $1.7 million
OT Cameron Erving 28Kansas City Chiefs1 year, $2.5 million
DE Everson Griffen (††)33 Minnesota Vikings 1 year, $6 million
DE Aldon Smith 31Did not play1 year, $4 million
DT Dontari Poe (†)30 Carolina Panthers 2 years, $10.5 million
DT Gerald McCoy (*)32 Carolina Panthers 3 years, $18.3 million
CB Maurice Canady (**)26 New York Jets 1 year, $1.25 million
CB Brandon Carr (†)34 Baltimore Ravens 1 year, $1.05 million
CB Daryl Worley (†)25 Oakland Raiders 1 year, $3 million
SS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (*)27 Chicago Bears 1 year, $3.75 million
K Greg Zuerlein 33 Los Angeles Rams 3 years, $7.5 million

(*) - Released before start of season

(**) - Opted out of season due to COVID

(†) - Later released

(††) - Later traded

Re-signings

PositionPlayerAgeContract
QB Cooper Rush 271 year, $1.25 million
WR Amari Cooper 265 years, $100 million
TE Blake Jarwin 263 years, $24.25 million
C Joe Looney 301 year, $2.4 million
C Adam Redmond 271 year, $143,000
DT Antwaun Woods 271 year, $750,000
LB Sean Lee 341 year, $4.5 million
LB Justin March 271 year, $1.04 million
LB Joe Thomas 291 year, $1.25 million
CB Anthony Brown 273 years, $15.5 million
CB C. J. Goodwin 301 year, $1 million
FS Darian Thompson 272 years, $2.8 million
LS L. P. Ladouceur 391 year, $1.05 million

Departures

PositionPlayerAge2020 team
WR Tavon Austin 30 Green Bay Packers
WR Randall Cobb 30 Houston Texans
WR Devin Smith 28 New England Patriots
TE Jason Witten 38 Las Vegas Raiders
OT Cameron Fleming 28 New York Giants
G Xavier Su'a-Filo 29 Cincinnati Bengals
C Travis Frederick 29Retired
DE Michael Bennett 35Retired
DE Kerry Hyder 29 San Francisco 49ers
DE Jalen Jelks 24 Washington Football Team
DE Robert Quinn 30 Chicago Bears
DT Maliek Collins 25Las Vegas Raiders
DT Christian Covington 27Cincinnati Bengals
DT Daniel Ross 27 Jacksonville Jaguars
LB Ray-Ray Armstrong 29 Seattle Seahawks
LB Chris Covington 24 Indianapolis Colts
LB Malcolm Smith 31 Cleveland Browns
CB Byron Jones 28 Miami Dolphins
CB Donovan Olumba 24Unsigned
SS Kavon Frazier 26Miami Dolphins
SS Jeff Heath 29Las Vegas Raiders
K Kai Forbath 33 Los Angeles Rams (via Chicago Bears)

Draft

2020 Dallas Cowboys draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
117 CeeDee Lamb  *  WR Oklahoma
251 Trevon Diggs  *  CB Alabama
382 Neville Gallimore   DT Oklahoma
4123 Reggie Robinson II   CB Tulsa
4146 Tyler Biadasz  *  C Wisconsin
5179 Bradlee Anae   DE Utah
7231 Ben DiNucci   QB James Madison
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

Staff

2020 Dallas Cowboys staff

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
  • Director of college scouting – Lionel Vital
  • Director of pro scouting – Alex Loomis
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Chris Hall
  • Assistant to the Head Coach – Laura Fryar

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – John Fassel
  • Assistant special teams – Matt Daniels
  • Video/analytics – Justin Ruud
  • Quality control/analytics – Eric Simonelli

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning coordinator – Markus Paul
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Harold Nash Jr.
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Kendall Smith


Rosters

Opening preseason roster

Dallas Cowboys 2020 opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

79 active (+1 exempt), 7 inactive

Week one roster

Dallas Cowboys 2020 week one roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice Squad

54 Active, 9 Inactive, 15 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Final roster

2020 Dallas Cowboys roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
52 active, 17 reserve, 14 practice squad

Preseason

The Cowboys would have played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and the Cowboys were to be represented by head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris. [2] However, the game, the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement and the remainder of the preseason were later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, [3] and the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers was rescheduled for 2021. [4]

