# 2010 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2010 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 51st in the National Football League (NFL) and their second playing home games at Cowboys Stadium. After falling to the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the 2009–10 NFL playoffs, the Cowboys sought to defend their NFC East division title and contend for a Super Bowl title, particularly given that Super Bowl XLV would be played at Cowboys Stadium.
However, this did not happen and after a 1–7 start Wade Phillips became the first coach in Cowboys history to be fired during the season. He was replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The Cowboys finished the season 6–10, 3rd place in the NFC East, and failed to reach the playoffs. However, under Garrett the team's record was 5–3 as compared to the 1–7 start under Phillips.

## 2010 draft class

2010 Dallas Cowboys Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 24 | Dez Bryant | WR | Oklahoma State |
| 2 | 55 | Sean Lee | ILB | Penn State |
| 4 | 126 | Akwasi Owusu-Ansah | FS | Indiana (PA) |
| 6 | 179 | Sam Young | OT | Notre Dame |
| 6 | 196 | Jamar Wall | CB | Texas Tech |
| 7 | 234 | Sean Lissemore | DE | William & Mary |
Notes
* The Cowboys traded their original first (#27) and third-round (#90) selections for the New England Patriots first (#24) and fourth-round (#119) selections.
* The Cowboys traded their original second (#59) and fourth-round (#125) selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a second-round (#55) selection.
* The Cowboys traded their fourth-round (#119 acquired from New England) selection to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for fourth (#126) and sixth-round (#179) selections.
* The Cowboys traded their original fifth-round (#158) selection to the Denver Broncos in exchange for guard Montrae Holland.

## Free agents

RFA: Restricted free-agent, UFA: Unrestricted free-agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent
| Position | Player | Free agency tag | Date signed | 2010 team |
| OT | Flozell Adams | Released | July 29, 2010 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| WR | Miles Austin | RFA | June 11, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| CB/FS | Alan Ball | ERFA | April 27, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| DE | Stephen Bowen | RFA | April 9, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| CB | Cletis Gordon | RFA | March 4, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| FS | Ken Hamlin | Released | June 17, 2010 | Baltimore Ravens |
| DE | Jason Hatcher | RFA | April 8, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| G | Montrae Holland | UFA | April 27, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| WR | Sam Hurd | RFA | April 16, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| OT | Pat McQuistan | RFA | April 7, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| OLB | Steve Octavien | ERFA | April 6, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| C/G | Cory Procter | RFA | March 26, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| SS | Gerald Sensabaugh | RFA | May 27, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| NT | Junior Siavii | RFA | April 8, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| DE | Marcus Spears | RFA | April 6, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |
| K | Shaun Suisham | RFA | November 16, 2010 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| SS | Pat Watkins | RFA | April 15, 2010 | Dallas Cowboys |

## Schedule
### Preseason

On February 24, 2010, the NFL announced that the Cowboys will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game occurred on Sunday, August 8, 2010, and was aired by NBC.
The remainder of the Cowboys' preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| HOF | August 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 16–7 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio) | Recap |
| 1 | August 12 | Oakland Raiders | L 9–17 | 1–1 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | at San Diego Chargers | W 16–14 | 2–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | at Houston Texans | L 7–23 | 2–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | Miami Dolphins | W 27–25 | 3–2 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 12 | at Washington Redskins | L 7–13 | 0–1 | FedExField | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | Chicago Bears | L 20–27 | 0–2 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | at Houston Texans | W 27–13 | 1–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 5 | October 10 | Tennessee Titans | L 27–34 | 1–3 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 21–24 | 1–4 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 25 | New York Giants | L 35–41 | 1–5 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 17–35 | 1–6 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 7 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7–45 | 1–7 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | at New York Giants | W 33–20 | 2–7 | New Meadowlands Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | Detroit Lions | W 35–19 | 3–7 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | New Orleans Saints | L 27–30 | 3–8 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 38–35 (OT) | 4–8 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 27–30 | 4–9 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | Washington Redskins | W 33–30 | 5–9 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 25 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 26–27 | 5–10 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 2 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 14–13 | 6–10 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |

## Standings
### Division

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 439 | 377 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 394 | 347 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 394 | 436 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 303 | 377 | L1 |

### Conference

NFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division winners ||||||||||||
| 1 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .484 | .438 | W1 |
| 2 | Chicago Bears | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .473 | .420 | L1 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .506 | L2 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .484 | .402 | W1 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .469 | .426 | L1 |
| 6 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .520 | .475 | W2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | New York Giants | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .453 | .400 | W1 |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .477 | .344 | W2 |
| 9 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .449 | .348 | L1 |
| 10 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .543 | .479 | W4 |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .385 | L1 |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 4–8 | .488 | .375 | W1 |
| 13 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .512 | .500 | W1 |
| 14 | Washington Redskins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .516 | .531 | L1 |
| 15 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .465 | .450 | L1 |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 2–10 | .574 | .344 | L2 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Philadelphia clinched the NFC East title based on a head-to-head sweep over the NY Giants. 1 2 Seattle clinched the NFC West title instead of St. Louis based on division record (4–2 to St. Louis' 3–3). 1 2 3 Green Bay clinched the NFC No. 6 seed based on better strength of victory (.475) than the NY Giants (.400) and Tampa Bay (.344). 1 2 3 4 5 Detroit and Minnesota finished ahead of San Francisco, Dallas and Washington based on conference record (5–7 to 4–8). 1 2 Detroit finished ahead of Minnesota in the NFC North based on division record (2–4 to Minnesota's 1–5). 1 2 San Francisco finished ahead of Dallas based on record versus common opponents (2–3 versus Dallas’ 1–4 against Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay and Arizona). 1 2 Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on division record (3–3 to Washington's 2–4). ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Preseason results
### Pro Football Hall of Fame Game – vs Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio
* Date: August 8
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 22,364
* Recap TV Announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth & Andrea Kremer
Game information :
First Quarter-
Dal- D. Buehler 20-yard field goal (14 plays, 63 yards; 5:35)
Second Quarter-
Dal- D.Buehler 34 yd. Field Goal (8 plays, 39 yards; 4:23)
Third Quarter-
Dal- D.Buehler 23 yd. Field Goal (4 plays, 3 yards; 0:47)
Fourth Quarter-
Dal- B. Sharpe 6 yd. interception return (D.Buehler kick)
Cin- D. Hill 1-yard pass from J. Palmer (D. Rayner kick) (2 plays, 2 yards; 0:43)
Game leaders
Passing: S. McGee (DAL)- 12/22 116 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: T. Choice (DAL)- 7 ATT 41 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: J. Phillips (DAL)- 4 REC 60 yards, 0 TD :

