# 2012 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2012 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth playing home games at Cowboys Stadium and their 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.

## 2012 draft class

2012 Dallas Cowboys draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 6 | Morris Claiborne | CB | LSU |
| 3 | 81 | Tyrone Crawford | DE | Boise State |
| 4 | 113 | Kyle Wilber | LB | Wake Forest |
| 4 | 135 | Matt Johnson | S | Eastern Washington |
| 5 | 152 | Danny Coale | WR | Virginia Tech |
| 6 | 186 | James Hanna | TE | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 222 | Caleb McSurdy | LB | Montana |
* Compensatory selection
Notes
* The Cowboys traded their original first and second-round selections to the St. Louis Rams in order to move up in the first-round and select Morris Claiborne.

## Schedule
### Preseason

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

### Regular season

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

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 5
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), fair
* Game attendance: 82,287
* Referee: Jim Core
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 22-yard field goal, 9:10. Giants 3-0. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:20.
DAL - Kevin Ogletree 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:01. Cowboys 7-3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:33.
Third quarter
DAL - Kevin Ogletree 40-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:24. Cowboys 14-3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36.
NYG - Ahmad Bradshaw 10-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:11. Cowboys 14-10. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 5:13.
DAL - Dan Bailey 33-yard field goal, 0:40. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:31.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:57. Cowboys 24-10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 7:06.
NYG - Martellus Bennett 9-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:36. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 22/29, 307 yards, 3 TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning - 21/32, 213 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 20 carries, 131 yards
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw - 17 carries, 78 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Kevin Ogletree - 8 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TD
NYG – Victor Cruz - 6 receptions, 58 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 12 tackles, 10 solo
NYG – Antrel Rolle - 9 tackles, 9 solo :
The Cowboys opened its 2012 campaign at MetLife Stadium in the Annual Kickoff Game against their NFC East foe, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. After a scoreless first quarter, the Giants picked up the season's first points as kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter. Dallas would close out the half with quarterback Tony Romo finding wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the Cowboys added onto its lead. Romo hooked up with Ogletree again with a 40-yard touchdown pass. New York answered with a 10-yard run from running back Ahmad Bradshaw, yet Dallas responded in kind with a 33-yard field goal from kicker Dan Bailey. The Cowboys pulled away for good in the fourth quarter with Romo connecting with wide receiver Miles Austin on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Giants closed out the game with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to former Dallas tight end Martellus Bennett.
With the win, the Cowboys began the season at 1–0.

#### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,008
* Referee: Donovan Briggans
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
SEA - Steven Hauschka 21-yard field goal, 11:43. Seahawks 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:10.
SEA - Jeron Johnson 3-yard blocked punt return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:23. Seahawks 10-0.
Second quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:09. Seahawks 10-7. Drive: 15 plays, 95 yards, 7:31.
SEA - Steven Hauschka 25-yard field goal, 1:57. Seahawks 13-7. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 7:05.
Third quarter
SEA - Anthony McCoy 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 5:05. Seahawks 20-7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:08.
Fourth quarter
SEA - Marshawn Lynch 3-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 7:57. Seahawks 27-7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 7:38.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 23/40, 251 yards, TD, INT
SEA – Russell Wilson - 15/20, 151 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 12 carries, 44 yards
SEA – Marshawn Lynch - 26 carries, 122 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 63 yards, TD
SEA – Anthony McCoy - 5 receptions, 41 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 14 tackles, 4 solo
SEA – Kam Chancellor - 9 tackles, 7 solo :
With the huge loss, the Cowboys fell to 1–1.

#### Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,984
* Referee: Robert Dalton
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
TB - Luke Stocker 1-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 10:51. Buccaneers 7-0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:20.
DAL - DeMarco Murray 11-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:22. Tied 7-7. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 2:51. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 3:25.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 26-yard field goal, 11:10. Cowboys 13-7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:26.
DAL - Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 2:43. Cowboys 16-7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:01.
TB - Connor Barth 28-yard field goal, 0:40. Cowboys 16-10. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 2:03.
Top passers
TB – Josh Freeman - 10/28, 110 yards, TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 25/39, 283 yards, INT
Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin - 19 carries, 53 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 18 carries, 38 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Mike Williams - 2 receptions, 33 yards
DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 107 yards
Top tacklers
TB – Mason Foster - 8 tackles, 7 solo
DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 5 solo; Anthony Spencer - 7 tackles, 5 solo :
Hoping to rebound from their tough road loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cowboys returned to Arlington to host their home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that they had blown out a year before. This game, however, was a close one throughout. In the first quarter, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tossed an interception to Aqib Talib, which set up for a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman to tight end Luke Stocker for Tampa Bay to take the first lead. Dallas would immediately respond after a Sean Lee interception set up Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray for an 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Shortly before the half, kicker Dan Bailey booted a 32-yard field goal for Dallas to take the lead, 10–7. After a scoreless third quarter, Dallas pulled away with Dan Bailey knocking in a pair of field goals, one from 26 yards and another from 22 yards to make the game 16–7. Tampa Bay attempted a furious rally to take the game back after a 28-yard field goal by Connor Barth, but Dallas would recover the following onside kick and effectively took a knee to end the game.
With the victory, Dallas improved their season to 2–1.

#### Week 4: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 18 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 90,080
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI - Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, 4:15. Bears 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 7:07.
CHI - Charles Tillman 25-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 2:38. Bears 10-0.
DAL - Miles Austin 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:14. Bears 10-7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
CHI - Devin Hester 34-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 11:54. Bears 17-7. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 3:06.
CHI - Lance Briggs 74-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 6:11. Bears 24-7.
DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 2:11. Bears 24-10. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 4:00.
Fourth quarter
CHI - Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal, 11:24. Bears 27-10. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:47.
CHI - Brandon Marshall 31-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:28. Bears 34-10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:02.
DAL - Jason Witten 5-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Dez Bryant pass from Kyle Orton), 0:34. Bears 34-18. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 2:29.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler - 18/24, 275 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Tony Romo - 31/43, 307 yards, TD, 5 INT
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte - 13 carries, 52 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 24 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Brandon Marshall - 7 receptions, 138 yards, TD
DAL – Jason Witten - 13 receptions, 112 yards, TD
Top tacklers
CHI – Chris Conte - 11 tackles, 8 solo
DAL – Sean Lee - 14 tackles, 10 solo :
With the loss, the Cowboys enter their bye week with 2–2. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo had a forgettable game, tossing 5 interceptions, including 2 that were run back for touchdowns.

#### Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 29 |
| Ravens | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 71,384
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Game information :
First quarter
BAL - Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 7:50. Ravens 3-0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:10.
DAL - Felix Jones 22-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 3:18. Cowboys 7-3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 42-yard field goal, 11:29. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:02.
BAL - Ray Rice 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 7:29. Tied 10-10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:00.
BAL - Torrey Smith 19-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 0:41. Ravens 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 43-yard field goal, 11:37. Ravens 17-13. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:23.
BAL - Jacoby Jones 108-yard kickoff return (Justin Tucker kick), 11:24. Ravens 24-13. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
DAL - Dez Bryant 7-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:19. Ravens 24-20. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:05.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal, 8:22. Ravens 24-23. Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 5:07.
BAL - Ray Rice 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 4:41. Ravens 31-23. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:41.
DAL - Dez Bryant 4-yard pass from Tony Romo (pass failed), 0:32. Ravens 31-29. Drive: 18 plays, 80 yards, 4:09.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 25/36, 261 yards, 2 TD, INT
BAL – Joe Flacco - 17/26, 234 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 14 carries, 93 yards
BAL – Ray Rice - 16 carries, 63 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant - 13 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD
BAL – Anquan Boldin - 5 receptions, 98 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Danny McCray - 7 tackles, 6 solo
BAL – Ray Lewis - 14 tackles, 8 solo :
With the loss, the Cowboys fell into 2–3 and dropped to 0–4 all-time against the Ravens. Horrible clock management by head coach Jason Garrett on the final drive left Dallas' kicker with a 50+ yard field goal attempt that he pushed wide as time expired.

#### Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 73,981
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 19-yard field goal, 14:16. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 18 plays, 91 yards, 10:10.
CAR - Brandon LaFell 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 0:14. Panthers 7-3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:00.
Third quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 26-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:38. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:54.
DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 2:13. Cowboys 13-7. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
CAR - Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 11:38. Panthers 14-13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:20.
DAL - Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 3:25. Cowboys 16-14. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:07.
DAL - Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Cowboys 19-14. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:15.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 24/34, 227 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton - 21/37, 233 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones - 15 carries, 44 yards
CAR – Cam Newton - 6 carries, 64 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. - 7 receptions, 83 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – DeMarcus Ware - 8 tackles, 3 solo
CAR – Luke Kuechly - 15 tackles, 8 solo :
The Cowboys beat the Panthers to improve to a .500 record.

#### Week 8: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 13 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 29 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny skies (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 94,067
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 41-yard field goal, 11:53. Giants 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:07.
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 37-yard field goal, 7:11. Giants 6-0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:00.
NYG - Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:41. Giants 13-0. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 26-yard field goal, 14:22. Giants 16-0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:21.
NYG - Jason Pierre-Paul 28-yard interception return (Lawrence Tynes kick), 13:05. Giants 23-0.
DAL - Felix Jones 4-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 5:22. Giants 23-7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:07.
DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 0:58. Giants 23-10. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:39.
Third quarter
DAL - Tony Romo 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:16. Giants 23-17. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:44.
DAL - John Phillips 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:43. Cowboys 24-23. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:24.
Fourth quarter
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 43-yard field goal, 10:20. Giants 26-24. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:26.
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 37-yard field goal, 3:31. Giants 29-24. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 3:09.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning - 15/29, 192 yards, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 36/62, 437 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw - 22 carries, 78 yards
DAL – Felix Jones - 13 carries, 19 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Rueben Randle - 2 receptions, 68 yards
DAL – Jason Witten - 18 receptions, 167 yards
Top tacklers
NYG – Stevie Brown - 8 tackles, 8 solo
DAL – Brandon Carr - 5 tackles, 5 solo; Morris Claiborne - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Kenyon Coleman - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Jay Ratliff - 5 tackles, 3 solo; Anthony Spencer - 5 tackles, 2 solo :
With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3–4 on the season and 0–4 at Cowboys Stadium against the Giants. A late go-ahead touchdown catch by Dez Bryant was overturned on review as it showed that as Bryant's hand came down to brace his landing, barely a tip of one finger came down on the end line, thus ruling him out of bounds.

#### Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Falcons | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 19 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,840
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 10:46. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:07.
DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 3:42. Cowboys 6-0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:33.
Second quarter
ATL - Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 14:15. Cowboys 6-3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:27.
ATL - Matt Bryant 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 6-6. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:03.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
ATL - Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 14:16. Falcons 13-6. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:23.
ATL - Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 7:49. Falcons 16-6. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:50.
DAL - Kevin Ogletree 21-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:21. Falcons 16-13. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:28.
ATL - Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:17. Falcons 19-13. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:04.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 25/35, 321 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan - 24/34, 342 yards
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones - 9 carries, 39 yards
ATL – Michael Turner - 20 carries, 102 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Kevin Ogletree - 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD
ATL – Julio Jones - 5 receptions, 129 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Bruce Carter - 10 tackles, 9 solo
ATL – Jonathan Babineaux - 7 tackles, 5 solo; Akeem Dent - 7 tackles, 4 solo :
During this game, Jason Witten's 7 receptions brought him to a franchise record of 754, surpassing Michael Irvin's previous record of 750.
With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3–5.

#### Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
PHI - Riley Cooper 2-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 9:53. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:07.
DAL - Felix Jones 11-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:13. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:40.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 3:50. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
PHI - Jeremy Maclin 44-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 12:52. Eagles 14-10. Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 1:13.
PHI - Alex Henery 40-yard field goal, 4:32. Eagles 17-10. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 6:10.
DAL - Dez Bryant 30-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:00. Tied 17-17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dwayne Harris 78-yard punt return (Dan Bailey kick), 13:35. Cowboys 24-17.
DAL - Brandon Carr 47-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 12:25. Cowboys 31-17.
PHI - Stanley Havili 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick failed), 1:55. Cowboys 31-23. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:31.
DAL - Jason Hatcher defensive fumble recovery in end zone (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 38-23.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 19/26, 209 yards, 2 TD
PHI – Nick Foles - 22/32, 219 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones - 16 carries, 71 yards
PHI – LeSean McCoy - 16 carries, 82 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant - 3 receptions, 87 yards, TD
PHI – Jeremy Maclin - 8 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Bruce Carter - 10 tackles, 10 solo
PHI – DeMeco Ryans - 8 tackles, 7 solo; Kurt Coleman - 8 tackles, 6 solo :
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 4–5.

#### Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 23 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,936
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
CLE - Ben Watson 10-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick), 4:01. Browns 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:55.
Second quarter
CLE - Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal, 12:09. Browns 10-0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:44.
CLE - Phil Dawson 37-yard field goal, 5:07. Browns 13-0. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:16.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 44-yard field goal, 4:16. Browns 13-3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:44.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Felix Jones 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 13:49. Browns 13-10. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 3:59.
DAL - Dez Bryant 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:46. Cowboys 17-13. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:11.
CLE - Ben Watson 17-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick), 1:07. Browns 20-17. Drive: 1 play, 17 yards, 0:03.
DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 20-20. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:05.
Overtime
DAL - Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 6:07. Cowboys 23-20. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:32.
Top passers
CLE – Brandon Weeden - 20/35, 210 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Tony Romo - 35/50, 313 yards, TD
Top rushers
CLE – Trent Richardson - 28 carries, 95 yards
DAL – Felix Jones - 14 carries, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Greg Little - 3 receptions, 53 yards; Josh Gordon - 5 receptions, 53 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 12 receptions, 145 yards, TD
Top tacklers
CLE – Sheldon Brown - 9 tackles, 9 solo
DAL – Danny McCray - 8 tackles, 8 solo :
After being down 13–0 against the Browns in the first half, the Cowboys outscored the Browns 20–7 to send the game into overtime. The Cowboys kicked the game-winning field goal and improved to 5–5 on the season and 2nd place in the NFC East.

#### Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins
##### Thanksgiving Day game

