History of the Dallas Cowboys This article details the history of the Dallas Cowboys American Football Club . The team joined the National Football League as a 1960 expansion team , and has become one of the most successful teams in the history of the NFL and in American sports overall . The team has earned the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons with 20 , the most playoff games , 56 , winning 33 of them , the most appearances in the NFC Championship Game ( 14 ) , and the most Super Bowl appearances ( 8 ) , one more than any other NFL team . The Cowboys became the first team in NFL history to win 3 Super Bowls in just 4 years . They are also tied with the San Francisco 49ers for having the second most Super Bowl wins ( 5 ) , only behind the Pittsburgh Steelers with 6 wins . The Cowboys are tied for fifth in most NFL championships behind the Green Bay Packers ( 13 ) , Chicago Bears ( 9 ) , New York Giants ( 7 ) , Pittsburgh Steelers ( 6 ) . 1960s . The Dallas Cowboys were the NFL ' s first modern - era expansion team . The NFL was late in awarding a franchise to Dallas ; after Lamar Hunt was rebuffed in his efforts to acquire an NFL franchise for Dallas , he became part of a group of owners that formed the American Football League with Hunt ' s AFL franchise in Dallas known as the Texans ( later to become the Kansas City Chiefs ) . In an effort not to cede the South to the AFL , the NFL awarded Dallas a franchise , but not until after the 1960 college draft had been held . As a result , the NFL ' s first ever expansion team played its inaugural season without the benefit of a college draft . Originally , the formation of an NFL expansion team in Texas was met with strong opposition by Washington Redskins owner , George Preston Marshall . This was no surprise , because despite being located in the nation ' s capital , Marshall ' s Redskins had enjoyed a monopoly as the only NFL team to represent the Southern States of the US for several decades . This came as little surprise to would - be team owners , Clint Murchison , Jr . and Bedford Wynne , so to ensure the birth of their expansion team , the men bought the rights to the Redskins fight song , " Hail to the Redskins " and threatened to refuse to allow Marshall to play the song at games . Needing the song , which had become a staple for his " professional football team of Dixie " , Marshall changed his mind , and the city of Dallas , Texas , was granted an NFL franchise on January 28 , 1960 . This early confrontation between the two franchises helped to trigger what would become one of the more heated National Football League rivalries , which continues to this day . The team was first known as the Dallas Steers , then the Dallas Rangers . On March 19 , 1960 , the organization announced that it would be called the Cowboys to avoid confusion with the American Association Dallas Rangers baseball team . The founding investors of the Dallas Cowboys were Clint Murchison , Jr . ( 45 % ) , John D . Murchinson ( 45 % ) , along with minority shareholders , Toddie Lee and Bedford Wynne ( Director and Secretary ) ( 5 % ) and William R . Hawn ( 5 % ) . The new owners subsequently hired Tex Schramm as general manager , Gil Brandt as player personnel director , and Tom Landry as head coach . The Cowboys began play in 1960 , and played their home games a few miles east of Downtown Dallas at the Cotton Bowl . The 1960 Cowboys finished their inaugural campaign 0 - 11 - 1 with a roster largely made up of sub - par players ( many well past their prime ) , stocked via an expansion draft . The following year , the Cowboys made their first college draft selection , taking TCU Horned Frogs defensive tackle Bob Lilly with the 13th pick in the draft ( although the Cowboys finished with the league ' s worst record in 1960 , the first overall selection in the 1961 draft was given to the expansion Minnesota Vikings ) . The 1961 season also saw the Cowboys ' first victory , a 27 - 24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 17 . In 1962 , Dallas improved slightly , going 5 - 8 - 1 , but 1963 saw them fall back to 4 - 10 , followed by another 5 - 8 - 1 campaign in 1964 . During this period , the Cowboys had the misfortune of being associated with the city where President Kennedy was assassinated . The Cowboys success later in the decade , largely contributed to restoring civic pride in Dallas after the assassination . During the early and mid 1960s , the Cowboys gradually built a contender . Quarterback Don Meredith was acquired in 1960 , running back Don Perkins , linebacker Chuck Howley and Lilly were acquired in 1961 , linebacker Lee Roy Jordan in 1963 , cornerback Mel Renfro in 1964 , and wide receiver Bob Hayes and running back Dan Reeves in 1965 , where the Cowboys went 7 - 7 , achieving a . 