### Preseason Week 1 – vs Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: August 12
* Game weather: Played indoors, retractable roof closed
* Game attendance: 72,282
* Recap
Game information :
First Quarter
Dal- D.Buehler 42-yard FieldGoal (12 plays, 45 yards; 6:35)
Second Quarter
No scoring plays
Third Quarter
Dal- D.Buehler 27-yard FieldGoal (9 plays, 69 yards; 4:46)
Fourth Quarter
Dal- D.Buehler 28-yard FieldGoal (4 plays, 1 yard; 2:30)
Oak- N.Miller 4-yard pass from K.Boller (S.Waters kick) (13 plays, 80 yards; 5:43)
Oak- S.Janikowski 28-yard FieldGoal (7 plays, 54 yards; 2:04)
Oak- J.Boyd 48-yard interception return (S.Janikowski kick)
Game leaders
Passing: K. Boller (OAK) – 12/21 148 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: M. Bennett (OAK) – 12 ATT 68 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: S. Hurd (DAL) – 4 REC 57 yards, 0 TD
Scoring Leader: D. Buehler (DAL) – 9 PTS :

### Preseason Week 2 – at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: August 21
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 64,372
* Recap
Game information :
First Quarter-
SD- P.Rivers 1-yard run (N.Kaeding kick) (11 plays, 40 yards; 6:14)
Second Quarter-
Dal- M.Austin 9-yard pass from T.Romo (D.Buehler kick) (3 plays, 8 yards; 0:50)
Third Quarter-
SD- M.Mason 4-yard run (N.Novak kick) (8 plays, 87 yards; 4:28)
Fourth Quarter-
Dal- M.Bennett 19-yard pass from J.Kitna (D.Buehler kick) (10 plays, 67 yards; 4:37)
Dal- R.Otterson Tackled by V.Butler in end zone for a safety (1 plays, 0 yards; 0:00)
Game leaders
Passing: P. Rivers (SD)- 11/15 125 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: R. Matthews (SD)- 12 ATT 53 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: S. Ajirotutu (SD)- 3 REC 71 yards, 0 TD :

### Preseason Week 3 – at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Texans | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: August 28
* Game weather: Played indoors, retractable roof closed
* Game attendance: 70,725
* Recap
Game information :
First Quarter-
Hou- J.Jones 24-yard pass from M.Schaub (Neil Rackers kick) (6 plays, 66 yards; 3:20)
Second Quarter-
Hou- N.Rackers 23-yard FieldGoal (17 plays, 74 yards; 7:32)
Hou- K.Brown 22-yard FieldGoal (2 plays, 58 yards; 3:55)
Third Quarter-
Hou- A.Foster 3-yard run (K.Brown kick) (9 plays, 80 yards; 4:06)
Hou- N.Rackers 23-yard FieldGoal (6 plays, 27 yards; 3:25)
Fourth Quarter-
Dal- K.Ogletree 24-yard pass from J.Kitna (D.Buehler kick) (5 plays, 53 yards; 2:08)
Game leaders
Passing: M. Schaub (HOU)- 18/29 183 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: A. Foster (HOU)- 18 ATT 110 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: A. Johnson (HOU)- 7 REC 79 yards, 0 TD :

### Preseason Week 4 – vs Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 25 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: September 2
* Game weather: Played indoors, retractable roof closed
* Game attendance: 71,805
* Recap
Game information :
First Quarter-
Mia- D.Carpenter 28-yard FieldGoal (12 plays, 46 yards; 5:41)
Second Quarter-
Dal- S.Hurd 43-yard pass from S.Mcgee (D.Buehler kick) (4 plays, 54 yards; 2:08)
Mia- B.Hartline 2-yard pass from C.Pennington (D.Carpenter kick) (11 plays, 80 yards; 5:28)
Dal- D.Buehler 51-yard FieldGoal (8 plays, 49 yards; 1:00)
Third Quarter-
Dal- D.Buehler 45-yard FieldGoal (10 plays, 41 yards; 5:16)
Dal- D.Buehler 40-yard FieldGoal (8 plays, 33 yards; 2:47)
Fourth Quarter-
Mia- M.Moore 3-yard pass from T.Thigpen (D.Carpenter kick) (8 plays, 63 yards; 3:03)
Dal- H.Donaldson 1-yard run (L.Miller run for Two-Point Conversion) (12 plays, 77 yards; 6:23)
Mia- R.Wallace 6-yard pass from T.Thigpen (L.Hilliard run for Two-Point Conversion) (7 plays, 72 yards; 3:18)
Dal- D.Buehler 31-yard FieldGoal (10 plays, 75 yards; 2:22)
Game leaders
Passing: S. McGee (DAL)- 27/42 304 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: R. Williams (MIA)- 2 ATT 45 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: R. Wallace (MIA)- 3 REC 59 yards, 1 TD :

