# 2005 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2005 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 46th in the National Football League (NFL), their 17th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 34th playing their home games at Texas Stadium, and their third season under head coach Bill Parcells. Despite the Cowboys being 7–3 by Week 11 and tying the Giants for first in the NFC East, the Cowboys suffered a season collapse going 2–4 during the last six games. The Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season after the Washington Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the Cowboys were able to improve on their 6–10 record from last season and finished the season at 9–7.

## Offseason

During the 2005 offseason, the team found a temporary solution to the quarterback situation by signing former Buffalo Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Earlier in his career, Bledsoe played for Bill Parcells while he was the coach for the New England Patriots. The Cowboys also signed cornerbacks Aaron Glenn and Anthony Henry.
Also, during free agency, the Cowboys signed former Green Bay Packers guard Marco Rivera and former New York Jets defensive tackle Jason Ferguson.
The Cowboys also lost their last remaining three-time Super Bowl champion when Darren Woodson announced his retirement just before the offseason began.
The Cowboys installed a 3–4 defensive scheme, marking the first departure from the 4–3 defense since the club was founded in 1960. In their first year in the new system the team finished tenth in the NFL in total defense and opponents completed just 54.7 percent of their passes against the Cowboys’ secondary, the second-lowest number in the NFL that year.
| Additions | Subtractions |
| QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills) | QB Vinny Testaverde (Jets) |
| G Marco Rivera (Packers) | LB Dexter Coakley (Rams) |
| CB Aaron Glenn (Texans) | DE Marcellus Wiley (Jaguars) |
| CB Anthony Henry (Browns) | LS Jeff Robinson (Rams) |
| DT Jason Ferguson (Jets) | WR Quincy Morgan (Steelers) |

### Draft class

2005 Dallas Cowboys draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 11 | DeMarcus Ware * $^†$ | LB | Troy | |
| 1 | 20 | Marcus Spears | DE | LSU | |
| 2 | 42 | Kevin Burnett | LB | Tennessee | |
| 4 | 109 | Marion Barber * | RB | Minnesota | |
| 4 | 132 | Chris Canty | DE | Virginia | |
| 6 | 208 | Justin Beriault | S | Ball State | compensatory |
| 6 | 209 | Rob Pettiti | OT | Pittsburgh | compensatory |
| 7 | 224 | Jay Ratliff * | DT | Auburn | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* The Cowboys traded their 2004 first-round (No. 22 overall) selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for 2004 second (No. 43 overall) and fifth-round (No. 144 overall) selections, and a 2005 first-round (No. 20 overall) selection.
* The Cowboys traded their 2005 third-round (No. 73 overall) selection to the Houston Texans in exchange for rights to quarterback Drew Henson.
* The Cowboys traded their 2005 fifth-round (No. 146 overall) and 2006 fourth-round (No. 116 overall) selections to the Philadelphia Eagles for 2005 fourth-round (No. 132 overall) selection and 2006 sixth-round (No. 182 overall) selections.
* The Cowboys traded their 2004 seventh-round (No. 223 overall) and 2005 sixth-round (No. 185 overall) selections to the Oakland Raiders for defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman.

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 13 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 11–13 | 0–1 | Sun Devil Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 18–10 | 1–1 | Qwest Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | Houston Texans | W 21–9 | 2–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–20 | 3–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at San Diego Chargers | W 28–24 | 1–0 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | Washington Redskins | L 13–14 | 1–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 34–31 | 2–1 | Monster Park | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Oakland Raiders | L 13–19 | 2–2 | McAfee Coliseum | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 33–10 | 3–2 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | New York Giants | W 16–13 (OT) | 4–2 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 10–13 | 4–3 | Qwest Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | Arizona Cardinals | W 34–13 | 5–3 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 14 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–20 | 6–3 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Detroit Lions | W 20–7 | 7–3 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | Denver Broncos | L 21–24 (OT) | 7–4 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at New York Giants | L 10–17 | 7–5 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 31–28 | 8–5 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 7–35 | 8–6 | FedExField | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Carolina Panthers | W 24–20 | 9–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | St. Louis Rams | L 10–20 | 9–7 | Texas Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT/1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Clear and Sunny
* Game attendance: 67,679
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Patrick O'Neal
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 6:53. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:08.
Second quarter
DAL – Patrick Crayton 20-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 13:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36.
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson 13-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 9:46. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:47.
SD – Keenan McCardell 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 2:07. Tied 14–14. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 7:39.
Third quarter
SD – Keenan McCardell 17-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 10:31. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:29.
DAL – Julius Jones 5-yard run (Jose Cortez kick), 5:41. Tied 21–21. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:50.
SD – Nate Kaeding 33-yard field goal, 0:12. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 5:29.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 3:06. Cowboys 28–24. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:26.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 18/24, 226 yards, 3 TD
SD – Drew Brees – 18/35, 209 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 26 rushes, 93 yards, TD
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 72 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Patrick Crayton – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
SD – Keenan McCardell – 9 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD :
After losing on opening weekend for five straight years, the Cowboys looked to end the streak on opening weekend against the San Diego Chargers. The defending AFC West Champion Chargers just had a 12–4 season and they were at home. The game was not decided until the final 30 seconds, when looking to score the game-winning touchdown on the Dallas 7-yard line, San Diego Quarterback Drew Brees threw an interception to Aaron Glenn. Both teams would go on to finish with 9–7 record. This was the Cowboys' last win against the Chargers until 2021.

