# 2020 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2020 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 61st in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Mike McCarthy. This was the first season since 2006 that Jason Garrett was not part of the coaching staff, as his contract expired on January 14, 2020. For the second time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, as he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 17, 2020. For the first time since 2012, center Travis Frederick was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on March 23, 2020.
The Cowboys failed to improve upon their 8–8 season from the previous year after their Thanksgiving loss to the Washington Football Team. The next week, they were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens to suffer their first losing season since 2015. Factors in their struggles during the season included multiple key injuries, most notably starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffering a compound fracture and dislocation to his ankle during their Week 5 win against the New York Giants. Their defense surrendered a per-game average of 29.6 points over a total of 6,183 yards gained. The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year in Week 17 via their loss to the New York Giants.

## Offseason
### Signings

| Position | Player | Age | 2019 team | Contract |
| QB | Andy Dalton | 33 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1 year, $7 million |
| TE | Blake Bell | 29 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 year, $1.7 million |
| OT | Cameron Erving | 28 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 year, $2.5 million |
| DE | Everson Griffen (††) | 33 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 year, $6 million |
| DE | Aldon Smith | 31 | Did not play | 1 year, $4 million |
| DT | Dontari Poe (†) | 30 | Carolina Panthers | 2 years, $10.5 million |
| DT | Gerald McCoy (*) | 32 | Carolina Panthers | 3 years, $18.3 million |
| CB | Maurice Canady (**) | 26 | New York Jets | 1 year, $1.25 million |
| CB | Brandon Carr (†) | 34 | Baltimore Ravens | 1 year, $1.05 million |
| CB | Daryl Worley (†) | 25 | Oakland Raiders | 1 year, $3 million |
| SS | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (*) | 27 | Chicago Bears | 1 year, $3.75 million |
| K | Greg Zuerlein | 33 | Los Angeles Rams | 3 years, $7.5 million |
(*) - Released before start of season
(**) - Opted out of season due to COVID
(†) - Later released
(††) - Later traded

### Re-signings

| Position | Player | Age | Contract |
| QB | Cooper Rush | 27 | 1 year, $1.25 million |
| WR | Amari Cooper | 26 | 5 years, $100 million |
| TE | Blake Jarwin | 26 | 3 years, $24.25 million |
| C | Joe Looney | 30 | 1 year, $2.4 million |
| C | Adam Redmond | 27 | 1 year, $143,000 |
| DT | Antwaun Woods | 27 | 1 year, $750,000 |
| LB | Sean Lee | 34 | 1 year, $4.5 million |
| LB | Justin March | 27 | 1 year, $1.04 million |
| LB | Joe Thomas | 29 | 1 year, $1.25 million |
| CB | Anthony Brown | 27 | 3 years, $15.5 million |
| CB | C. J. Goodwin | 30 | 1 year, $1 million |
| FS | Darian Thompson | 27 | 2 years, $2.8 million |
| LS | L. P. Ladouceur | 39 | 1 year, $1.05 million |

### Departures

| Position | Player | Age | 2020 team |
| WR | Tavon Austin | 30 | Green Bay Packers |
| WR | Randall Cobb | 30 | Houston Texans |
| WR | Devin Smith | 28 | New England Patriots |
| TE | Jason Witten | 38 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| OT | Cameron Fleming | 28 | New York Giants |
| G | Xavier Su'a-Filo | 29 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| C | Travis Frederick | 29 | Retired |
| DE | Michael Bennett | 35 | Retired |
| DE | Kerry Hyder | 29 | San Francisco 49ers |
| DE | Jalen Jelks | 24 | Washington Football Team |
| DE | Robert Quinn | 30 | Chicago Bears |
| DT | Maliek Collins | 25 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| DT | Christian Covington | 27 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| DT | Daniel Ross | 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| LB | Ray-Ray Armstrong | 29 | Seattle Seahawks |
| LB | Chris Covington | 24 | Indianapolis Colts |
| LB | Malcolm Smith | 31 | Cleveland Browns |
| CB | Byron Jones | 28 | Miami Dolphins |
| CB | Donovan Olumba | 24 | Unsigned |
| SS | Kavon Frazier | 26 | Miami Dolphins |
| SS | Jeff Heath | 29 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| K | Kai Forbath | 33 | Los Angeles Rams (via Chicago Bears) |

### Draft

2020 Dallas Cowboys draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 17 | CeeDee Lamb * | WR | Oklahoma | |
| 2 | 51 | Trevon Diggs * | CB | Alabama | |
| 3 | 82 | Neville Gallimore | DT | Oklahoma | |
| 4 | 123 | Reggie Robinson II | CB | Tulsa | |
| 4 | 146 | Tyler Biadasz * | C | Wisconsin | from Philadelphia |
| 5 | 179 | Bradlee Anae | DE | Utah | |
| 7 | 231 | Ben DiNucci | QB | James Madison | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* The Cowboys traded their sixth-round selection to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for defensive end Robert Quinn.
* The Cowboys were awarded a fifth-round compensatory draft pick for the loss of Cole Beasley during the 2019 free agency period.