## Regular season results
### Week 1: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Redskins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Game time: 8:20 PM EDT (7:20 PM CDT)
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 90,670
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Andrea Kremer
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, Redskins 3–0, Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:26.
Second quarter
WAS – DeAngelo Hall 32 fumble return (Graham Gano kick), Redskins 10–0.
Third quarter
DAL – Miles Austin 4-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Redskins 10–7, Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 3:26.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Graham Gano 49-yard field goal, Redskins 13–7, Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:24.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 31/47, 282 yards, 1 touchdown
WAS – Donovan McNabb – 15/32, 171 yards
Top rushers
DAL – Marion Barber – 8 rushes, 39 yards
WAS – Clinton Portis – 18 rushes, 63yards
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin – 10 receptions, 146 yards, 1 touchdown
WAS – Chris Cooley – 6 receptions, 80 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Alan Ball – 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble; DeMarcus Ware – 6 tackles, 1 sack
WAS – LaRon Landry – 13 tackles, 4 assists :
The Dallas Cowboys began their season at FedExField on Sunday night against their NFC East rival, the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys trailed early in the first quarter as Redskins kicker Graham Gano got a 29-yard field goal. Dallas would then trail in the second quarter as cornerback DeAngelo Hall returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, Dallas would finally get on the board as quarterback Tony Romo completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Austin. Washington would respond in the fourth quarter as Gano made a 49-yard field goal. Afterwards, Romo threw what would have been the game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roy Williams, but a holding call on offensive tackle Alex Barron effectively ended the game.
With the loss, the Cowboys began their season at 0–1.

### Week 2: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 10 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT (12:00 PM CDT)
* Game weather: Played indoors, retractable roof closed
* Game attendance: 85,168
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 38-yard field goal, Bears 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:37.
DAL – Dez Bryant 62-yard punt return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–3.
CHI – Greg Olsen 39-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 10–7, Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:35.
Second quarter
DAL – Chris Gronkowski 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 14–10, Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:53.
CHI – Devin Hester 9-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 17–14, Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 4:38.
CHI – Robbie Gould 40-yard field goal, Bears 20–14, Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 1:19.
Third quarter
DAL – David Buehler 28-yard field goal, Bears 20–17, Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:24.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 3-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 27–17, Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:07.
DAL – David Buehler 48-yard field goal, Bears 27–20, Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 1:28.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/29, 277 yards, 3 touchdowns
DAL – Tony Romo – 3451, 374 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 10 rushes, 29 yards
DAL – Marion Barber – 11 rushes, 31 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Johnny Knox – 4 receptions, 86 yards
DAL – Miles Austin – 10 receptions, 142 yards
Top tacklers
CHI – Zack Bowman – 8 tackles, 2 assists
DAL – Bradie James – 5 tackles, 1 assist :
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Redskins the Cowboys played at home ground for an NFC duel with the Bears. In the first quarter Dallas trailed early as kicker Robbie Gould nailed a 38-yard field goal. Then they replied with wide receiver Dez Bryant returning a punt 62 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Bears got the lead back when quarterback Jay Cutler made a 39-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen. In the 2nd quarter the Cowboys replied again when quarterback Tony Romo made a 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Chris Gronkowski, but fell behind with Cutler making a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Hester, followed by kicker Robbie Gould making a 40-yard field goal. In the third quarter Dallas would reply with kicker David Buehler nailing a 28-yard field goal. However, they continued to struggle in the fourth quarter when Cutler made a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Matt Forte, but the Cowboys made the final score of the game when Buehler got a 48-yard field goal.
With the loss, Dallas fell to 0–2 for the first time since 2001 when they finished 5–11.

### Week 3: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT or 1:00 p.m. Eastern
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,456
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 24-yard field goal, Texans 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:19.
DAL – Marion Barber 1-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–3, Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:30.
DAL – David Buehler 49-yard field goal, Cowboys 10–3, Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
DAL – Roy E. Williams 15-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 17–3, Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 4:02.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 30-yard field goal, Cowboys 17–6, Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:31.
DAL – Roy E. Williams 63-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 24–6, Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:10.
DAL – David Buehler 40-yard field goal, Cowboys 27–6, Drive: 10 plays, 29 yards, 5:28.
HOU – Kevin Walter 7-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Cowboys 27–13, Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 2:21.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 23/30, 284 yards, 2 touchdowns
HOU – Matt Schaub – 23/32, 241 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
DAL – Marion Barber – 17 rushes, 55 yards, 1 touchdown
HOU – Arian Foster – 17 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Roy E. Williams – 5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 touchdowns
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 64 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Terence Newman, Gerald Sensabaugh – 7 tackles
HOU – Bernard Pollard – 6 tackles, 9 assists :
Still looking for their first win, the Cowboys flew to Reliant Stadium for a Texas rivalry match against the Houston Texans. Dallas trailed early in the second quarter when kicker Neil Rackers hit a 24-yard field goal. Then they took the lead with running back Marion Barber getting a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker David Buehler's 49-yard field goal. The Cowboys increased their lead in the third quarter when quarterback Tony Romo completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roy E. Williams. Houston replied with Rackers nailing a 30-yard field goal, but Dallas continued to score when Romo found Williams again on a 63-yard touchdown pass. Then David Buehler made a 40-yard field goal. The Texans would finally score when quarterback Matt Schaub made a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kevin Walter; the Texans' onside kick attempt was good, but an interception made by Dallas safety Danny McCray ended any chances of a Texans comeback.
With the win, Dallas went into its bye week at 1–2.

### Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 10 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 90,616
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Nate Washington 24-yard pass from Vince Young (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
TEN – Rob Bironas 52-yard field goal, Titans 10–0, Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:41.
DAL – David Buehler 51-yard field goal, Titans 10–3, Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:25.
Second quarter
TEN – Kenny Britt 12-yard pass from Vince Young (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 17–3, Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:29.
DAL – Roy E. Williams 12-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Titans 17–10, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 1:42.
Third quarter
DAL – Miles Austin 69-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Tied 17–17, Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:26.
TEN – Rob Bironas 40-yard field goal, Titans 20–17, Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:53.
Fourth quarter
DAL – David Buehler 26-yard field goal, Tied 20–20, Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:05.
TEN – Chris Johnson 1-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 27–20, Drive: 1 plays, 1 yards, 0:04.
DAL – Jason Witten 18-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Tied 27–27, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:56.
TEN – Chris Johnson 1-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 34–27, Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:02.
Top passers
TEN – Vince Young – 12/25, 173 yards, 2 touchdowns
DAL – Tony Romo – 31/46, 406 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
Top rushers
TEN – Chris Johnson – 19 rushes, 131 yards, 2 touchdowns
DAL – Felix Jones – 15 rushes, 109 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Kenny Britt – 4 receptions, 86 yards, 1 touchdown
DAL – Miles Austin – 9 receptions, 166 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
TEN – Stephen Tulloch – 8 tackles, 5 assists, 1 interception
DAL – Bradie James – 5 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble :
Coming off their road win over the Texans, the Cowboys went home for a Week 5 interconference duel with the Tennessee Titans. Dallas trailed early in the first quarter as Titans quarterback Vince Young completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nate Washington, followed by kicker Rob Bironas making a 52-yard field goal. The Cowboys answered with a 51-yard field goal from kicker David Buehler. However, Tennessee came right back in the second quarter as Young found wide receiver Kenny Britt on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Dallas would strike back as quarterback Tony Romo hooked up with wide receiver Roy Williams on a 6-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the Cowboys tied the game as Romo found wide receiver Miles Austin on a 69-yard touchdown pass. However, the Titans would retake the lead on Bironas' 40-yard field goal. Dallas tied the game again in the fourth quarter as Buehler booted a 26-yard field goal, but Tennessee struck back as running back Chris Johnson got a 1-yard touchdown. Afterwards, the Cowboys would tie the game yet again as Romo found tight end Jason Witten on an 18-yard touchdown pass. However, the Titans continued to pound away as Johnson got another 1-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, Dallas fell to 1–3.

### Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Game time: 4:15 PM EDT (3:15 PM CDT)
* Game weather: None (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,120
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Roy E. Williams 15-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–0, Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:03.
MIN – Greg Camarillo 10-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 1:25.
Second quarter
DAL – Roy E. Williams 2-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 14–7, Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 7:05.
Third quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 95-yard kickoff return (Ryan Longwell kick), Tied 14–14, Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), Vikings 21–14, Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:19.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 31-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Tied 21–21, Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:25.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 38-yard field goal, Vikings 24–21, Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:30.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 24/32, 220 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
MIN – Brett Favre – 14/19, 118 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 14 rushes, 32 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 24 rushes, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DAL – Felix Jones – 10 receptions, 61 yards
MIN – Randy Moss – 5 receptions, 55 yards
Top tacklers
DAL – Bradie James – 9 tackles, 1 assist
MIN – Chad Greenway – 8 tackles, 4 assists :
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Titans, the Cowboys flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 6 duel with the Minnesota Vikings. Dallas delivered the opening punch in the first quarter as quarterback Tony Romo found wide receiver Roy Williams on a 15-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings answered with quarterback Brett Favre completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Camarillo. In the second quarter, the Cowboys regained the lead as Romo and Williams hooked up with each other again on a 2-yard touchdown pass.
Minnesota took the lead in the third quarter as wide receiver Percy Harvin returned the half's opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, followed by running back Adrian Peterson's 1-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, Dallas tied the game as Romo connected with rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant on a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings responded with kicker Ryan Longwell making a 38-yard field goal.
With only 5 seconds left in the game, the Cowboys attempted a lateral play, in a fashion similar to The Play, River City Relay, and the Music City Miracle. However, Romo was then flagged for throwing a forward pass after crossing the line of scrimmage, ending the game.
With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 1–4.

