# 2011 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2011 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their third playing home games at Cowboys Stadium and their 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.

## 2011 draft class

2011 Dallas Cowboys Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 9 | Tyron Smith | OT | USC |
| 2 | 40 | Bruce Carter | ILB | North Carolina |
| 3 | 71 | DeMarco Murray | RB | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 110 | David Arkin | G | Missouri State |
| 5 | 143 | Josh Thomas | CB | Buffalo |
| 6 | 176 | Dwayne Harris | WR | East Carolina |
| 7 | 220 | Shaun Chapas | FB | Georgia |
| 7 | 252 | Bill Nagy | C | Wisconsin |
* Compensatory selection
Notes The Cowboys forfeited its original seventh-round selection after selecting defensive tackle Josh Brent in the 2010 Supplemental Draft.
* The Cowboys later acquired a new seventh-round selection in a trade that sent wide receiver Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers.

## Schedule
### Preseason

The Cowboys' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 11 | Denver Broncos | W 24–23 | 1–0 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | San Diego Chargers | L 7–20 | 1–1 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 23–17 | 2–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | at Miami Dolphins | L 3–17 | 2–2 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at New York Jets | L 24–27 | 0–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 27–24 (OT) | 1–1 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | Washington Redskins | W 18–16 | 2–1 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | Detroit Lions | L 30–34 | 2–2 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 16 | at New England Patriots | L 16–20 | 2–3 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | St. Louis Rams | W 34–7 | 3–3 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–34 | 3–4 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | Seattle Seahawks | W 23–13 | 4–4 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | Buffalo Bills | W 44–7 | 5–4 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | at Washington Redskins | W 27–24 (OT) | 6–4 | FedExField | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | Miami Dolphins | W 20–19 | 7–4 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 13–19 (OT) | 7–5 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | New York Giants | L 34–37 | 7–6 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 31–15 | 8–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–20 | 8–7 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | at New York Giants | L 14–31 | 8–8 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 70° F (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 78,702
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 3-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:27. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:33.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal, 3:16. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:47.
NYJ - Dustin Keller 4-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 0:37. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 2:39.
Third quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 36-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:05. Cowboys 17-7. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:40.
NYJ - Nick Folk 34-yard field goal, 4:01. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:04.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Felix Jones 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:50. Cowboys 24-10. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:10.
NYJ - Plaxico Burress 26-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 11:56. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:54.
NYJ - Isaiah Trufant 18-yard blocked punt return (Nick Folk kick), 5:00. Tied 24-24.
NYJ - Nick Folk 50-yard field goal, 0:27. Jets 27-24. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:22.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 23/36, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT
NYJ – Mark Sanchez – 26/44, 335 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 17 rushes, 44 yards
NYJ – Shonn Greene – 10 rushes, 26 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten – 6 receptions, 110 yards
NYJ – LaDainian Tomlinson – 6 receptions, 73 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – DeMarcus Ware – 4 tackles, 2 sacks
NYJ – Bart Scott – 8 tackles, 1 sack :

#### Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| 49ers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
SF - Frank Gore 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 11:54. 49ers 7-0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:40.
SF - Kyle Williams 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 6:23. 49ers 14-0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:23.
DAL - Miles Austin 53-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:48. 49ers 14-7. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:17.
Third quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 5-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Dan Bailey kick), 6:50. Tied 14-14. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:09.
SF - Delanie Walker 29-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 0:37. 49ers 21-14. Drive: 1 play, 29 yards, 0:05.
Fourth quarter
SF - David Akers 55-yard field goal, 11:12. 49ers 24-14. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 3:15.
DAL - Miles Austin 25-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:55. 49ers 24-21. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:17.
DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 24-24. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:03.
Overtime
DAL - Dan Bailey 19-yard field goal, 12:07. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:50.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 20/33. 345 yards, 2 TD
SF – Alex Smith - 16/24, 179 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones - 9 carries, 25 yards
SF – Frank Gore - 20 carries, 47 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin - 9 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TD
SF – Ted Ginn Jr. - 4 receptions, 38 yards; Delanie Walker - 2 receptions, 38 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 10 tackles
SF – NaVorro Bowman - 11 tackles :

#### Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 6 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 91,017
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Ed Werder
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Graham Gano 46-yard field goal, 10:06. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:54.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 5:34. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:32.
WAS – Graham Gano 46-yard field goal, 0:21. Redskins 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:36.
Second quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 12:20. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:52.
DAL – Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 2:25. Cowboys 9–6. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:57.
WAS – Graham Gano 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 2:25.
Third quarter
WAS – Tim Hightower 1-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 4:00. Redskins 16–9. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:31.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 0:19. Redskins 16–12. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 6:58. Redskins 16–15. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:28.
DAL – Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal, 1:47. Cowboys 18–16. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.
Top passers
WAS - Rex Grossman - 22/37, 250 yards, TD, INT
DAL - Tony Romo - 22/36, 255 yards, INT
Top rushers
WAS – Tim Hightower – 14 carries, 41 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 14 carries, 115 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Santana Moss – 5 receptions, 70 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant – 4 receptions, 63 yards
Top tacklers
WAS – O.J. Atogwe – 6 tackles; DeAngelo Hall – 6 tackles
DAL – Gerald Sensabaugh – 6 tackles, 1 assist :

#### Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 78,122
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 25-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:28. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:58. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:25.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 6:28. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:48.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, 4:08. Cowboys 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Dan Bailey 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:28.
Third quarter
DAL – Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:23. Cowboys 27–3. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:37.
DET – Bobby Carpenter 34-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 10:12. Cowboys 27–10.
DET – Chris Houston 56-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 5:34. Cowboys 27–17.
DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 0:37. Cowboys 30–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:57.
Fourth quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 23-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 13:37. Cowboys 30–24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 51-yard field goal, 4:22. Cowboys 30–27. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 3:14.
DET – Calvin Johnson 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 1:39. Lions 34–30. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 21/43, 240 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo – 34/47, 331 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
DET – Jahvid Best – 11 carries, 47 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 16 carries, 57 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Laurent Robinson – 7 receptions, 116 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 10 tackles, 2 assists, INT
DAL – Barry Church – 4 tackles, 1 assist :
With their second loss to the Lions at home in five years, the Cowboys fell to 2–2.

#### Week 6: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Patriots | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
NE - Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 8:41. Patriots 3-0. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:22.
DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 3:16. Tied 3-3. Drive: 4 plays, -7 yards, 1:31.
Second quarter
NE - Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 12:07. Patriots 6-3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:56.
NE - Wes Welker 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:34. Patriots 13-3. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:03.
DAL - Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:33. Patriots 13-10. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:01.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 5:50. Tied 13-13. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:58.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 26-yard field goal, 5:13. Cowboys 16-13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:55.
NE - Aaron Hernandez 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:22. Patriots 20-16. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:02.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 27/41, 317 yards, TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady - 27/41, 289 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 34 yards
NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 14 carries, 58 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant - 4 receptions, 78 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski - 7 receptions, 74 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 12 tackles
NE – Kyle Arrington - 11 tackles :
The Cowboys' blue uniforms returned after a 1-year hiatus, and they blew a 3-point fourth quarter lead, and lost to the 2011 AFC champion New England Patriots.

#### Week 7: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 80,086
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - DeMarco Murray 91-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:33. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 3 plays, 98 yards, 2:08.
Second quarter
DAL - Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:25. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:14.
STL - Steven Jackson 6-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 7:58. Cowboys 14-7. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:27.
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 0:15. Cowboys 17-7. Drive: 8 plays, 18 yards, 3:19.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 5:32. Cowboys 20-7. Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 6:50.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Phillip Tanner 6-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:22. Cowboys 27-7. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 4:31.
DAL - Dez Bryant 20-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:07. Cowboys 34-7. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 3:17.
Top passers
STL – AJ Feeley - 20/33, 196 yards, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 14/24, 166 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
STL – Steven Jackson - 18 carries, 70 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 25 carries, 253 yards, TD
Top receivers
STL – Brandon Lloyd - 6 receptions, 74 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD
Top tacklers
STL – Quintin Mikell - 10 tackles
DAL – Abram Elam - 8 tackles :
This game is notable for DeMarco Murray, in his first NFL start, setting the Cowboys single game rushing record.

#### Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Eagles | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
PHI - Jeremy Maclin 12-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 10:41. Eagles 7-0. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:19.
PHI - LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 2:40. Eagles 14-0. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
PHI - Brent Celek 9-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 10:13. Eagles 21-0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:00.
PHI - Alex Henery 23-yard field goal, 1:46. Eagles 24-0. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 6:08.
Third quarter
PHI - Alex Henery 26-yard field goal, 5:55. Eagles 27-0. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:28.
Fourth quarter
PHI - LeSean McCoy 13-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 13:21. Eagles 34-0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 6:42.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 70-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:44. Eagles 34-7. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:37.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 18/35, 203 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Michael Vick - 21/28, 279 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 8 carries, 74 yards
PHI – LeSean McCoy - 30 carries, 185 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DAL – Laurent Robinson - 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD
PHI – Brent Celek - 7 receptions, 94 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – DeMarcus Ware - 11 tackles, 4 sacks
PHI – Jamar Chaney - 7 tackles :

#### Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,510
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 4:25. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 11 plays, 96 yards, 6:02.
SEA - Steven Hauschka 45-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 3-3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 10:23. Cowboys 6-3. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 4:41.
SEA - Steven Hauschka 32-yard field goal, 1:03. Tied 6-6. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 5:25.
Third quarter
DAL - Jason Witten 33-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:39. Cowboys 13-6. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:17.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Laurent Robinson 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:10. Cowboys 20-6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:24.
DAL - Dan Bailey 42-yard field goal, 11:23. Cowboys 23-6. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 1:58.
SEA - Marshawn Lynch 4-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:12. Cowboys 23-13. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:10.
Top passers
SEA – Tarvaris Jackson - 17/30, 221 yards, 3 INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 19/31, 279 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SEA – Marshawn Lynch - 23 rushes, 135 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 22 rushes, 139 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Sidney Rice - 3 receptions, 69 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 4 receptions, 76 yards
Top tacklers
SEA – Earl Thomas - 8 tackles
DAL – Orlando Scandrick - 7 tackles :

#### Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 44 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 85,157
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:12. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:48.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:35.
Second quarter
DAL - Laurent Robinson 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:17. Cowboys 21-0. Drive: 1 play, 58 yards, 0:09.
BUF - David Nelson 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick), 8:16. Cowboys 21-7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:01.
DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:05. Cowboys 28-7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:11.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 45-yard field goal, 2:25. Cowboys 31-7. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:24.
DAL - Dan Bailey 36-yard field goal, 0:16. Cowboys 34-7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:58.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 31-yard field goal, 5:11. Cowboys 37-7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 7:44.
DAL - Terence Newman 43-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 4:54. Cowboys 44-7.
Top passers
BUF - Ryan Fitzpatrick - 20/31, 146 yards, TD, 3 INT
DAL - Tony Romo - 23/26, 270 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
BUF - Fred Jackson - 13 carries, 144 yards
DAL - DeMarco Murray - 20 carries, 135 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF - Donald Jones - 6 receptions, 51 yards
DAL - Dez Bryant - 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD
Top tacklers
BUF - Jairus Byrd - 8 tackles, 2 assists; George Wilson - 8 tackles, 2 assists
DAL - Keith Brooking - 5 tackles, 2 assists; Gerald Sensabaugh - 5 tackles, 2 assists
BUF - :

#### Week 11: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
| Redskins | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 80,122
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Dez Bryant 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:44. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:55.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 10:23. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:14.
WAS - Rex Grossman 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 3:59. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 3:24.
WAS - Jabar Gaffney 16-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 0:14. Redskins 14-10. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 1:27.
Third quarter
WAS - Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 11:40. Redskins 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:20.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Laurent Robinson 7-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:43. Tied 17-17. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 6:24.
DAL - Jason Witten 59-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:48. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 2:22.
WAS - Donte Stallworth 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 0:14. Tied 24-24. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:29.
Overtime
DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 5:39. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:41.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 23/37, 292 yards, 3 TD
WAS – Rex Grossman - 25/38, 292 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 25 carries, 73 yards
WAS – Roy Helu - 8 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten - 3 receptions, 85 yards, TD
WAS – Jabar Gaffney - 7 receptions, 115 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 10 tackles, 4 assists
WAS – London Fletcher - 16 tackles, 7 assists :

#### Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins

Thanksgiving Day game
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 19 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 87,418
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
MIA - Shayne Graham 26-yard field goal, 2:42. Dolphins 3-0. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:04.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 4:38. Tied 3-3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 5:04.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:55. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:06.
MIA - Shayne Graham 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 10-6. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
MIA - Shayne Graham 27-yard field goal, 8:02. Cowboys 10-9. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 6:58.
MIA - Brandon Marshall 35-yard pass from Matt Moore (Shayne Graham kick), 3:54. Dolphins 16-10. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:20.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Laurent Robinson 18-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:31. Cowboys 17-16. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:23.
MIA - Shayne Graham 23-yard field goal, 7:14. Dolphins 19-17. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:17.
DAL - Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20-19. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:59.
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore - 19/32, 288 yards, TD
DAL – Tony Romo - 22/34, 226 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Reggie Bush - 16 carries, 61 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 22 carries, 87 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Brandon Marshall - 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD
DAL – Laurent Robinson - 7 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
MIA – Kevin Burnett - 12 tackles, 1 assist
DAL – Anthony Spencer - 9 tackles, 2 assists :
Coming off their thrilling overtime road win over the Redskins, the Cowboys went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 12 interconference duel with the Miami Dolphins in the annual Thanksgiving game. Dallas trailed early in the first quarter with Dolphins kicker Shayne Graham getting a 26-yard field goal, yet the Cowboys would answer in the second quarter with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Dan Bailey, followed by quarterback Tony Romo finding wide receiver Laurent Robinson on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Miami would close out the half with Graham making a 28-yard field goal.
The Dolphins retook the lead in the third quarter with Graham booting a 27-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Matt Moore completing a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Afterwards, Dallas regained the lead in the fourth quarter with Romo connecting with Robinson again on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Miami struck back with Graham making a 23-yard field goal, but Bailey rescued the Cowboys by nailing the winning 28-yard field goal.
With the win, Dallas improved to 7–4.
Bailey (2/2 on field goal, including game-winning 28-yarder) and linebacker DeMarcus Ware (1 assist and a fumble recovery) were named CBS' All-Iron Award winners.

#### Week 13: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 62,180
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
Game information :
First quarter
ARI - Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 4:13. Cardinals 3-0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 3:03.
Second quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 5:50. Tied 3-3. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:51.
DAL - Dez Bryant 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:09. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
ARI - Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 8:18. Cowboys 10-6. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:42.
DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 0:34. Cowboys 13-6. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:44.
Fourth quarter
ARI - Beanie Wells 4-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 13:08. Tied 13-13. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:26.
Overtime
ARI - LaRod Stephens-Howling 52-yard pass from Kevin Kolb, 11:43. Cardinals 19-13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:17.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 28/42, 299 yards, TD
ARI – Kevin Kolb 16/25, 247 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 12 carries, 38 yards
ARI – Beanie Wells - 20 carries, 67 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant - 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD
ARI – Andre Roberts - 6 receptions, 111 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 2 assists
ARI – Daryl Washington - 9 tackles, assist :
With seconds left in regulation with the score at 13-13, Jason Garrett called a time out before Dan Bailey was set to kick a 49-yard field goal that would have ended the game (commonly referred to as "icing the kicker"); Bailey ended up missing the field goal and the Cowboys lost the game in overtime.