## Preseason

The Cowboys would have played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and the Cowboys were to be represented by head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris. However, the game, the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement and the remainder of the preseason were later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers was rescheduled for 2021.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| HOF | August 6 | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 1 | August 16 | at Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2 | August 22 | Baltimore Ravens | AT&T Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 3 | August 29 | Kansas City Chiefs | AT&T Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 4 | September 3 | at Houston Texans | NRG Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |

## Regular season
### Schedule

The Cowboys' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 13 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 17–20 | 0–1 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | Atlanta Falcons | W 40–39 | 1–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 31–38 | 1–2 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 4 | Cleveland Browns | L 38–49 | 1–3 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 11 | New York Giants | W 37–34 | 2–3 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 19 | Arizona Cardinals | L 10–38 | 2–4 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 25 | at Washington Football Team | L 3–25 | 2–5 | FedExField | Recap |
| 8 | November 1 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 9–23 | 2–6 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 19–24 | 2–7 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | November 22 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 31–28 | 3–7 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | Washington Football Team | L 16–41 | 3–8 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 8 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 17–34 | 3–9 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–7 | 4–9 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | San Francisco 49ers | W 41–33 | 5–9 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 27 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 37–17 | 6–9 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 3 | at New York Giants | L 19–23 | 6–10 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Rams | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: September 13
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT/5:20 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Malcolm Brown 1-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 11:37. Rams 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
Second quarter
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 19-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:24. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:38.
LAR – Sam Sloman 35-yard field goal, 8:42. Rams 10-7. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 3:42.
LAR – Sam Sloman 31-yard field goal, 1:56. Rams 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:16.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:17. Cowboys 14-13. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 1:39.
Third quarter
LAR – Malcolm Brown 2-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 5:33. Rams 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:51.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 33-yard field goal, 1:50. Rams 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 1:53.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
DAL – Dak Prescott – 25/39, 266 yards, TD
LAR – Jared Goff – 20/31, 275 yards, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 22 rushes, 96 yards, TD
LAR – Malcolm Brown – 18 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DAL – Michael Gallup – 10 receptions, 81 yards
LAR – Robert Woods – 6 receptions, 105 yards :
Despite a fourth quarter comeback attempt, the Cowboys were unable to tie the game or take the lead after wide receiver Michael Gallup was controversially called for offensive pass interference, negating a 47-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott and leading to the Cowboys' final drive stalling. With the loss, Dallas started the season at 0–1.

#### Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 20 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 39 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 40 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 21,708
* Referee: Brad Rogers
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Calvin Ridley 22-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Younghoe Koo kick), 10:58. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 22 yards, 0:08.
ATL – Hayden Hurst 42-yard pass from Calvin Ridley (Younghoe Koo kick), 7:37. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:49.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 42-yard field goal, 4:26. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:26.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 27-yard field goal, 1:06. Falcons 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:04.
Second quarter
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:09. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:57.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 5:58. Falcons 26–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:11.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 33-yard field goal, 1:46. Falcons 26–10. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 4:12.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 41-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 29–10. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 1:44.
Third quarter
DAL – Dak Prescott 2-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:23. Falcons 29–17. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:37.
DAL – Dak Prescott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:14. Falcons 29–24. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 2:47.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Russell Gage 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Younghoe Koo kick), 14:23. Falcons 36–24. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 4:51.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 32-yard field goal, 7:57. Falcons 39–24. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:49.
DAL – Dalton Schultz 10-yard pass from Dak Prescott (run failed), 4:57. Falcons 39–30. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:00.
DAL – Dak Prescott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:49. Falcons 39–37. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 1:08.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 40–39. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:49.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/36, 273 yards, 4 TD
DAL – Dak Prescott – 34/47, 450 yards, TD
Top rushers
ATL – Todd Gurley – 21 rushes, 61 yards, TD
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 22 rushes, 89 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Calvin Ridley – 7 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD
DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 6 receptions, 106 yards :
The game began with the Cowboys falling behind 20–0 at the heaviest deficit. The Cowboys would start fighting back with Ezekiel Elliott's touchdown in the second quarter. The Falcons would re-boost their lead but failed the two-point conversion attempt. At halftime, the Cowboys would trail 29–10. Dak Prescott ran for two more touchdowns to cut the Falcons lead to 29–24. The Falcons added another ten points as the Cowboys trailed 39–24. Late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys scored 16 unanswered points to prevent the Cowboys from starting 0–2, as well as sending the Falcons to their first 0–2 start since 2007. They finished the comeback after they successfully recovered a Greg Zuerlein onside kick with 1:49 left in the game and drove down to the 30 yard-line, where Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired. This was the first time Dallas successfully kicked an onside kick since Week 17 of the 2014 season. With their first win, the Cowboys improved to 1–1 on the season. This win also makes the Cowboys the first team in NFL history to allow at least 39 points and win without defensive takeaways.

#### Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 9 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 31 |
| Seahawks | 9 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 38 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 27
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 43-yard field goal, 8:10. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 13 play, 55 yards, 5:20.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 43-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 6:39. Seahawks 7–3. Drive: 4 play, 75 yards, 1:31.
SEA – Ezekiel Elliott tackled in end zone by Bryan Mone for a safety, 6:36. Seahawks 9–3.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard run (kick failed), 1:40. Tied 9–9. Drive: 8 play, 65 yards, 3:07.
Second quarter
SEA – Tyler Lockett 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 6:53. Seahawks 16–9. Drive: 11 play, 71 yards, 4:38.
DAL – Cedrick Wilson Jr. 40-yard pass from Dak Prescott (kick blocked), 6:05. Seahawks 16–15. Drive: 3 play, 75 yards, 0:48.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 0:07. Seahawks 23–15. Drive: 5 play, 34 yards, 0:29.
Third quarter
SEA – Jacob Hollister 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 14:14. Seahawks 30–15. Drive: 2 play, 5 yards, 0:38.
DAL – Cedrick Wilson Jr. 42-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 5:47. Seahawks 30–22. Drive: 3 play, 94 yards, 0:39.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Michael Gallup 43-yard pass from Dak Prescott (pass failed), 13:07. Seahawks 30–28. Drive: 9 play, 89 yards, 3:22.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 42-yard field goal, 3:59. Cowboys 31–30. Drive: 16 play, 70 yards, 5:55.
SEA – DK Metcalf 29-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson-Jacob Hollister pass), 1:47. Seahawks 38–31. Drive: 8 play, 75 yards, 2:12.
Top passers
DAL – Dak Prescott – 37/57, 473 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
SEA – Russell Wilson – 27/40, 315 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 14 rushes, 34 yards, TD
SEA – Chris Carson – 14 rushes, 64 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Michael Gallup – 6 receptions, 138 yards, TD
SEA – DK Metcalf – 4 receptions, 110 yards, TD :
Despite initially battling back to take a 31–30 lead late in the 4th quarter, the defense allowed the Seattle offense to score a go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 left to play. The Cowboys would drive into Seattle territory, but the Seahawks would intercept Prescott in the end zone with just six seconds left. With this loss, the Cowboys dropped to 1–2 on the season.

#### Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 49 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 38 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 25,021
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston, and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Odell Beckham Jr. 37-yard pass from Jarvis Landry (Cody Parkey kick), 12:13. Browns 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:09
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 43-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:53. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 2:20
DAL – Amari Cooper 20-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:53. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:02
Second quarter
CLE – Odell Beckham Jr. 4-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Cody Parkey kick), 13:07. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:01
CLE – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Cody Parkey kick), 9:22. Browns 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:53
CLE – Kareem Hunt 2-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 9:22. Browns 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 1:47
CLE – Cody Parkey 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 31–14. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 3:53
Third quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 14-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 10:51. Browns 38–14. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:09
CLE – Cody Parkey 44-yard field goal, 0:40. Browns 41–14. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:46
Fourth quarter
DAL – Tony Pollard 3-yard run (Dak Prescott-Ezekiel Elliott pass), 12:24. Browns 41–22. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 3:16
DAL – Dalton Schultz 26-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dak Prescott run), 6:31. Browns 41–30. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 1:50
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 5-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Amari Cooper run), 3:42. Browns 41–38. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:18
CLE – Odell Beckham Jr. 50-yard run (Stephen Carlson run), 3:25. Browns 49–38. Drive: 1 play, 50 yards, 0:17
Top passers
CLE – Baker Mayfield – 19/30, 165 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Dak Prescott – 41/58, 502 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 13 rushes, 95 yards
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 12 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Odell Beckham Jr. – 5 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Amari Cooper – 12 receptions, 134 yards, TD :
The Cowboys defense had no answers for the Browns' rushing attack. Despite initially leading 14–7, the Cowboys allowed 34 unanswered points by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys would cut the lead to 41-38 late in the 4th quarter, but the Browns proved they were too strong for the Cowboys as they ran away with the 49–38 win.
With this loss, the Cowboys dropped to 1–3 on the season. This was also the first time since 1994 that the Cowboys lost to the Browns.