WeekDateOpponentVenueResult
HOF August 6vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
1August 16at Los Angeles Chargers SoFi Stadium
2August 22 Baltimore Ravens AT&T Stadium
3August 29 Kansas City Chiefs AT&T Stadium
4September 3at Houston Texans NRG Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

The Cowboys' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7. [3]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 13at Los Angeles Rams L 17–200–1 SoFi Stadium Recap
2 September 20 Atlanta Falcons W 40–391–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
3 September 27at Seattle Seahawks L 31–381–2 CenturyLink Field Recap
4 October 4 Cleveland Browns L 38–491–3AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 11 New York Giants W 37–342–3AT&T Stadium Recap
6 October 19 Arizona Cardinals L 10–382–4AT&T Stadium Recap
7 October 25at Washington Football Team L 3–252–5 FedExField Recap
8 November 1at Philadelphia Eagles L 9–232–6 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
9 November 8 Pittsburgh Steelers L 19–242–7AT&T Stadium Recap
10 Bye
11 November 22at Minnesota Vikings W 31–283–7 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap
12 November 26 Washington Football Team L 16–413–8AT&T Stadium Recap
13 December 8 [A] at Baltimore Ravens L 17–343–9 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
14 December 13at Cincinnati Bengals W 30–74–9 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
15 December 20 San Francisco 49ers W 41–335–9AT&T Stadium Recap
16 December 27 Philadelphia Eagles W 37–176–9AT&T Stadium Recap
17 January 3at New York Giants L 19–236–10 MetLife Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Los Angeles Rams

Week One: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys0143017
Rams767020

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

Despite a fourth quarter comeback attempt, the Cowboys were unable to tie the game or take the lead after wide receiver Michael Gallup was controversially called for offensive pass interference, negating a 47-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott and leading to the Cowboys' final drive stalling. With the loss, Dallas started the season at 0–1. [6]

Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Two: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Falcons20901039
Cowboys010141640

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The game began with the Cowboys falling behind 20–0 at the heaviest deficit. The Cowboys would start fighting back with Ezekiel Elliott's touchdown in the second quarter. The Falcons would re-boost their lead but failed the two-point conversion attempt. At halftime, the Cowboys would trail 29–10. Dak Prescott ran for two more touchdowns to cut the Falcons lead to 29–24. The Falcons added another ten points as the Cowboys trailed 39–24. Late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys scored 16 unanswered points to prevent the Cowboys from starting 0–2, as well as sending the Falcons to their first 0–2 start since 2007. They finished the comeback after they successfully recovered a Greg Zuerlein onside kick with 1:49 left in the game and drove down to the 30 yard-line, where Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired. This was the first time Dallas successfully kicked an onside kick since Week 17 of the 2014 season. With their first win, the Cowboys improved to 1–1 on the season. This win also makes the Cowboys the first team in NFL history to allow at least 39 points and win without defensive takeaways. [7]

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Three: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys967931
Seahawks9147838

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Despite initially battling back to take a 31–30 lead late in the 4th quarter, the defense allowed the Seattle offense to score a go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 left to play. The Cowboys would drive into Seattle territory, but the Seahawks would intercept Prescott in the end zone with just six seconds left. With this loss, the Cowboys dropped to 1–2 on the season.

Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Four: Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Browns72410849
Cowboys14002438

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: October 4
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 25,021
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston, and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys defense had no answers for the Browns' rushing attack. Despite initially leading 14–7, the Cowboys allowed 34 unanswered points by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys would cut the lead to 41-38 late in the 4th quarter, but the Browns proved they were too strong for the Cowboys as they ran away with the 49–38 win.

With this loss, the Cowboys dropped to 1–3 on the season. This was also the first time since 1994 that the Cowboys lost to the Browns.