#### Week 2: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C), Clear skies
* Game attendance: 65,207
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Sam Ryan
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 33-yard field goal, 11:20. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:30.
Third quarter
DAL – Terry Glenn 70-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 12:51. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:35.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 41-yard field goal, 5:58. Cowboys 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 6:27.
WSH – Santana Moss 39-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Nick Novak kick), 3:46. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 2:12.
WSH – Santana Moss 70-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Nick Novak kick) 2:35. Redskins 14–13. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:17.
Top passers
WSH – Mark Brunell – 20/34, 291 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 21/36, 261 yards, TD
Top rushers
WSH – Clinton Portis – 17 rushes, 52 yards
DAL – Julius Jones – 22 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
WSH – Santana Moss – 5 receptions, 159 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Terry Glenn – 6 receptions, 157 yards, TD :
Going into the game, the Dallas Cowboys had won 14 of the last 15 meetings between the two teams. After holding a 13–0 lead with 3:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Redskins came out with an extremely improbable rally late in the fourth quarter to stun the Cowboys 14–13 when Mark Brunell threw two touchdown passes to Santana Moss. It was the first time (after 77 times) that Coach Parcells lost after going into the fourth quarter with at least a 13-point lead. The Redskins had won in Texas Stadium for the first time in a decade.

#### Week 3: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 34 |
| 49ers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Monster Park, San Francisco, California
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 68,247
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Arnaz Battle, 15-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick) 3:29. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:59.
Second quarter
DAL – Drew Bledsoe 6-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 8:46. 49ers 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 92 yards, 7:21.
SF – Brandon Lloyd, 89-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick), 7:43. 49ers 14–6. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:03.
SF – Tony Parrish 34-yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick), 6:42. 49ers 21–6.
DAL – Jason Witten, 6-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (pass failed), 3:33. 49ers 21–12. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:09.
SF – Joe Nedney 20-yard field goal, 0:15. 49ers 24–12. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
DAL – Julius Jones 1-yard run (Jose Cortez kick), 9:24. 49ers 24–19. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:39.
SF – Brandon Lloyd, 13-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick), 0:40. 49ers 31–19. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:23.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Julius Jones 1-yard run (Jose Cortez kick), 14:51. 49ers 31–26. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:49.
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson, 14-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Drew Bledsoe–Keyshawn Johnson pass), 1:51. Cowboys 34–31. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:14.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 24/38, 363 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
SF – Tim Rattay – 21/34, 269 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 26 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD
SF – Kevan Barlow – 12 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Terry Glenn – 5 receptions, 137 yards
SF – Brandon Lloyd – 4 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TD :
The Dallas Cowboys did the exact opposite of what they did a week earlier by scoring 15 unanswered point in the fourth quarter to shock the 49ers 34–31, in a game that was decided with less than 2 minutes remaining.

#### Week 4: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Raiders | 10 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
at McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT/1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 62,400
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 30-yard field goal, 7:22. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:54.
OAK – LaMont Jordan 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 3:07. Raiders 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:38.
Second quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 29-yard field goal, 5:59. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:32.
Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 8:15. Raiders 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:45.
DAL – Jose Cortez 30-yard field goal, 1:05. Raiders 13–6. Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 7:10.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 49-yard field goal, 10:25. Raiders 16–6. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:57.
DAL – Patrick Crayton, 63-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 8:51. Raiders 16–13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:34.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 43-yard field goal, 4:29. Raiders 19–13. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:22.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 11/26, 212 yards, TD, INT
OAK – Kerry Collins – 13/23, 218 yards
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 22 rushes, 76 yards
OAK – LaMont Jordan – 26 rushes, 126 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten – 5 receptions, 49 yards
OAK – Randy Moss – 4 receptions, 123 yards :
Despite staying in the Bay area over the week to prepare for the game against the Raiders game, the Cowboys were unable to take advantage of the winless Oakland Raiders, and failed to score on a potential game saving drive late in the fourth quarter.

#### Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 33 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), Clear skies
* Game attendance: 63,199
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Terry Glenn, 15-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 13:01. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:59.
DAL – Terry Glenn, 38-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 7:41. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 38 yards, 0:07.
DAL – Jose Cortez 28-yard field goal, 0:19. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:18.
Second quarter
PHI – Todd France 23-yard field goal, 10:23. Cowboys 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:56.
DAL – Lousaka Polite, 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 5:22. Cowboys 24–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:01.
DAL – Jose Cortez 33-yard field goal, 0:09. Cowboys 27–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 2:34.
Third quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 37-yard field goal, 11:39. Cowboys 30–3. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:07.
PHI – Sheldon Brown 80-yard fumble return (Todd France kick) 1:12. Cowboys 30–10.
Fourth quarter
DAL– Jose Cortez 45-yard field goal, 4:39. Cowboys 33–10. Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 9:11.
Top passers
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 13/26, 131 yards
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 24/35, 289 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
PHI – Brian Westbrook – 6 rushes, 12 yards
DAL – Tyson Thompson – 20 rushes, 75 yards
Top receivers
PHI – Terrell Owens – 5 receptions, 50 yards
DAL – Terry Glenn – 7 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD :
The Cowboys exploded offensively in what Parcells said was the best performance he has seen since coming to Dallas. The Cowboys would not let the Eagles offense score a single touchdown (they had one defensive touchdown), and the Cowboys outscored the Eagles 27–3 in the first half to put the game out of reach.

#### Week 6: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Giants | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 62,278
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Jay Feely 50-yard field goal, 10:36. Giants 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:39.
Second quarter
NYG – Jay Feely 45-yard field goal, 8:42. Giants 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 5 yards, 3:03.
DAL – Jason Witten 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 0:40. Cowboys 7–6. Drive: 16 plays, 83 yards, 8:02.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 29-yard field goal, 12:44. Cowboys 10–6. Drive: 15 plays, 79 yards, 8:48.
DAL – Jose Cortez 28-yard field goal, 4:40. Cowboys 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 23 yards, 4:23.
NYG – Jeremy Shockey 24-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jay Feely kick), 0:19. Tied 13–13. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:33.
Overtime
DAL – Jose Cortez 45-yard field goal, 11:13. Cowboys 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:47.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 14/29, 215 yards, TD, INT
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 26/37, 312 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Tiki Barber – 14 rushes, 64 yards
DAL – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 5 receptions, 129 yards, TD
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson – 8 receptions, 120 yards :
Dallas hoped to continue playing great offensively as they did in the previous week by beating the New York Giants at home. Instead, they played very sloppily and Coach Parcells said his team was "fortunate" to win. The Cowboys were sacked 4 times for a loss of 36 yards and turned over the ball 4 times.
The Cowboys lost left tackle Flozell Adams for the remainder of the season when he tore an ACL in his knee. With an immobile quarterback like Drew Bledsoe, this would be devastating for the Dallas Cowboys later in the Season because Bledsoe would be sacked 36 more times over the course of ten games (3.6 sacks per game), compared to having been sacked 13 times during the first six games (2.17 sacks per game). Bledsoe would also throw 13 more interceptions after this game (while throwing only 4 picks during the first six games).

#### Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/ 1:05 p.m, PDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Overcast
* Game attendance: 67,046
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Troy Aikman and Patrick O'Neal
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson, 5-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Jose Cortez kick), 1:03. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:29.
Second quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 55-yard field goal, 0:33. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 23 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jose Cortez 21-yard field goal, 2:06. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:58.
SEA – Ryan Hannam 1-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 0:40. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:26.
SEA – Josh Brown 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:05.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 13/24, 136 yards, TD, 2 INT
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 23/42, 224 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Marion Barber – 22 rushes, 95 yards
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 21 rushes, 61 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Terry Glenn – 4 receptions, 35 yards
SEA – Jerramy Stevens – 5 receptions, 60 yards :
The Cowboys came to Seattle for a defensive showdown. After scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter, the Cowboys had the lead until 59 minutes and 20 second into the game when Seattle tied the game at 10–10. Trying to win with 14 seconds left in regulation, Drew Bledsoe threw an interception and Seahawks kicker Josh Brown kicked the game-winning field goal, taking their first lead of the game as time expired.
Jose Cortez missed a field goal which cost Dallas the game, and he was fired after the game. Ryan Hannam, who scored a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent the following season.

#### Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 62,068
* TV announcers (FOX): Matt Vasgersian, Brian Baldinger and Mike Doccy
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARZ – Neil Rackers 52-yard field goal, 9:43. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 5:17.
DAL – Marion Barber 28-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 8:36. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:07.
DAL – Shaun Suisham 21-yard field goal, 2:57. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
ARZ – Anquan Boldin, 44-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 12:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:04.
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson, 5-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Shaun Suisham kick), 3:11. Cowboys 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:28.
DAL – Marion Barber 10-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 1:00. Cowboys 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:03.
Third quarter
ARZ – Neil Rackers 47-yard field goal, 11:13. Cowboys 24–13. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 2:02.
DAL – Shaun Suisham 21-yard field goal, 3:03. Cowboys 27–13. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 8:10.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Anthony Henry 58-yard interception return (Shaun Suisham kick), 11:54. Cowboys 34–13.
Top passers
ARZ – Josh McCown – 16/33, 161 yards, TD, 2 INT
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 19/24, 220 yards, TD
Top rushers
ARZ – Marcel Shipp – 12 rushes, 44 yards
DAL – Marion Barber – 27 rushes, 127 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARZ – Anquan Boldin – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson – 6 receptions, 54 yards, TD :
The Dallas Cowboys bounced back from a loss a week earlier and routed the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys had a new kicker on their roster, rookie Shaun Suisham, and another rookie making his first start was Marion Barber, who was starting in place of injured Julius Jones. He ran for 127 yards and scored two touchdowns in his breakout game.

#### Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST/ 8:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Cloudy
* Game attendance: 67,739
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Sam Ryan
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Brian Westbrook 15-yard run (David Akers kick), 8:54. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:06.
DAL – Marion Barber 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 0:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:52.
Second quarter
PHI – Donovan McNabb 2-yard run (David Akers kick), 1:47. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
PHI – David Akers 48-yard field goal, 8:06. Eagles 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:15.
Fourth quarter
PHI – David Akers 20-yard field goal, 9:12. Eagles 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:46.
DAL – Terry Glenn 20-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Shaun Suisham kick), 3:04. Eagles 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 0:40.
DAL – Roy Williams interception return (Shaun Suisham kick), 2:43. Cowboys 21–20.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 17/24, 196 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 19/34, 169 yards, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Marion Barber – 13 rushes, 46 yards, TD
PHI – Brian Westbrook – 16 rushes, 86 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson – 5 receptions, 56 yards
PHI – L. J. Smith – 6 receptions, 56 yards :
The Cowboys came to Philadelphia hoping to sweep the Eagles for the first time since 1998 and beat them at Philadelphia for the first time since 1998. After trailing by 13 points late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys stunned the Eagles by scoring two touchdowns (one of which was an interception return) to win the game 21–20. Also, Donovan McNabb injured his knee, and he would leave for the remainder of the season.
This was the last Cowboys game to air on ABC as the network's relationship with the NFL ended after the 2005 season.

#### Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 62,670
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Marion Barber 6-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 6:58. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 84 yards, 8:02.
Second quarter
DAL – Billy Cundiff 19-yard field goal, 6:39. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 6:43.
DET – Kevin Jones 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 2:49. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:50.
DAL – Billy Cundiff 56-yard field goal, 0:03. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 4 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
DAL – Marion Barber 4-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 2:21. Cowboys 20–7. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 6:03.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 17/25, 169 yards
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 12/23, 110 yards
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Jones – 12 rushes, 29 yards, TD
DAL – Julius Jones – 21 rushes, 92 yards
Top receivers
DET – Roy Williams – 5 receptions, 72 yards
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson – 5 receptions, 37 yards :
Earlier in the week, Coach Parcells hung mousetraps in the locker room to warn his players that this game was a "trap game". Dallas rushed for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns, and kicker Billy Cundiff kicked a franchise record 56-yard field goal. After the game, the Cowboys were 7–3 and tied for second place in the NFC. The Cowboys had already won more games than they did in the previous season.

#### Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 63,273
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Bonnie Bernstein
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Champ Bailey 65-yard interception return (Jason Elam kick), 8:10. Broncos 7–0.
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson, 14-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:24.
Second quarter
DEN – Rod Smith, 20-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 14:17. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 4:29.
DAL – Drew Bledsoe 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 2:53. Tied 14–14. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:28.
Third quarter
DEN – Ron Dayne 16-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 5:47. Broncos 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 6:20.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jason Witten 4-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 13:36. Tied 21–21. Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 1:18.
Overtime
DEN – Jason Elam 24-yard field goal, 13:39. Broncos 24–21. Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 1:21.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 15/24, 162 yards, TD, INT
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 29/44, 232 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Ron Dayne – 7 rushes, 98 yards, TD
DAL – Julius Jones – 20 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 57 yards, TD
DAL – Jason Witten – 9 receptions, 82 yards, TD :
In the annual Thanksgiving Day Game, the Dallas Cowboys hosted the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys offense had 314 yards, greater than Denver's 293 yards, but Cowboys kicker Billy Cundiff a missed field goal in the fourth quarter and so the game went into overtime. Denver won the coin toss and Broncos backup running back Ron Dayne ran 55 yards on the second play in overtime and Jason Elam kicked the game-winning field goal.

#### Week 13: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Giants | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/ 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C) (Wind chill: 23 °F (−5 °C)), Cloudy
* Game attendance: 78,645
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 10:00. Giants 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 7:01.
NYG – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 1:58. Giants 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:58.
Third quarter
NYG – Antonio Pierce 12-yard fumble return (Jay Feely kick), 14:48. Giants 17–0.
DAL – Billy Cundiff 34-yard field goal, 10:03. Giants 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:45.
DAL – Terry Glenn, 7-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:52. Giants 17–10. Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:05.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 15/39, 146 yards, TD, 2 INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 12/31, 152 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 23 rushes, 74 yards
NYG – Tiki Barber – 30 rushes, 115 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Julius Jones – 9 receptions, 88 yards
NYG – Plexico Burress – 4 receptions, 47 yards :
In this season's rematch, the New York Giants made the Dallas Cowboys pay for an overtime 16–13 win earlier in the season, but both teams had a sloppy performance overall. Both teams threw two interceptions, but the Cowboys lost two fumbles. Drew Bledsoe was sacked 4 times for a loss of 21 yards, both quarterbacks completed under 40% of their passes, and both teams missed a field goal. The Giants ran for 127 yards rushing (including 115 yards by Tiki Barber) and one rushing touchdown which made the difference in the game.

#### Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 63,432
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Bonnie Bernstein
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Larry Johnson 11-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:32. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
DAL – Billy Cundiff 34-yard field goal, 8:00. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 9:16.
KC – Larry Johnson 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:19. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:41.
DAL – Terry Glenn, 71-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:55. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 74 yards, 1:24.
DAL – Jason Witten, 26-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:40. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:22.
Third quarter
KC – Larry Johnson 21-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 8:39. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:48.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Terry Glenn 6-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 13:07. Cowboys 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:50.
KC – Eddie Kennison, 47-yard pass from Trent Green (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:55. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:06.
DAL – Dan Campbell, 1-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:22. Cowboys 31–28. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 3:33.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 20/32, 340 yards, TD
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 22/34, 332 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
KC – Larry Johnson – 26 rushes, 143 yards, 3 TD
DAL – Marion Barber – 15 rushes, 82 yards
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions, 94 yards
DAL – Terry Glenn – 6 receptions, 138 yards, TD :
In a back-and-forth offensive thriller, Kansas City running back Larry Johnson scored three touchdowns and Drew Bledsoe threw for three touchdowns. The Chiefs offense had 493 yards, more than the Cowboys 445 yards, but the Chiefs mistakes (including a lost fumble) made the difference in the game.