#### Week 5: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 14 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 37 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 11
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 95 °F (35 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 25,147
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, and Gene Steratore
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 24-yard field goal, 11:20. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 3:40.
NYG – Evan Engram 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 6:53. Giants 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:27.
NYG – Kyler Fackrell 46-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 5:48. Giants 14–3.
Second quarter
NYG – Graham Gano 55-yard field goal, 13:30. Giants 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 38 yards, 5:51.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:31. Giants 17–10. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 6:59.
DAL – Anthony Brown 29-yard fumble return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 5:00. Tied 17–17.
NYG – Graham Gano 50-yard field goal, 0:51. Giants 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:09.
DAL – Dak Prescott 11-yard pass from Cedrick Wilson Jr. (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:16. Cowboys 24–20. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
NYG – Graham Gano 54-yard field goal, 9:25. Cowboys 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:35.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 12-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 5:03. Cowboys 31–23. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:22.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Graham Gano 28-yard field goal, 11:09. Cowboys 31–26. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 5:11.
NYG – Devonta Freeman 4-yard run (Daniel Jones-Andrew Thomas pass), 8:46. Giants 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:09.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 40-yard field goal, 1:56. Tied 34–34. Drive: 12 plays, 38 yards, 6:50.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 37–34. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 0:52.
Top passers
NYG – Daniel Jones – 20/33, 222 yards
DAL – Dak Prescott – 14/21, 166 yards, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Devonta Freeman – 17 rushes, 60 yards, TD
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 19 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NYG – Darius Slayton – 20 receptions, 20 yards
DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 14 receptions, 166 yards :
Former head coach Jason Garrett, now offensive coordinator of the rival Giants, made his first return to Dallas since leaving the team following the previous season. The game turned into an offensive shootout, with the lead changing multiple times. The Cowboys claimed victory after scoring two consecutive field goals in the final minutes of the game, improving to 2–3 after beating the still-winless Giants. During a tackle made by Giants Logan Ryan in the third quarter with 6:46 remaining, Dak Prescott suffered compound fracture and dislocation injuries to his right ankle, ending his season. Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finished the comeback for the Cowboys. This win was proven costly as the Cowboys would only win four more games in Prescott's absence.

#### Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 7:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 25,174
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
ARI – Christian Kirk 6-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Zane Gonzalez kick), 12:58. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:38.
ARI – Kenyan Drake 1-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 10:31. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:39.
ARI – Christian Kirk 80-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Zane Gonzalez kick), 4:43. Cardinals 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:10.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 34-yard field goal, 0:10. Cardinals 21–3. Drive: 14 plays, 50 yards, 4:33.
Third quarter
ARI – Kyler Murray 1-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 7:53. Cardinals 28–3. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Zane Gonzalez 26-yard field goal, 8:54. Cardinals 31–3. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:24.
DAL – Amari Cooper 1-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:48. Cardinals 31–10. Drive: 18 plays, 75 yards, 6:06.
ARI – Kenyan Drake 69-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 1:49. Cardinals 38–10. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:59.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 9/24, 188 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Andy Dalton – 34/54, 266 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Kenyan Drake – 20 rushes, 164 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 12 rushes, 49 yards
Top passers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 2 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Amari Cooper – 7 receptions, 79 yards, TD :
Dallas concluded its three-game homestand on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals, with Andy Dalton making his first start in a Cowboys uniform in place of the injured Dak Prescott. However, Prescott's absence would quickly be felt as the Cowboys would struggle on both sides of the ball throughout the game. The Cardinals raced out to a 21–0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back, taking advantage of two fumbles by Ezekiel Elliott and adding an 80-yard touchdown reception by Christian Kirk. The Cowboys offense committed a season-high four turnovers, all of which led to Cardinals scoring drives. Moreover, Dalton struggled in his Cowboys debut, throwing two interceptions and finishing with a 65.8 passer rating. With the 38–10 blowout loss, Dallas dropped to 2–4 for the first time since the 2015 season. The 28-point loss marked their worst at home since losing 37–9 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11 of the 2017 season, and tied that loss for their worst margin of defeat at AT&T Stadium.