Week 5: vs. New York Giants

Week Five: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants14631134
Cowboys3217637

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Former head coach Jason Garrett, now offensive coordinator of the rival Giants, made his first return to Dallas since leaving the team following the previous season. The game turned into an offensive shootout, with the lead changing multiple times. The Cowboys claimed victory after scoring two consecutive field goals in the final minutes of the game, improving to 2–3 after beating the still-winless Giants. During a tackle made by Giants Logan Ryan in the third quarter with 6:46 remaining, Dak Prescott suffered compound fracture and dislocation injuries to his right ankle, ending his season. Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finished the comeback for the Cowboys. [8] This win was proven costly as the Cowboys would only win four more games in Prescott's absence.

Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Six: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals02171038
Cowboys030710

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Dallas concluded its three-game homestand on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals, with Andy Dalton making his first start in a Cowboys uniform in place of the injured Dak Prescott. However, Prescott's absence would quickly be felt as the Cowboys would struggle on both sides of the ball throughout the game. The Cardinals raced out to a 21–0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back, taking advantage of two fumbles by Ezekiel Elliott and adding an 80-yard touchdown reception by Christian Kirk. The Cowboys offense committed a season-high four turnovers, all of which led to Cardinals scoring drives. Moreover, Dalton struggled in his Cowboys debut, throwing two interceptions and finishing with a 65.8 passer rating. With the 38-10 blowout loss, Dallas dropped to 2-4 for the first time since the 2015 season. The 28-point loss marked their worst at home since losing 37–9 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11 of the 2017 season, and tied that loss for their worst margin of defeat at AT&T Stadium.

Week 7: at Washington Football Team

Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys30003
Washington9130325

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: October 25
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The situation went from bad to worse for the Cowboys, who had no answers for Washington's defense. After a goal-line stand on Washington's opening drive, a strip sack by Landon Collins on Andy Dalton led to an early Washington safety. Washington then marched down the field, extending their lead to 9–0 on a 12-yard touchdown run by Antonio Gibson. The Cowboys responded with their only points of the afternoon on a Greg Zuerlein field goal. However, Washington would score two more touchdowns in the second quarter to put the game out of reach for Dallas. With this loss, Dallas dropped to 2–5 on the season, and 0–2 without Dak Prescott. Quarterback Andy Dalton would leave the game in the third quarter following a late hit by Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, who was subsequently ejected. Rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci would finish the game in place of Dalton, who was evaluated for a concussion.

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Eight: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys36009
Eagles708823

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 5,500
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With Andy Dalton ruled out due to the concussion he suffered during the Week 7 loss to Washington, rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci made his first NFL start as the Cowboys visited the rival Philadelphia Eagles in a key NFC East showdown. The Cowboys' struggling defense stepped up against the sputtering Eagles offense, forcing a season-high four turnovers and holding Philadelphia to seven first half points. However, Dallas' offense had struggles of its own - DiNucci lost two fumbles, both of which led to Eagles touchdowns, including a controversial 53-yard return by Eagles safety Rodney McLeod. Further, the Cowboys were held without a touchdown for the second consecutive week, only being able to muster three Greg Zuerlein field goals. DiNucci finished with 180 yards passing and a rating of 64.6 in the 23–9 loss, and Dallas fell to 2–6 on the season and third place in the NFC East. This marked the first time that the Cowboys lost multiple division games in one season since the 2016 season, when all three of their regular season losses came within the division.

Week 9: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Nine: Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Steelers0901524
Cowboys3106019

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 8
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 31,700
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys entered the game as 14-point underdogs. It would only be the second time in Cowboys history that they would be double digit underdogs at home. The Cowboys would lead at halftime, but the Steelers would pull away and win the game. The Cowboys dropped to 2–7, and suffered their first four-game losing streak since 2015, when the Cowboys had the same such start. This loss also ensures the Cowboys got pushed to the brink of a non-winning season for back-to-back years. This was the first time the Cowboys would do so since they did in 2010–2013.

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys61001531
Vikings7071428

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

The Cowboys were 7-point underdogs entering the game. Despite this, the Cowboys snapped their 4-game losing streak and improved to 1-4 without Dak Prescott. The game would be sealed after forcing a turnover on downs and then running out the game clock. The game's biggest highlight was a CeeDee Lamb catch for a touchdown. This win improved the Cowboys to 3–7 on the season.