#### Week 15: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Redskins | 7 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST/ 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 90,588
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
WSH – Chris Cooley, 8-yard pass from Mark Brunell (John Hall kick), 8:44. Redskins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 2:09.
Second quarter
WSH – Chris Cooley, 2-yard pass from Mark Brunell (John Hall kick), 9:40. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:55.
WSH – Mike Sellers, 3-yard pass from Mark Brunell (John Hall kick), 1:25. Redskins 21–0. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:15.
WSH – Chris Cooley, 30-yard pass from Mark Brunell (John Hall kick), 0:12. Redskins 28–0. Drive: 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:17.
Third quarter
WSH – Ladell Betts 1-yard run (John Hall kick), 10:15. Redskins 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jason Witten, 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 12:10. Redskins 35–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:08.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 16/29, 153 yards, TD, 3 INT
WSH – Mark Brunell – 12/20, 163 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 12 rushes, 79 yards
WSH – Clinton Portis – 23 rushes, 112 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten – 4 receptions, 41 yards, TD
WSH – Chris Cooley – 6 receptions, 71 yards, 3 TD :
Washington gave Bill Parcells his biggest loss ever as an NFL coach. Tight end Chris Cooley had a career day catching three touchdown passes. After being down 35–0 early in the fourth quarter, Dallas prevented a shutout by throwing a consolation touchdown pass to Jason Witten. Drew Bledsoe was sacked seven times and threw three interceptions. Only the Danny White-led Dallas 44–14 victory on September 9, 1985, had a larger margin of victory between the two teams.

#### Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Panthers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/ 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 73,436
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – John Kasay 24-yard field goal, 10:05. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:46.
CAR – Drew Carter, 32-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 9:49. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 32 yards, 0:07.
DAL – Julius Jones 8-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 7:00. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
DAL – Billy Cundiff 24-yard field goal, 11:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:46.
CAR – John Kasay 47-yard field goal, 6:50. Panthers 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:10.
Third quarter
DAL – Julius Jones 43-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 4:50. Cowboys 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:45.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Ricky Proehl, 35-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 2:32. Panthers 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:24.
DAL – Terry Glenn, 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:24. Cowboys 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:08.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 15/23, 209 yards, TD, INT
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 14/31, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Julius Jones – 34 rushes, 194 yards, 2 TD
CAR – DeShaun Foster – 22 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Terry Glenn – 4 receptions, 88 yards, TD
CAR – Ricky Proehl – 2 receptions, 104 yards. TD :
Going into the game, the Panthers needed a win to secure a playoff spot. The Cowboys needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race after losing three out of the last four games. Despite falling behind 0–10 early in the game, the Cowboys rallied to outscore Carolina 17–3 for almost three quarters, including two Julius Jones touchdowns. Julius Jones rushed for 194 yards, the fourth best in franchise history. Late in the fourth quarter while trailing 17–20, Billy Cundiff attempted to tie the game on a 33-yard field goal, but missed. The only reason Dallas still managed to win the game was because Carolina was penalized for "running into the kicker" (Carolina contended that they had slightly blocked the kick but replays proved inconclusive) and Terry Glenn scored a touchdown with one hand to take the lead (he dislocated his hand early in the game).
Billy Cundiff had a 32-yard field goal attempt blocked, and missed a 33-yard attempt. He already missed two field goals earlier in the season, including one that cost Dallas the game on Thanksgiving against Denver, so two days after the game he was fired by coach Parcells . Carolina won next week to secure a wildcard spot in the playoffs, but despite several likely playoff scenarios Dallas was eliminated from the playoffs before their last game when the Panthers, the Redskins, and the Giants all won a week later.

#### Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), Clear
* Game attendance: 63,131
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, Suzy Kolber
* Summary, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Jason Witten, 19-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Shaun Suisham kick), 2:36. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:18.
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 49-yard field goal, 14:15. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:21.
STL – Aveion Cason 8-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick) 1:52. Rams 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:19.
DAL – Shaun Suisham 22-yard field goal, 0:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 1:49.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
STL – Arlen Harris 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 11:57. Rams 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:34.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 20-yard field goal, 1:05. Rams 20–10. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:02.
Top passers
STL – Jamie Martin – 19/32, 158 yards
DAL – Drew Bledsoe – 18/39, 242 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
STL – Aveion Cason – 10 rushes, 65 yards, TD
DAL – Julius Jones – 15 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
STL – Torry Holt – 4 receptions, 40 yards
DAL – Keyshawn Johnson – 5 receptions, 97 yards :
Only minutes before the game, the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoff race when the Washington Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles The deflated Cowboys only managed to score 10 points against the St. Louis Rams, who came into the game 5–10. After running for a meager 35 yards, Julius Jones had 993 yards for the season, painfully just 7 yards short of 1,000 yards.
Just days after the game, head coach Bill Parcells announced he was staying for at least one more season, and his contract was extended through 2007. At the time, there had been some speculation he would be retiring.

### Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ New York Giants | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 422 | 314 | W1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Washington Redskins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 359 | 293 | W5 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 325 | 308 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 310 | 388 | L2 |