#### Week 7: at Washington Football Team

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Washington | 9 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Dalton Schultz tackled in end zone by Jonathan Allen for a safety, 7:45. Football Team 2–0.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 12-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:48. Football Team 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:57.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 45-yard field goal, 1:52. Football Team 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:56.
Second quarter
WAS – Terry McLaurin 52-yard pass from Kyle Allen (pass failed), 9:54. Football Team 15–3. Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:46.
WAS – Logan Thomas 15-yard pass from Kyle Allen (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:08. Football Team 22–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:05.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 30-yard field goal, 13:23. Football Team 25–3. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:38.
Top passers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 9/19, 75 yards, INT
WAS – Kyle Allen – 15/25, 194 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 12 rushes, 45 yards
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 20 rushes, 128 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Amari Cooper – 7 receptions, 80 yards
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 7 receptions, 90 yards, TD, INT :
The situation went from bad to worse for the Cowboys, who had no answers for Washington's defense. After a goal-line stand on Washington's opening drive, a strip sack by Landon Collins on Andy Dalton led to an early Washington safety. Washington then marched down the field, extending their lead to 9–0 on a 12-yard touchdown run by Antonio Gibson. The Cowboys responded with their only points of the afternoon on a Greg Zuerlein field goal. However, Washington would score two more touchdowns in the second quarter to put the game out of reach for Dallas. With this loss, Dallas dropped to 2–5 on the season, and 0–2 without Dak Prescott. Quarterback Andy Dalton would leave the game in the third quarter following a late hit by Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, who was subsequently ejected. Rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci would finish the game in place of Dalton, who was evaluated for a concussion.

#### Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 1
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,500
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 49-yard field goal, 10:11. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:49.
PHI – Jalen Reagor 2-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Jake Elliott kick), 0:02. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:46.
Second quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 49-yard field goal, 9:46. Eagles 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 1:44.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 59-yard field goal, 0:06. Cowboys 9–7. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 0:23.
Third quarter
PHI – Travis Fulgham 9-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Carson Wentz-Jalen Reagor pass), 1:54. Eagles 15–9. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:19.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Rodney McLeod 53-yard fumble return (run failed), 5:18. Eagles 21–9.
PHI – L. P. Ladouceur fumble out of bounds in the end zone for a Safety, 3:55. Eagles 23–9. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:19.
Top passers
DAL – Ben DiNucci – 21/40, 180 yards
PHI – Carson Wentz – 15/27, 123 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 19 rushes, 63 yards
PHI – Boston Scott – 15 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Michael Gallup – 7 receptions, 61 yards
PHI – Travis Fulgham – 6 receptions, 78 yards, TD :
With Andy Dalton ruled out due to the concussion he suffered during the Week 7 loss to Washington, rookie quarterback Ben DiNucci made his first NFL start as the Cowboys visited the rival Philadelphia Eagles in a key NFC East showdown. The Cowboys' struggling defense stepped up against the sputtering Eagles offense, forcing a season-high four turnovers and holding Philadelphia to seven first half points. However, Dallas' offense had struggles of its own - DiNucci lost two fumbles, both of which led to Eagles touchdowns, including a controversial 53-yard return by Eagles safety Rodney McLeod. Further, the Cowboys were held without a touchdown for the second consecutive week, only being able to muster three Greg Zuerlein field goals. DiNucci finished with 180 yards passing and a rating of 64.6 in the 23–9 loss, and Dallas fell to 2–6 on the season and third place in the NFC East. This marked the first time that the Cowboys lost multiple division games in one season since the 2016 season, when all three of their regular season losses came within the division.