### Week 7: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 41 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 35 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 8:30 PM EDT (7:30 PM CDT)
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Roof open)
* Game attendance: 91,375
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
* recap
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Jason Witten 3-yard pass from Tony Romo (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–0, Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:49.
DAL – David Buehler 26-yard field goal, Cowboys 10–0, Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 2:54.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 7-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Cowboys 10–7, Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:10.
Second quarter
DAL – David Buehler 41-yard field goal, Cowboys 13–7, Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:10.
DAL – Dez Bryant 93-yard punt return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 20–7.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 8-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Cowboys 20–14, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
NYG – Steve Smith 14-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Giants 21–20, Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:01.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 53-yard field goal, Giants 24–20, Drive: 5 plays, 9 yards, 0:34.
Third quarter
NYG – Mario Manningham 25-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Giants 31–20, Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:21.
NYG – Brandon Jacobs 30-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), Giants 38–20, Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:49.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 15-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Jon Kitna – Jason Witten pass), Giants 38–28, Drive: 1 plays, 15 yards, 0:05.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 26-yard field goal, Giants 41–28, Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 1:22.
DAL – Dez Bryant 15-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Giants 41–35, Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:15.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 25/35, 306 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
DAL – Jon Kitna – 16/33, 187 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 24 rushes, 126 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 9 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 9 receptions, 108 yards, 2 touchdowns
DAL – Jason Witten – 9 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 9 receptions, 108 yards, 2 touchdowns
DAL – Jason Witten – 9 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown :
Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Cowboys went home for a Week 7 NFC East duel with the New York Giants on Monday night. Dallas got the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback Tony Romo found tight end Jason Witten on a 4-yard touchdown run, followed by a 26-yard field goal from kicker David Buehler. The Giants answered with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. The Cowboys would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Buehler booted a 41-yard field goal, followed by rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant returning a punt 93 yards for a touchdown. New York took the lead with Manning throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Nicks and a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith. Afterwards, the Giants closed out the half with kicker Lawrence Tynes getting a 53-yard field goal. During the half, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle on a completion from a blocking error.
Dallas' deficit increased in the third quarter as Manning completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mario Manningham, followed by running back Brandon Jacobs getting a 30-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys began to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback Jon Kitna found Bryant on a 15-yard touchdown pass (with a successful two-point conversion pass to Witten), yet New York answered with a 26-yard field goal from Tynes. Dallas tried to rally as Kitna hooked up with Bryant again on a 15-yard touchdown pass. With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 1–5.

### Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,395
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Game Recap
Game information :
Scoring
First quarter
DAL – David Buehler 34-yard field goal, Cowboys 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:14.
JAC – Mike Sims-Walker 10-yard pass from David Garrard (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 7–3, Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:56.
Second quarter
JAC – Marcedes Lewis 42-yard pass from David Garrard (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 14–3, Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:53.
Third quarter
JAC – Mike Thomas 15-yard pass from David Garrard (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 21–3, Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:46.
JAC – Marcedes Lewis 9-yard pass from David Garrard (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 28–3, Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 1:55.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Marion Barber 1-yard run (David Buehler kick), Jaguars 28–10, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:41.
JAC – David Garrard 2-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 35–10, Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 1:27.
DAL – Jason Witten 8-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Jaguars 35–17, Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
JAC – David Garrard – 17/21, 260 yards, 4 touchdowns
DAL – Jon Kitna – 34/49, 379 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 interceptions
Top rushers
JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 27 rushes, 135 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 8 rushes, 22 yards
Top receivers
JAC – Mike Sims-Walker – 8 receptions, 153 yards, 1 touchdown
DAL – Miles Austin – 7 receptions, 117 yards
Top tacklers
JAC – Justin Durant – 9 tackles, 3 assists
DAL – Keith Brooking – 6 tackles, 4 assists :
Hoping to break their current losing streak the Cowboys played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Jaguars. In the first quarter the Cowboys took the lead as kicker David Buehler hit a 34-yard field goal. But they fell behind with quarterback David Garrard getting a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker. In the second quarter, the Cowboys struggled further with Garrard finding tight end Marcedes Lewis on a 42-yard touchdown pass, then in the third quarter he found wide receiver Mike Thomas on a 15-yard touchdown pass, and then he found Lewis again on a 9-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys responded in the 4th quarter with running back Marion Barber getting a 1-yard touchdown run. But the Jaguars scored again with Garrard scrambling 2 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Cowboys replied with quarterback Jon Kitna making an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten.
With the loss, Dallas fell to 1–6.

### Week 9: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Packers | 0 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: November 7
* Game time: 8:20 PM EST (7:20 PM CST)
* Game attendance: 70,913
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Andrea Kremer
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
GB – Brandon Jackson 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 7–0, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:20.
GB – Brandon Jackson 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 14–0, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:52.
GB – Greg Jennings 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 21–0, Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, 4:56.
GB – Nick Collins 26-yard fumble return (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 28–0.
DAL – Dez Bryant 2-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Packers 28–7, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:58.
Third quarter
GB – James Jones 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 35–7, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:48.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 26-yard field goal, Packers 38–7, Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 9:13.
GB – Clay Matthews 62-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 45–7.
Top passers
DAL – Jon Kitna – 19/30, 183 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 27/34, 289 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 5 rushes, 16 yards
GB – John Kuhn – 13 rushes, 50 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 9 receptions, 86 yards, 1 touchdown
GB – James Jones – 8 receptions, 123 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DAL – Keith Brooking – 8 tackles, 2 assists
GB – Charles Woodson – 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble :
Looking for their second win the Cowboys flew to Lambeau Field for an NFC duel with the Packers. The second quarter saw the Cowboys trail immediately after quarterback Aaron Rodgers got a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Brandon Jackson. This was followed by Jackson making a 2-yard touchdown run, and with Rodgers completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings. The Cowboys struggled further after free safety Nick Collins recovered a fumble and ran 26 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys would make their only score of the game with quarterback Jon Kitna making a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dez Bryant. They fell further behind after Rodgers found wide receiver Jones on a 10-yard touchdown pass, and with Crosby hitting a 26-yard field goal. The Cowboys had more problems when Kitna's pass was intercepted by outside linebacker Clay Matthews and returned 62 yards for a touchdown.
With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 1–7. After the game, head coach Wade Phillips was fired and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett became the interim head coach.