500 record for the first time . In 1966 , the Cowboys posted their first winning season , finishing atop the Eastern Conference with a 10 - 3 - 1 record . Dallas sent eight players to the Pro Bowl , including Hayes , Howley , Meredith , Perkins , and future Pro Football Hall of Fame members Lilly and Renfro . In their first - ever postseason appearance , the 1966 NFL Championship Game the Green Bay Packers defeated Dallas in a 34 – 27 thriller by stopping the Cowboys on a goal line stand with 28 seconds remaining . Despite this disappointment , 1966 marked the start of an NFL - record - setting eight consecutive postseason appearances for the Cowboys . ( Dallas later broke its own record with nine consecutive trips to the playoffs between 1975 – 1983 ) . In 1967 , the Cowboys finished with a 9 – 5 record and had their first playoff victory , a 52 – 14 rout of the Cleveland Browns . They went on to face the Packers in the 1967 NFL Championship game , with the winner advancing to Super Bowl II . The game , which happened on December 31 , 1967 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay , turned out to be the coldest NFL game in history ( about - 13° F with a - 40° wind chill ) . The Cowboys lost 21 – 17 on a one - yard quarterback sneak by Packers quarterback Bart Starr with 16 seconds remaining . The game would later become known as the " Ice Bowl . " Dallas remained one of the NFL ' s top teams for the remainder of the 1960s . The Cowboys easily won their division in 1968 ( with a 12 – 2 record ) and in 1969 ( with an 11 – 2 – 1 mark ) . Each season , however , ended with a disappointing , decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns . Repeated failures to achieve their ultimate goal earned the Cowboys the nickname " Next Year ' s Champions " and a reputation for not being able to " win the big one . " Peter Gent , a wide receiver with Dallas from 1964 to 1968 , later wrote a book called " North Dallas Forty " based on his observations and experiences with the team . The book was later made into a movie of the same name in 1979 . The book and movie depicted many of the team ' s players as carrousing , drug - abusing partiers callously used by the team and then tossed aside when they became too injured to continue playing productively . In 1969 , ground was broken on a new stadium for the Cowboys to replace the Cotton Bowl . Texas Stadium in Irving , a Dallas suburb , would be completed during the 1971 season . At the end of the decade , the historians Robert A . Calvert , Donald E . Chipman , and Randolph Campbell wrote " The Dallas Cowboys and the NFL " , an inside study of the organization and financing of the team . A reviewer describes the Cowboys as a vital cog of " an industry that occupies an important segment of American time and attention . . . a sophisticated industry that has worked out complex statistics to select the best thrower of a forward pass . . . . [ and ] has reformed television habits . . . " 1970s . In the 1970s , the NFL underwent many changes as it absorbed the AFL and became a unified league , but the Cowboys also underwent many changes . Meredith and Perkins retired in 1969 and new players were joining the organization , like Cliff Harris , Lee Roy Jordan , and Pro Football Hall of Famers Rayfield Wright , Mike Ditka , Herb Adderly and Roger Staubach . Led by quarterback Craig Morton , the Cowboys had a 10 - 4 season in 1970 . A 38 - 0 shutout by the Cardinals was the low point of the year , but recovered to make it to the playoffs , where they defeated Detroit 5 - 0 in the lowest - scoring playoff game in NFL history . They then made it to their first Super Bowl , a mistake - filled Super Bowl V , where they lost 16 - 13 to the Baltimore Colts courtesy of a field goal by Colts ' kicker Jim O ' Brien with five seconds remaining in the contest . The Cowboys moved from the Cotton Bowl to Texas Stadium in week six of the 1971 season . Although the first game in their new home was a 44 - 21 victory over New England , Dallas stumbled out of the gate by going 4 - 3 in the first half of the season , including losses to the mediocre New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears . Landry named Staubach as the permanent starting quarterback to start the second half of the season , and Dallas was off and running . The Cowboys won their last seven regular season games before dispatching of the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs to return to the Super Bowl . In Super Bowl VI , behind an MVP performance from Staubach and 252 yards rushing , the Cowboys crushed the upstart Miami Dolphins , 24 - 3 , to finally bury the " Next Year ' s Champions " stigma . That game remains the only Super Bowl to date where one of the teams involved did not score a touchdown . The 1972 season was another winning one for the Cowboys , but their 10 - 4 record was only good for them to make the playoffs as a wild - card team . In the divisional playoffs they faced the San Francisco 49ers . The 49ers had a 28 - 13 lead and seemed to have avenged their playoff losses to Dallas in the two previous seasons . But after Landry benched Morton , Staubach threw two touchdown passes with less than two minutes remaining — including the game - winner to Ron Sellers - - for a miraculous 30 - 28 Dallas win , the first of several dramatic comebacks led by Staubach during the 1970s . The Cowboys were now beginning to grow in popularity not just in Dallas , but nationwide . Their televised appearances on Thanksgiving Day games beginning in 1966 helped bring the Cowboys to a nationwide audience . Under Coach Landry , the so - called " Doomsday Defense " became a powerful and dominating force in the NFL and their offense was also exciting to watch . Dallas had also established itself as the most innovative franchise off the field . It was the first to use computers in