#### Week 9: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 24 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 31,700
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 38-yard field goal, 3:55. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:47.
Second quarter
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 20-yard pass from Garrett Gilbert (Greg Zuerlein kick), 7:45. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:41.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 44-yard field goal, 3:46. Cowboys 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:15.
PIT – James Washington 17-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (kick failed), 1:10. Cowboys 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:36.
PIT – Chris Boswell 59-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 13–9. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 0:52.
Third quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 45-yard field goal, 10:17. Cowboys 16–9. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:43.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 39-yard field goal, 2:13. Cowboys 19–9. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:26.
Fourth Quarter
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 31-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (kick blocked), 14:51. Cowboys 19–15. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:22.
PIT – Chris Boswell 43-yard field goal, 7:11. Cowboys 19–18. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:34.
PIT – Eric Ebron 8-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (pass failed), 2:14. Steelers 24–19. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 1:57.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 29/42, 306 yards, 3 TD
DAL – Garrett Gilbert – 21/38, 243 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
PIT – James Conner – 9 rushes, 22 yards
DAL – Tony Pollard – 9 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster – 6 receptions, 93 yards, TD
DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 4 receptions, 71 yards, TD :
The Cowboys entered the game as 14-point underdogs. It would only be the second time in Cowboys history that they would be double digit underdogs at home. The Cowboys would lead at halftime, but the Steelers would pull away and win the game. The Cowboys dropped to 2–7, and suffered their first four-game losing streak since 2015, when the Cowboys had the same such start. This loss also ensures the Cowboys got pushed to the brink of a non-winning season for back-to-back years. This was the first time the Cowboys would do so since they did in 2010–2013.

#### Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 31 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 6-yard pass from Andy Dalton (kick blocked), 9:26. Cowboys 6–0. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:31.
MIN – Dalvin Cook 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 2:11. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:15.
Second quarter
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 4-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:55. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 5:01.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 19-yard field goal, 0:02. Cowboys 16–7. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
MIN – Adam Thielen 2-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 9:50. Cowboys 16–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:10.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Adam Thielen 3-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 14:57. Vikings 21–16. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:47.
DAL – Tony Pollard 42-yard run (CeeDee Lamb run), 12:02. Cowboys 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:55.
MIN – Justin Jefferson 39-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 9:37. Vikings 28–24. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:25.
DAL – Dalton Schultz 2-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:37. Cowboys 31–28. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 2:23.
Top passers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 22/32, 203 yards, 3 TD, INT
MIN – Kirk Cousins – 22/30, 314 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 21 rushes, 103 yards
MIN – Dalvin Cook – 27 rushes, 115 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Amari Cooper – 6 receptions, 81 yards
MIN – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD :
The Cowboys were 7-point underdogs entering the game. Despite this, the Cowboys snapped their 4-game losing streak and improved to 1–4 without Dak Prescott. The game would be sealed after forcing a turnover on downs and then running out the game clock. The game's biggest highlight was a CeeDee Lamb catch for a touchdown. This win improved the Cowboys to 3–7 on the season.

#### Week 12: vs. Washington Football Team

Thanksgiving Day games
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Washington | 7 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 41 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 30,048
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 33-yard field goal, 8:30. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:38.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 5-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 1:37. Football Team 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:53.
Second quarter
DAL – Amari Cooper 54-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 14:08. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:29
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 23-yard field goal, 7:13. Tied 10–10. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:55
WAS – Logan Thomas 5-yard pass from Alex Smith (Dustin Hopkins kick), 2:26. Football Team 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:51.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 32-yard field goal, 0:19. Football Team 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 2:07.
Third quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 36-yard field goal, 10:48. Football Team 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 3:29.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 28-yard field goal, 2:32. Football Team 20–16. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:38.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Antonio Gibson 23-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:07. Football Team 27–16. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:06.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 37-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:31. Football Team 34–16. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:50.
WAS – Montez Sweat 15-yard interception return (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:24. Football Team 41–16.
Top passers
WAS – Alex Smith – 19/26, 149 yards, TD, INT
DAL – Andy Dalton – 25/35, 215 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 20 rushes, 115 yards, 3 TDs
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 10 rushes, 32 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 7 receptions, 92 yards
DAL – Amari Cooper – 6 receptions, 112 yards, TD :
The Cowboys returned home hoping to avoid being swept by the Washington Football Team. A controversial fake punt attempt caused the Cowboys, who were already trailing, to trail further. The Cowboys would never score again, as the Cowboys dropped to 3–8 and were swept by Washington for the first time since 2012. This loss also ensures the Cowboys could no longer improve on their 8–8 season from the previous season.

#### Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Ravens | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 8
* Game time: 8:05 p.m. EST/7:05 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 38 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Amazon Prime Video): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 31-yard field goal, 4:21. Cowboys 3–0 . Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:42.
BAL – Lamar Jackson 37-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 0:25. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:56.
Second quarter
DAL – Michael Gallup 13-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 14:19. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 1:06.
BAL – Miles Boykin 38-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 8:08. Ravens 14–10. Drive: 1 plays, 38 yards, 0:07.
BAL – Justin Tucker 35-yard field goal, 0:46. Ravens 17–10 . Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:16.
Third quarter
BAL – Marquise Brown 20-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 4:40. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:27.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 22-yard field goal, 8:15. Ravens 27–10 . Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:59.
DAL – Amari Cooper 2-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 3:49. Ravens 27–17. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:16.
BAL – J. K. Dobbins 5-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 2:08. Ravens 34–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 31/48, 285 yards, 2 TD, INT
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 12/17, 107 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 18 rushes, 77 yards
BAL – Gus Edwards – 7 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Michael Gallup – 7 receptions, 86 yards
BAL – Marquise Brown – 5 receptions, 39 yards, TD :
The depleted Cowboys traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, in search of the franchise's first win there. The game was originally scheduled to be played on December 3, 2020. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens organization, the game was moved to December 8. The Cowboys continued to struggle, and dropped to 3–9 and were guaranteed their first losing season since 2015. The Cowboys lost 6 of the last 7 games without Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have not won in Baltimore since 1981 when they beat the Baltimore Colts at Memorial Stadium 37–13.

#### Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 44 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 10,322
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Chris Spielman and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 34-yard field goal, 11:02. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:20.
DAL – Aldon Smith 78-yard fumble return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:15. Cowboys 10–0.
Second quarter
DAL – Amari Cooper 11-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:38. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 15 plays, 88 yards, 8:12.
CIN – A. J. Green 5-yard pass from Brandon Allen (Austin Seibert kick), 0:08. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 16 plays, 77 yards, 6:30.
Third quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 20-yard field goal, 11:35. Cowboys 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:25.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 55-yard field goal, 5:12. Cowboys 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:11.
DAL – Tony Pollard 7-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:55. Cowboys 30–7. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:42.
Top passers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 16/23, 185 yards, 2 TD
CIN – Brandon Allen – 27/36, 217 yards, TD
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 12 rushes, 48 yards
CIN – Trayveon Williams – 12 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Amari Cooper – 4 receptions, 51 yards, TD
CIN – A. J. Green – 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD :
Andy Dalton made his first return to Cincinnati since getting released by the Bengals during the 2020 offseason. The Cowboys improved to 4–9 with the blowout win. This win keeps the Cowboys in the race for an NFC East title, aided by the fact that all NFC East teams had losing records.

#### Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 41 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 30,092
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Tony Pollard 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:34. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:24.
DAL – Michael Gallup 3-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:39. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:22.
SF – Jordan Reed 5-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Robbie Gould kick), 0:12. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:27.
Second quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 48-yard field goal, 11:37. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:35.
SF – Brandon Aiyuk 2-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Robbie Gould kick), 5:00. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:37.
Third quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 10:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:41.
DAL – Dalton Schultz 12-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 7:35. Cowboys 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:13.
SF – Jeff Wilson 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 2:08. Tied 24–24. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:27.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 10:08. Cowboys 27–24. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:18.
DAL – Tony Pollard 40-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:27. Cowboys 34–24. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:16.
SF – Robbie Gould 31-yard field goal, 0:40. Cowboys 34–27. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:47.
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 47-yard kick return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:34. Cowboys 41–27.
SF – Kendrick Bourne 49-yard pass from C. J. Beathard, 0:00. Cowboys 41–33. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:34.
Top passers
SF – Nick Mullens – 21/36, 219 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
DAL – Andy Dalton – 19/33, 209 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SF – Raheem Mostert – 14 rushes, 68 yards
DAL – Tony Pollard – 12 rushes, 69 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SF – Kendrick Bourne – 4 receptions, 86 yards, TD
DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 5 receptions, 85 yards :
The Cowboys returned home without injured Ezekiel Elliott, to play against the 49ers, another team dealing with injury issues throughout the season. The Cowboys jumped out to a 14–0 lead early, by touchdown plays by Tony Pollard and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Like it has been all season long, the Cowboys defense struggled all game long. Despite the weak defensive performance, the Cowboys defense took the ball away four times, tied the most takeaways by the Cowboys in the 2020 season. CeeDee Lamb returned a kickoff for a 47-yard touchdown, making the score 41–27. With the game already won, the Cowboys gave up a touchdown on the last play of the game, ending the game with the final score of 41–33. The win, with assistance from a loss by the Washington Football Team improved the Cowboys to 5–9 and kept the Cowboys' season alive, as well as eliminating San Francisco from playoff contention.