### Week 10: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 6 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 33 |
| Giants | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
at New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST (3:15 PM CST)
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 80,851
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 43-yard field goal, Giants 3–0, 'Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:11.
DAL – Dez Bryant 13-yard pass from Jon Kitna (kick blocked), Cowboys 6–3, 'Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:36.
Second quarter
DAL – David Buehler 22-yard field goal, Cowboys 9–3, 'Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:36.
DAL – Bryan McCann 101-yard interception return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 16–3.
DAL – David Buehler 23-yard field goal, Cowboys 19–3, 'Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 1:55.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 25-yard field goal, Cowboys 19–6, 'Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
DAL – Felix Jones 71-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 26–6, 'Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:04.
NYG – Mario Manningham 5-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Cowboys 26–13, 'Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 5:00.
DAL – Miles Austin 24-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 33–13, 'Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:29.
NYG – Kevin Boss 35-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), Cowboys 33–20, 'Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 1:08.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
DAL – Jon Kitna – 13/22, 327 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
NYG – Eli Manning – 33/48, 373 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 14 rushes, 51 yards
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 20 rushes, 73 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 3 receptions, 104 yards, 1 touchdowns
NYG – Mario Manningham – 10 receptions, 91 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DAL – Bradie James – 7 tackles, 6 assists
NYG – Terrell Thomas – 5 tackles, 3 assists :
Trying to snap a five-game losing streak, the Cowboys flew to New Meadowlands Stadium for a Week 10 NFC East rematch with the New York Giants. Dallas trailed in the first quarter as Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes made a 43-yard field goal. The Cowboys answered with quarterback Jon Kitna connecting to rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant on a 13-yard touchdown pass (with a blocked extra point). Dallas added onto their lead in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal from kicker David Buehler, followed by rookie cornerback Bryan McCann returning an interception 101 yards for a touchdown and Buehler's 23-yard field goal. New York answered with Tynes making a 25-yard field goal.
The Cowboys continued its dominating day in the third quarter as Kitna found running back Felix Jones on a 71-yard touchdown pass. The Giants responded with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mario Manningham, yet Dallas rebounded with Kitna hooking up with wide receiver Miles Austin on a 24-yard touchdown pass. However, New York continued its persistent play with Manning completing a 35-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss. Fortunately, the Cowboys' defense held its ground in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.
The game was delayed in the third quarter for about fifteen minutes when the lights at the New Meadowlands Stadium went out. Since it was already dark outside in New Jersey by that time, it was totally dark in the stadium.
With the win, Dallas improved to 2–7.

### Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 19 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST (12:00 PM CST)
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 81,261
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
* http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010112105/2010/REG11/lions@cowboys
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 1-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–0, 'Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 7:16.
Second quarter
DET – Dave Rayner 47-yard field goal, Cowboys 7–3, 'Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:20.
DET – Nate Burleson 9-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Dave Rayner kick), Lions 10–7, 'Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 0:19.
Third quarter
DET – Penalty on Leonard Davis enforced in endzone for a safety, Lions 12–7.
DAL – Bryan McCann 97-yard punt return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 14–12.
DAL – Miles Austin 3-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 21–12, 'Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 2:07.
DET – Calvin Johnson 14-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Dave Rayner kick), Cowboys 21–19, 'Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:23.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Miles Austin 4-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Dave Rayner kick), Cowboys 28–19, 'Drive: 16 plays, 71 yards, 7:55.
DAL – Jon Kitna 29-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 35–19, 'Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:40.
Top passers
DET – Shaun Hill – 32/47, 289 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
DAL – Jon Kitna – 18/24, 147 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Maurice Morris – 10 rushes, 31 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 11 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
DET – Nate Burleson – 7 receptions, 97 yards, 1 touchdown
DAL – Jason Witten – 4 receptions, 48 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Ndamukong Suh – 5 tackles, 3 sacks, 0.5 sack
DAL – Keith Brooking – 7 tackles, 4 assists :
The Cowboys' tenth game was an NFC duel with the Lions. In the first quarter the Cowboys pulled ahead with quarterback Jon Kitna making a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dez Bryant. The Lions replied with kicker Dave Rayner nailing a 47-yard field goal. The Cowboys trailed with quarterback Shaun Hill making a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nate Burleson, followed by a penalty on Leonard Davis which was enforced to the endzone for a safety. The Cowboys got the lead back with defensive back Bryan McCann returning a punt 97 yards for a touchdown, which was followed by Kitna making a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Austin. The lead was narrowed with Hill completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Johnson. The Cowboys increased their lead with Kitna finding Austin again on a 4-yard touchdown pass, followed by Kitna's 29-yard scramble to the endzone for a touchdown, which was his longest run of his career.
Cowboys interim head coach Jason Garrett won his home debut and improved to 2–0 since taking over for Wade Phillips. It was the first time this season Dallas (3–7) had won consecutive games and the first time all season they won at home, having lost the first four. The Lions (2–8) lost their 26th straight on the road, extending a woeful NFL record that began in 2007, when Kitna was their quarterback. Detroit led 12–7 and was consistently stuffing the Cowboys' offense midway through the third quarter when John Wedling jumped over the goal line and tapped a punt back into the field of play. It hopped up waist-high and right to McCann, and the speedster turned it into the second-longest punt return in franchise history – a week after a 101-yard interception return that was the longest in club history. With the win the Cowboys improved to 3–7 on the season.

### Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints

Thanksgiving Day game
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 17 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST (3:15 PM CST)
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 93,985
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Chris Ivory 3-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), Saints 7–0, 'Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.
NO – Garrett Hartley 50-yard field goal, Saints 10–0, 'Drive: 4 plays, −1 yards, 1:31.
NO – Chris Ivory 6-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), Saints 17–0, 'Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:59.
Second quarter
DAL – David Buehler 21-yard field goal, Saints 17–3, 'Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 7:41.
NO – Garrett Hartley 45-yard field goal, Saints 20–3, 'Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 4:30.
DAL – David Buehler 53-yard field goal, Saints 20–6, 'Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
DAL – Miles Austin 60-yard run (David Buehler kick), Saints 20–13, 'Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:59.
NO – Garrett Hartley 28-yard field goal, Saints 23–13, 'Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:31.
DAL – Marion Barber 1-yard run (David Buehler kick), Saints 23–20, 'Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:55.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Tashard Choice 1-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 27–23, 'Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:08.
NO – Lance Moore 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), Saints 30–27, 'Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:08.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 23/39, 352 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
DAL – Jon Kitna – 30/42, 313 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
NO – Julius Jones – 10 rushes, 45 yards
DAL – Miles Austin – 1 rush, 60 yard, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 6 receptions, 105 yards
DAL – Jason Witten – 10 receptions, 99 yards
Top tacklers
NO – Jonathan Vilma – 8 tackles, 3 assists
DAL – Terence Newman – 8 tackles :
The Cowboys hosted the Saints in their annual Thanksgiving Day game. The Cowboys trailed early with running back Chris Ivory getting a 3-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker Garrett Hartley getting a 50-yard field goal, and then by Ivory making a 6-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys cut the lead as kicker David Buehler got a 21-yard field goal, but the Saints replied as Hartley nailed a 45-yard field goal. The Cowboys tried to come back as Buehler hit a 53-yard field goal, followed by Miles Austin getting a 60-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys trailed further with Hartley making a 28-yard field goal, but took the lead with Marion Barber III and Tashard Choice getting a 1-yard touchdown run. They failed to maintain this lead when quarterback Drew Brees completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lance Moore.
With the loss, Dallas fell to 3–8.

### Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 10 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 38 |
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 35 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST
* Game weather: 4:15 PM EST
* Game attendance: 67,471
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Tashard Choice 20-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 7–0, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:45.
DAL – David Buehler 30-yard field goal, Cowboys 10–0, Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:40.
Second quarter
DAL – Orlando Scandrick 40-yard interception return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 17–0.
IND – Pierre Garçon 13-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Adam Vinatieri kick), Cowboys 17–7, Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:15.
Third quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 34-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Adam Vinatieri kick), Cowboys 17–14, Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:07.
DAL – David Buehler 46-yard field goal, Cowboys 20–14, Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 3:45.
DAL – Sean Lee 31-yard interception return (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 27–14.
Fourth quarter
IND – Javarris James 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), Cowboys 27–21, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:57.
IND – Taj Smith 2-yard return of blocked punt (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 28–27.
DAL – Jason Witten 2-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Jon Kitna – Roy E. Williams pass), Cowboys 35–28, Drive: 18 plays, 81 yards, 10:18.
IND – Javarris James 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), Tied 35–35, Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 2:09.
Overtime
DAL – David Buehler 38-yard field goal, Cowboys 38–35,Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:16.
Top passers
DAL – Jon Kitna – 18/26, 167 yards, 1 touchdown
IND – Peyton Manning – 36/48, 365 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
Top rushers
DAL – Tashard Choice – 19 rushes, 100 yards, 1 touchdown
IND – Javarris James – 6 rushes, 18 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin – 4 receptions, 47 yards
IND – Reggie Wayne – 14 receptions, 200 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DAL – Mike Jenkins – 8 tackles, 1 assist
IND – Antoine Bethea – 11 tackles, 4 assists :
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Super Bowl champion Saints, the Cowboys played against the Super Bowl runners-up Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Cowboys commanded the first quarter when Tashard Choice got a 20-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker David Buehler nailing a 30-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Cowboys increased their lead as cornerback Orlando Scandrick returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. The lead was narrowed when quarterback Peyton Manning made a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pierre Garçon, followed in the third quarter by Manning getting a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne. The Cowboys extended their lead with Buehler hitting a 46-yard field goal, followed by Sean Lee returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown. They trailed slightly as RB Javarris James got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by Mat McBriar's punt getting blocked and returned 2 yards for a touchdown by Taj Smith. They replied to get the lead back as quarterback Jon Kitna completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten (With a successful 2-point conversion as Kitna passed to wide receiver Roy E. Williams), but the game was tied when James got a 2-yard touchdown run. In overtime, Manning threw his fourth interception, (which totalled 11 interceptions in three consecutive games.) to linebacker Sean Lee, which soon converted into a successful 38-yard field goal attempt by Buehler, giving the Cowboys the win.
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 4–8.

### Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 30 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 8:20 PM EST (7:20 PM CST)
* Game weather: None (Dome Closed)
* Game attendance: 85,673
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Michael Vick 1-yard run (David Akers kick), Eagles 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:13.
DAL – Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:14.
Second quarter
PHI – Todd Herremans 2-yard pass from Michael Vick (David Akers kick), Eagles 14–7, Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 3:00.
DAL – David Buehler 50-yard field goal, Eagles 14–10, Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
DAL – David Buehler 43-yard field goal, Eagles 14–13, Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:42.
DAL – Felix Jones 3-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 20–14, Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 1:34.
PHI – David Akers 39-yard field goal, Cowboys 20–17, Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:38.
Fourth quarter
PHI – David Akers 50-yard field goal, Tied 20–20, Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 4:18.
PHI – DeSean Jackson 91-yard pass from Michael Vick, Eagles 27–20, Drive: 1 plays, 91 yards, 0:19.
PHI – David Akers 28-yard field goal, Eagles 30–20, Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:54.
DAL – Jason Witten 22-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Eagles 30–27, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
PHI – Michael Vick – 16/26, 270 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
DAL – Jon Kitna – 24/35, 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 16 rushes, 149 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 13 rushes, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
PHI – DeSean Jackson – 4 receptions, 210 yards, 1 touchdown
DAL – Jason Witten – 7 receptions, 69 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
PHI – Jamar Chaney – 5 tackles, 2 assists
DAL – Terence Newman – 7 tackles :
Coming off their win over the Colts, the Cowboys went home for a Week 14 NFC East duel with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Dallas trailed early in the first quarter as Eagles quarterback Michael Vick got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys answered with quarterback Jon Kitna finding tight end Jason Witten on a 1-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles regained the lead in the second quarter with Vick completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to offensive guard Todd Herremans. Afterwards, Dallas closed out the half with a 50-yard field goal from kicker David Buehler.
The Cowboys took the lead in the third quarter with Buehler's 43-yard field goal, followed by a 3-yard touchdown run from running back Felix Jones. Philadelphia struck back with kicker David Akers getting a 39-yard field goal. The Eagles took the lead again in the fourth quarter with Akers booting a 50-yard field goal, followed by Vick completing a 91-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Akers making a 28-yard field goal. Dallas tried to rally as Kitna hooked up with Witten again on a 22-yard touchdown pass, yet the Eagles held on for the win.
With the loss, the Cowboys clinched their first losing season since 2004 and fell to 4–9. Also with this loss, they were eliminated from playoff contention.

### Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 30 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 33 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST (12:00 PM CST)
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C) (Roof open)
* Game attendance: 86,904
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – David Buehler 42-yard field goal, Cowboys 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:14.
DAL – Miles Austin 3-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 10–0, Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:34.
Second quarter
DAL – David Buehler 20-yard field goal, Cowboys 13–0, Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:27.
WAS – Ryan Torain 19-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), Cowboys 13–7, Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:15.
DAL – Jason Witten 14-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 20–7, Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:51.
Third quarter
DAL – Tashard Choice 3-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cowboys 27–7, Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:04.
WAS – Santana Moss 10-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), Cowboys 27–14, Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:17.
DAL – David Buehler 20-yard field goal, Cowboys 30–14, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:23.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Santana Moss 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Rex Grossman – Chris Cooley pass), Cowboys 30–22, Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 5:42.
WAS – Chris Cooley 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Rex Grossman – Mike Sellers pass), Tied 30–30, Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:03.
DAL – David Buehler 39-yard field goal, Cowboys 33–30, Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:21.
Top passers
WAS – Rex Grossman – 25/43, 322 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
DAL – Jon Kitna – 25/37, 305 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
WAS – Ryan Torain – 11 rushes, 53 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 12 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Anthony Armstrong – 5 receptions, 100 yards
DAL – Jason Witten – 10 receptions, 140 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
WAS – London Fletcher – 7 tackles, 4 assists
DAL – DeMarcus Ware – 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble :
The Cowboys' fourteenth game was an NFC East rivalry rematch against the Redskins at home. In the first quarter the Cowboys took the lead with kicker David Buehler hitting a 42-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Jon Kitna throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Austin; then Buehler made a 20-yard field goal to put Dallas up 13–0. The lead was narrowed when quarterback Rex Grossman completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to running back Ryan Torain, but the Cowboys increased their lead with Kitna making a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten, followed by running back Tashard Choice getting a 3-yard touchdown run. The Redskins replied with Grossman getting a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santana Moss, but the Cowboys scored again with Buehler got a 20-yard field goal. Washington managed to tie the game with Grossman finding Moss on a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys managed to get the win after Buehler made a 39-yard field goal, settling both records at 5–9.

### Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Game time: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 66,971
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (NFL Network): Bob Papa, Matt Millen and Joe Theismann
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 32-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 7–0.
ARI – Greg Toler 66-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 14–0.
Second quarter
DAL – David Buehler 42-yard field goal, Cardinals 14–3, Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 4:56.
ARI – Andre Roberts 74-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 21–3, Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:52.
DAL – Jason Witten 2-yard pass from Jon Kitna (David Buehler kick), Cardinals 21–10, Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:46.
Third quarter
DAL – David Buehler 53-yard field goal, Cardinals 21–13, Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:59.
DAL – Marion Barber 24-yard run (David Buehler kick), Cardinals 21–20, Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:42.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Jay Feely 49-yard field goal, Cardinals 24–20, Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:05.
DAL – Miles Austin 37-yard pass from Stephen McGee (David Buehler kick failed), Cowboys 26–24, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:04.
ARI – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, Cardinals 27–26, Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 1:36.
Top passers
DAL – Jon Kitna – 12/20, 115 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
ARI – John Skelton – 11/25, 183 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 16 rushes, 77 yards
ARI – Beanie Wells – 11 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin – 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown
ARI – Andre Roberts – 5 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DAL – Bradie James, Anthony Spencer – 5 tackles
ARI – Daryl Washington – 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble :
With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 5–10.

### Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST (3:15 p.m. CST)
* Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C), Light Drizzle
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers :
The Cowboys' final game was an NFC East rivalry rematch against the Eagles. In the 2nd quarter the Cowboys trailed early as quarterback Kevin Kolb threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Hall, but they tied the game after outside linebackrt DeMarcus Ware recovered a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown. They trailed slightly with kicker David Akers hitting a 43 and a 22-yard field goal, but the Cowboys fought back with quarterback Stephen McGee completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten (with the extra point good to take the lead and the win).
With the win, Dallas finished with a 6–10 record.