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 31 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 90,166
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:17. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
WAS - Aldrick Robinson 68-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 13:47. Redskins 7-3. Drive: 5 plays, 93 yards, 2:57.
WAS - Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 7:00. Redskins 14-3. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:37.
WAS - Pierre Garcon 59-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 2:14. Redskins 21-3. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 3:01.
WAS - Santana Moss 6-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 0:05. Redskins 28-3. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 33-yard field goal, 11:48. Redskins 28-6. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:12.
DAL - Dez Bryant 85-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:24. Redskins 28-13. Drive: 1 play, 85 yards, 0:14.
Fourth quarter
WAS - Niles Paul 29-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 12:48. Redskins 35-13. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:36.
DAL - Felix Jones 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Tony Romo run), 9:54. Redskins 35-21. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 2:54.
DAL - Dez Bryant 11-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:18. Redskins 35-28. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 0:41.
WAS - Kai Forbath 48-yard field goal, 2:58. Redskins 38-28. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 5:20.
DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 0:18. Redskins 38-31. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 2:40.
Top passers
WAS – Robert Griffin III - 19/27, 304 yards, 4 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 37/62, 441 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
WAS – Alfred Morris - 24 carries, 113 yards, TD
DAL – Felix Jones - 6 carries, 14 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Pierre Garcon - 4 receptions, 86 yards, TD
DAL – Dez Bryant - 8 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
WAS – Perry Riley - 9 tackles, 6 solo
DAL – Anthony Spencer - 10 tackles, 7 solo :
With the loss to their long-time rival the Washington Redskins during a Thanksgiving Day showdown, the Cowboys dropped to 5–6 on the season and 6–1 against the Redskins on Thanksgiving. Along with the loss, the Cowboys also lost 2 key defensive players for an extended period of time. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick broke his left hand, but the team was still hopeful that he would be able to return before the end of the season. But of the three injuries suffered during the game, Bruce Carter's was probably the most devastating. Carter dislocated his left elbow during the game and was out for the rest of the season after having surgery. At that point, the Cowboys had lost 4 starters on defense due to injuries, and were on their 3rd and 4th string middle linebackers after losing both Carter and Sean Lee for the season. Also the Cowboys lost starting receiver Miles Austin to a hip strain caused by linebacker London Fletcher in the back of the end zone. Although he did not return to the game, he was cleared to play for the Cowboys' week 13 game.

#### Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,851
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
PHI - Bryce Brown 10-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 5:38. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:35.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 13:34, Eagles 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 59 yards, 7:04.
PHI - Bryce Brown 5-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 6:07. Eagles 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:47.
DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:41. Eagles 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:26.
PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Eagles 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 23-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:18. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:42.
PHI - Riley Cooper 15-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 5:27. Eagles 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:51.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 27-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 13:41. Tied 24–24. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:46.
PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 9:51. Eagles 27–24. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 3:50.
DAL - Dez Bryant 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:35. Cowboys 31–27. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 4:16.
DAL - Morris Claiborne 50-yard defensive fumble return (Dan Bailey kick), 3:50. Cowboys 38–27.
PHI - Damaris Johnson 98-yard punt return (run failed), 0:31. Cowboys 38–33.
Top passers
PHI – Nick Foles – 22/34, 251 yards, TD
DAL – Tony Romo – 22/27, 303 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
PHI – Bryce Brown – 24 carries, 169 yards, 2 TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 23 carries, 83 yards, TD
Top receivers
PHI – Jason Avant – 4 receptions, 79 yards
DAL – Jason Witten – 6 receptions, 108 yards
Top tacklers
PHI – Nnamdi Asomugha – 8 tackles, 7 solo
DAL – Danny McCray – 10 tackles, 7 solo :

#### Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Bengals | 10 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 63,590
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 8:36. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 6:24.
CIN - Andrew Hawkins 8-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Josh Brown kick), 6:41. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:55.
CIN - Josh Brown 25-yard field goal, 1:39. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:58.
Second quarter
DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 10:33. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:27.
CIN - Josh Brown 33-yard field goal, 3:24. Bengals 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 7:09.
Third quarter
CIN - Josh Brown 25-yard field goal, 9:22. Bengals 16–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:38.
CIN - Josh Brown 52-yard field goal, 6:45. Bengals 19–10. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 1:09.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 27-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:35. Bengals 19–17. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:12.
DAL - Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 3:44.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 25/43, 268 yards, TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 20/33, 206 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 21 rushes, 53 yards, TD
CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 12 rushes, 89 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten – 4 receptions, 62 yards
CIN – Marvin Jones – 3 receptions, 45 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Anthony Spencer – 11 tackles, 5 solo
CIN – Vontaze Burfict – 10 tackles, 6 solo :

#### Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), clear skies (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 95,595
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 8:36. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
DAL - Jason Witten 17-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:02. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:40.
PIT - Shaun Suisham 32-yard field goal, 6:03. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:59.
PIT - Heath Miller 30-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 0:34. Tied 10-10. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 24-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:03. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:32.
PIT - Jonathan Dwyer 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 4:16. Tied 17-17. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:47.
Fourth quarter
PIT - Antonio Brown 7-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 12:37. Steelers 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:16.
DAL - DeMarco Murray 3-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 6:55. Tied 24-24. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:08.
Overtime
DAL - Dan Bailey 21-yard field goal, 13:36. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 2 plays, -2 yards, 0:39.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger - 24/40, 339 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 30/42, 341 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
PIT – Isaac Redman - 3 carries, 30 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 14 carries, 81 yards, TD
Top receivers
PIT – Mike Wallace - 4 receptions, 95 yards
DAL – Miles Austin - 7 receptions, 79 yards
Top tacklers
PIT – Ryan Clark - 8 tackles, 6 solo
DAL – Danny McCray - 7 tackles, 5 solo :

#### Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 92,570
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
NO - Mark Ingram 9-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:25. Saints 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35.
Second quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:47. Tied 7-7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:28.
DAL - Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:43. Cowboys 14-7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
NO - Lance Moore 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:11. Tied 14-14. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 4:32.
NO - Garrett Hartley 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17-14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 47-yard field goal, 10:26. Tied 17-17. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:34.
NO - Pierre Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:03. Saints 24-17. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:14.
Fourth quarter
NO - David Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 11:10. Saints 31-17. Drive: 10 plays, 98 yards, 4:53.
DAL - Dwayne Harris 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:35. Saints 31-24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:10.
DAL - Miles Austin 19-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:15. Tied 31-31. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:14.
Overtime
NO - Garrett Hartley 20-yard field goal, 10:33. Saints 34-31. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:00.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees - 37/53, 446 yards, 3 TD
DAL – Tony Romo - 26/43, 416 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram - 21 carries, 53 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 40 yards
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston - 10 receptions, 153 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 9 receptions, 224 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
NO – Patrick Robinson - 8 tackles, 7 solo
DAL – Dan Connor - 11 tackles, 7 solo :
The loss dropped Dallas to 8–7 and mathematically eliminated them from gaining a wild card spot. However, if they were to beat the Washington Redskins in week 17, Dallas would win the NFC East.

#### Week 17: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 82,845
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DAL - Jason Witten 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:59. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 7:37.
WAS - Alfred Morris 17-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:28. Tied 7-7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:31.
Third quarter
WAS - Robert Griffin III 10-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:10. Redskins 14-7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:14.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 14:09. Redskins 14-10. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:01.
WAS - Alfred Morris 32-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 10:32. Redskins 21-10. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:37.
DAL - Kevin Ogletree 10-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dwayne Harris pass from Tony Romo), 5:50. Redskins 21-18. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:45.
WAS - Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 1:09. Redskins 28-18. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 20/37, 218 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
WAS – Robert Griffin III – 9/18, 100 yards
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 17 carries, 76 yards
WAS – Alfred Morris – 33 carries, 200 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 4 receptions, 71 yards
WAS – Pierre Garçon – 3 receptions, 46 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Dan Connor – 9 tackles, 5 solo
WAS – London Fletcher – 11 tackles, 4 solo :
With the loss, Dallas ended the season with an 8–8 record, and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Cowboys loss marks their third season finale loss in the last five seasons where they faced a win-or-go-home situation for the playoffs. All those season finale games came against NFC East opponents. In 2008, they lost 44–6 to the Philadelphia Eagles failing to clinch a wild card spot. In 2011, they lost 31–14 to the New York Giants failing to win the NFC East title. The loss also brought their record in Week 17 games to 2–11 since 2000.

#### Season recap

The Cowboys started the season on September 5, playing a Wednesday game for the first time in franchise history.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 11 during the fourth quarter, the Cowboys became the second team in NFL history to score touchdowns via interception, fumble return and punt return in the same quarter. The first one was the San Francisco 49ers in 1966.

## Standings

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

## Footnotes

    The Week 17 game was originally going to be aired on Fox which, due to playoff implications, competed with NBC for the slot. The game was ultimately moved to NBC.