Week 12: vs. Washington Football Team

Thanksgiving Day games

Week Twelve: Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Washington71032141
Cowboys3103016

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 26
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 30,048
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys returned home hoping to avoid being swept by the Washington Football Team. A controversial fake punt attempt caused the Cowboys, who were already trailing, to trail further. The Cowboys would never score again, as the Cowboys dropped to 3–8 and were swept by Washington for the first time since 2012. [9] This loss also ensures the Cowboys could no longer improve on their 8–8 season from the previous season.

Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Thirteen: Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys370717
Ravens71071034

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

The depleted Cowboys traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, in search of the franchise's first win there. The game was originally scheduled to be played on December 3, 2020. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens organization, the game was moved to December 8. The Cowboys continued to struggle, and dropped to 3–9 and were guaranteed their first losing season since 2015. The Cowboys lost 6 of the last 7 games without Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have not won in Baltimore since 1981 when they beat the Baltimore Colts at Memorial Stadium 37-13.

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys10731030
Bengals07007

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information

Andy Dalton made his first return to Cincinnati since getting released by the Bengals during the 2020 offseason. The Cowboys improved to 4–9 with the blowout win. This win keeps the Cowboys in the race for an NFC East title, aided by the fact that all NFC East teams had losing records.

Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Fifteen: San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
49ers7710933
Cowboys14371741

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys returned home without injured Ezekiel Elliott, to play against the 49ers, another team dealing with injury issues throughout the season. The Cowboys jumped out to a 14–0 lead early, by touchdown plays by Tony Pollard and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Like it has been all season long, the Cowboys defense struggled all game long. Despite the weak defensive performance, the Cowboys defense took the ball away four times, tied the most takeaways by the Cowboys in the 2020 season. CeeDee Lamb returned a kickoff for a 47-yard touchdown, making the score 41–27. With the game already won, the Cowboys gave up a touchdown on the last play of the game, ending the game with the final score of 41–33. The win, with assistance from a loss by the Washington Football Team improved the Cowboys to 5–9 and kept the Cowboys' season alive, as well as eliminating San Francisco from playoff contention.

Week 16: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Sixteen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles1430017
Cowboys31710737

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 27
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 30,131
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After falling behind 14-3 after one quarter, the Cowboys outscored the visiting Eagles 34–3 over the final three quarters. The 37–17 win improved Dallas to 6–9 on the season and eliminated Philadelphia from playoff contention. The Cowboys' own playoff hopes were also kept alive thanks to the Washington Football Team's 20–13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. This win was Dallas' 40th home win and 70th overall win against Philadelphia in their rivalry.

Week 17: at New York Giants

Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys367319
Giants6140323

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: January 3, 2021
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 33 °F (1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Despite a second-half comeback, a decision to not attempt a two-point conversion on their third quarter touchdown came back to haunt them, since, trailing by 4 points instead of 3 within 10 yards of the end zone and having to get a touchdown rather than a field goal, their touchdown pass was intercepted and the Cowboys lost to the Giants for the first time since 2016, ending a seven-game winning streak against them. With the loss (though even if Dallas had won, the Washington win hours later would have still eliminated them), Dallas finished 6–10 and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2010–13 seasons. This was also the first time since 2015 that the Cowboys lost 10 or more games in a season. With this loss, the Cowboys went 4-7 without Dak Prescott.

Standings

Division

NFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(4) Washington Football Team 790.4384–25–7335329W1
New York Giants 6100.3754–25–7280357W1
Dallas Cowboys 6100.3752–45–7395473L1
Philadelphia Eagles 4111.2812–44–8334418L3

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Green Bay Packers North1330.8135–110–2.428.387W6
2 [a] New Orleans Saints South1240.7506–010–2.459.406W2
3 [a] Seattle Seahawks West1240.7504–29–3.447.404W4
4 Washington Football Team East790.4384–25–7.459.388W1
Wild cards
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South1150.6884–28–4.488.392W4
6 Los Angeles Rams West1060.6253–39–3.494.484W1
7 [b] Chicago Bears North880.5002–46–6.488.336L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 [b] Arizona Cardinals West880.5002–46–6.475.441L2
9 Minnesota Vikings North790.4384–25–7.504.366W1
10 [c] San Francisco 49ers West6100.3753–34–8.549.448L1
11 [c] [d] New York Giants East6100.3754–25–7.502.427W1
12 [d] Dallas Cowboys East6100.3752–45–7.471.333L1
13 [e] Carolina Panthers South5110.3131–54–8.531.388L1
14 [e] Detroit Lions North5110.3131–54–8.508.350L4
15 Philadelphia Eagles East4111.2812–44–8.537.469L3
16 Atlanta Falcons South4120.2501–52–10.551.391L5
Tiebreakers [f]
  1. 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record.
  2. 1 2 Chicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4).
  3. 1 2 San Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below).
  4. 1 2 NY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record.
  5. 1 2 Carolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Notes