#### Week 14: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 5 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 37 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 95,952
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Tony Romo sacked by Jason Pierre-Paul in the endzone for a safety, 9:42. Giants 2–0.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 23-yard field goal, 7:07. Giants 5–0. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:35.
DAL – John Phillips 12-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:49. Cowboys 7–5. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:18.
Second quarter
NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 12:45. Giants 12–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:04.
DAL – Laurent Robinson 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:26. Cowboys 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:19.
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 26-yard field goal, 1:03. Giants 15-14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22.
DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 0:15. Cowboys 17-15. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 7:42. Cowboys 20-15. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:11.
NYG - Mario Manningham 47-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:30. Giants 22-20. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 3:12.
Fourth quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:43. Cowboys 27-22. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:31.
DAL - Dez Bryant 50-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:41. Cowboys 34-22. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:54.
NYG - Jake Ballard 8-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:14. Cowboys 34-29. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:27.
NYG - Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Danny Ware run), 0:46. Giants 37-34. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning - 27/47, 400 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 21/31, 321 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
NYG - Brandon Jacobs - 19 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD
DAL - Felix Jones - 16 carries, 106 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks - 8 receptions, 163 yards
DAL – Laurent Robinson - 4 receptions, 137 yards, TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul - 8 tackles, 2 assists
DAL – Sean Lee - 9 tackles 4 assists; Bradie James - 9 tackles, 5 assists :

#### Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 65,162
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
Game information :
First quarter
DAL - Miles Austin 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:44. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:52.
DAL - Dez Bryant 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:18. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:17.
Second quarter
DAL - Laurent Robinson 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:42. Cowboys 21-0. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 3:52.
DAL - Tony Romo 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:20. Cowboys 28-0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:32.
Third quarter
TB - Dekoda Watson 7-yard defensive fumble return (Connor Barth kick), 13:39. Cowboys 28-7.
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 6:38. Cowboys 31-7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 7:01.
TB - Dezmon Briscoe 13-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Kellen Winslow pass from Josh Freeman), 0:23. Cowboys 31-15. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:15.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo - 23/30, 249 yards, 3 TD
TB – Josh Freeman - 17/27, 148 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones - 22 carries, 108 yards
TB – Josh Freeman - 4 carries, 37 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 53 yards, TD
TB - Kregg Lumpkin - 5 receptions, 50 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Orlando Scandrick – 5 tackles, 1 assist
TB – Mason Foster – 5 tackles, 3 assists :

#### Week 16: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 84,834
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
PHI - Brent Celek 13-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 11:30. Eagles 7-0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
PHI - Jeremy Maclin 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 0:05. Eagles 14-0. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 4:30. Eagles 17-0. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:27.
Fourth quarter
PHI - Alex Henery 51-yard field goal, 13:25. Eagles 20-0. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:28.
DAL - Miles Austin 4-yard pass from Stephen McGee (Dan Bailey kick), 0:07. Eagles 20-7. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:12.
Top passers
PHI – Michael Vick - 18/32, 293 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Stephen McGee - 24/38, 182 yards, TD
Top rushers
PHI – LeSean McCoy - 13 carries, 35 yards
DAL – Sammy Morris - 13 carries, 29 yards
Top receivers
PHI – DeSean Jackson - 5 receptions, 90 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 6 receptions, 62 yards
Top tacklers
PHI – Nnamdi Asomugha - 8 tackles
DAL – Anthony Spencer - 6 tackles :

#### Week 17: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C) (Rain Showers)
* Game attendance: 81,077
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Victor Cruz 74-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:57. Giants 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 5-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 13:27. Giants 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:27.
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 10-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 1:09. Giants 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:24.
Third quarter
DAL – Laurent Robinson 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:54. Giants 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:28.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Laurent Robinson 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:15. Giants 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:25.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 28-yard field goal, 5:45. Giants 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:30.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 4-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:41. Giants 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:14.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 29/37, 289 yards, 2 TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 24/33, 346 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 11 carries, 30 yards
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 16 carries, 57 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 6 receptions, 70 yards
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 receptions, 178 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee - 11 tackles, 3 assists
NYG – Michael Boley - 9 tackles, 2 assists :
With the loss, the Cowboys finished at 8–8 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

### Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ New York Giants | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 394 | 400 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 6–6 | 396 | 328 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 372 | 347 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 288 | 367 | L2 |