#### Week 16: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 37 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 27
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 30,131
* Referee: Adrian Hill
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Miles Sanders 4-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 9:00. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:00.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 35-yard field goal, 6:08. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:52.
PHI – DeSean Jackson 81-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Jake Elliott kick), 5:48. Eagles 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 81 yards, 0:20.
Second quarter
DAL – Michael Gallup 21-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 13:09. Eagles 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:15.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 20-yard field goal, 5:53. Eagles 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
PHI – Jake Elliott 38-yard field goal, 2:09. Eagles 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:44.
DAL – Michael Gallup 7-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:12. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:57.
Third quarter
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 52-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:26. Cowboys 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:34.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 21-yard field goal, 8:31. Cowboys 30–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:22.
Fourth quarter
DAL – CeeDee Lamb 19-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:53. Cowboys 37–17. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:01.
Top passers
PHI – Jalen Hurts – 21/39, 342 yards, TD, 2 INT
DAL – Andy Dalton – 22/30, 377 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
PHI – Jalen Hurts – 9 rushes, 69 yards
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 19 rushes, 105 yards
Top receivers
PHI – Quez Watkins – 2 receptions, 57 yards
DAL – Michael Gallup – 6 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD :
After falling behind 14–3 after one quarter, the Cowboys outscored the visiting Eagles 34–3 over the final three quarters. The 37–17 win improved Dallas to 6–9 on the season and eliminated Philadelphia from playoff contention. The Cowboys' own playoff hopes were also kept alive thanks to the Washington Football Team's 20–13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. This win was Dallas' 40th home win and 70th overall win against Philadelphia in their rivalry.

#### Week 17: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Giants | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: January 3, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast, 33 °F (1 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Sterling Shepard 23-yard run (kick failed, wl), 11:46. Giants 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:14.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 38-yard field goal, 5:03. Giants 6–3. Drive: 6 plays, 7 yards, 2:07.
Second quarter
NYG – Sterling Shepard 10-yard pass from Daniel Jones (Graham Gano kick), 6:42. Giants 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:06.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 2:13. Giants 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:29.
NYG – Dante Pettis 33-yard pass from Daniel Jones (Graham Gano kick), 0:45. Giants 20–6. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:28.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 57-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 20–9. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 0:45.
Third quarter
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 8:39. Giants 20–16. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:34.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 36-yard field goal, 14:16. Giants 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 5:14.
NYG – Graham Gano 50-yard field goal, 6:27. Giants 23–19. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:10.
Top passers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 29/47, 243 yards, INT
NYG – Daniel Jones – 17/25, 229 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Andy Dalton – 7 rushes, 48 yards
NYG – Wayne Gallman – 11 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Dalton Schultz – 7 receptions, 70 yards
NYG – Sterling Shepard – 8 receptions, 112 yards, TD :
Despite a second-half comeback, a decision to not attempt a two-point conversion on their third quarter touchdown came back to haunt them, since, trailing by 4 points instead of 3 within 10 yards of the end zone and having to get a touchdown rather than a field goal, their touchdown pass was intercepted and the Cowboys lost to the Giants for the first time since 2016, ending a seven-game winning streak against them. With the loss (though even if Dallas had won, the Washington win hours later would have still eliminated them), Dallas finished 6–10 and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2010–13 seasons. This was also the first time since 2015 that the Cowboys lost 10 or more games in a season. With this loss, the Cowboys went 4–7 without Dak Prescott.

### Standings
#### Division

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Washington Football Team | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 335 | 329 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 280 | 357 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 395 | 473 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 334 | 418 | L3 |

#### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .428 | .387 | W6 |
| 2 | New Orleans Saints | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .459 | .406 | W2 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .447 | .404 | W4 |
| 4 | Washington Football Team | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .459 | .388 | W1 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .488 | .392 | W4 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 9–3 | .494 | .484 | W1 |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .488 | .336 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 8 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .475 | .441 | L2 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .504 | .366 | W1 |
| 10 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .549 | .448 | L1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .502 | .427 | W1 |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .471 | .333 | L1 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .531 | .388 | L1 |
| 14 | Detroit Lions | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .508 | .350 | L4 |
| 15 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .537 | .469 | L3 |
| 16 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .551 | .391 | L5 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record. 1 2 Chicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4). 1 2 San Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below). 1 2 NY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record. 1 2 Carolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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. ||||||||||||