  1. 1 2 The Cowboys' Week 13 game at the Baltimore Ravens, originally scheduled for Thursday Night Football on December 3, was moved to December 8 due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Ravens' organization that forced the Ravens' Week 12 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled for November 26, to be pushed back to December 1. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 51st season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 52nd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 53rd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Houston Texans season</span> 12th season in franchise history

The 2013 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Texans failed to improve upon their 12–4 record from 2012, suffering through a season-ending 14-game losing streak following a 2–0 start and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Head coach Gary Kubiak was fired after eight seasons following their eleventh loss. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was named the interim head coach for the final three games of the season. Out of the 14 games lost by the Texans this year, 9 of them were by one score, marking a record amount of one score losses for the franchise. Their 14-game losing streak is the worst in team history. Coming off a franchise-best 12–4 record just the year before, the Texans tie a league record with the Houston Oilers for the biggest season-to-season decline in win total. On January 3, 2014, claiming that "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door", Texans owner Robert McNair announced that former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien would be the Texans' third head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 54th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 St. Louis Rams season</span> NFL team season

The 2013 season was the St. Louis Rams' 76th in the National Football League (NFL), their 19th in St. Louis and their second under head coach Jeff Fisher. The Rams equaled their win total from 2012, but missed the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 55th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 56th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 57th season in franchise history; last season for Tony Romo

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 season was the Tennessee Titans franchise's 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 57th overall. It also marked the franchise's 20th season in the state of Tennessee as well as the first full season under head coach Mike Mularkey, who served as the team's interim head coach for the last nine games of the 2015 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Kansas City Chiefs season</span> NFL team season

The 2017 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 55th as the Kansas City Chiefs, the 58th overall, the fifth under head coach Andy Reid, and first under general manager Brett Veach. They won the AFC West, but lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round after blowing a 21–3 lead at the half. The season was the first to feature future two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes whose first start came in the last game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, a game which had no playoff implications as the Chiefs had secured the division in Week 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 58th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 59th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Houston Texans season</span> 17th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 60th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Dallas Cowboys season</span> Sports season

The 2021 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 62nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 33rd under the ownership of Jerry Jones, and their 13th playing home games at AT&T Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Houston Texans season</span> 21st season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Houston Texans' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their only season under Lovie Smith, following the firing of David Culley at the end of the 2021 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 63rd season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 63rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Mike McCarthy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 64th season in franchise history

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.

References

  1. ↑ Watkins, Calvin (November 13, 2020). "Cowboys' defense hasn't lived up to expectations. The good news is there's plenty of room for improvement". Dallas News. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers to Play in 2020 Hall of Fame Game". NFL Communications. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ Schefter, Adam (June 25, 2020). "Cowboys-Steelers Hall of Fall Game called off; enshrinement ceremony postponed". ESPN . Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Week 12 Ravens-Steelers game moved to Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET on NBC". NFL Communications. November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ Epstein, Jori (September 14, 2020). "'Clear and obvious'? Cowboys WR Michael Gallup's offensive pass interference penalty sparks controversy". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  7. ↑ Canova, Daniel (September 20, 2020). "Dak Prescott rallies Cowboys to miraculous 40-39 win over Falcons". Fox News. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Cowboys vs. Giants score: Dak Prescott leaves with potential season-ending injury but Dallas rallies to win". CBSSports.com. October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Archer, Todd (November 27, 2020). "Cowboys' lopsided loss to Washington just more of the same". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ Filipe, Cameron (December 1, 2020). "Week 13 referee assignments". Football Zebras. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.