scouting , the first to have a modern cheerleading squad performing sophisticated choreographed routines , and the first to broadcast games in Spanish . General manager Schramm became the most powerful GM in the NFL ; it was he who pushed the league to adopt changes such as relocating the goal posts to the back of the end zone and ( in the 1980s ) the use of instant replay . While Pittsburgh would win more Super Bowls in the 1970s , Dallas emerged as the " glamour " team of the decade . The 1979 film " North Dallas Forty " , based on a book written by former Cowboys wide receiver Peter Gent , presented a veiled portrayal of the team ' s on - and - off field culture during this time . The Cowboys faltered slightly in 1974 , finishing 8 - 6 and missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years . However , the team drafted well in the following year , adding defensive lineman Randy White ( a future Hall of Fame member ) and linebacker Thomas " Hollywood " Henderson . The fresh influx of talent helped the Cowboys back to the playoffs in 1975 as a wild card , beating the Vikings and going to Super Bowl X , where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers , 21 - 17 . In 1976 , the team went 11 - 3 , reaching the top of the NFC East , but falling to the Rams in the playoffs . The Cowboys began the 1977 season 8 - 0 before losing in consecutive weeks to the St . Louis Cardinals in a Monday night home game and the Steelers in Pittsburgh . After the losses , however , the Cowboys won their final four regular season games . In the postseason , the Cowboys routed the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings before defeating the Broncos in the Super Bowl in New Orleans . After a slow start in 1978 , Dallas won its final six regular season games to finish the season at 12 - 4 . After an unexpectedly close divisional playoff game against the Falcons at Texas Stadium , the Cowboys traveled to Los Angeles and shut out the Rams in the NFC Championship Game 28 - 0 . Dallas then faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl in Miami . The Steelers outlasted the Cowboys 35 - 31 , despite a furious comeback that saw Dallas score two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter ; the game was not decided until the final 20 seconds , when a Dallas onside kick failed . Bob Ryan , an NFL films editor , would dub the Cowboys " America ' s Team " following this season , a nickname that has earned derision from non - Cowboys fans but has stuck through both good times and bad . Dallas finished the 1979 season 11 - 5 . The team slumped in November , but rallied to win its next two games . This set the stage for the regular season finale against Washington ; the winner would capture the NFC East title while the loser missed the playoffs . In the game , Texas Stadium fans were treated to one of Staubach ' s greatest comebacks . The Cowboys trailed 17 - 0 , but then scored three touchdowns to take the lead . Led by running back John Riggins , the Redskins came back to build a 34 - 21 lead , but the Cowboys scored 2 touchdowns in the final five minutes — including a Staubach touchdown pass Tony Hill with less than a minute remaining — for an amazing 35 - 34 victory . The season ended with a whimper , however , as the underdog Rams traveled to Dallas and upset the Cowboys 21 - 19 in the opening round of the playoffs . This game marked the end of an era , as repeated concussions compelled Staubach to announce his retirement a few months later in an emotional press conference at Texas Stadium . 1980s . 1980 . Danny White became the Cowboys ' starting quarterback in 1980 . Without Staubach , not much was expected of the Cowboys , but they surprised everyone with a 12 - 4 regular season . Philadelphia also finished 12 - 4 , but got the division title on a close tiebreaker . The Cowboys won the wildcard game at home against the Rams , then White engineered a late comeback to win the divisional playoff game in Atlanta . Dallas faced the Eagles the NFC Championship Game , but suffered a highly embarrassing 20 - 7 loss to their division rival in Veterans Stadium . 1981 . Dallas started the 1981 season 4 - 0 , and captured the NFC East crown with another 12 - 4 record . Dallas dismantled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional playoff 38 - 0 . They then traveled to San Francisco to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game . It would be one of the most famous in NFL history . Dallas led 27 - 21 late in the fourth quarter and appeared headed to their sixth Super Bowl . However , a long 49er drive was capped by a Joe Montana touchdown pass to Dwight Clark in the final minute of play . Dallas was not finished yet . A White completion to Drew Pearson moved the ball into 49er territory and almost went for a touchdown . Two plays later , though , White fumbled after being hit , and San Francisco recovered to seal a 28 - 27 victory . Clark ' s leaping grab in the end zone would come to be famous as " The Catch , " and represented a changing of the guard in the NFC from the dominant Cowboys teams of the 1970s to the dominant 49ers teams of the 1980s . 1982 . Dallas finished the strike - shortened 1982 season with a record of 6 - 3 . The Cowboys held a one game lead over the Redskins with two games to play in the regular season , but fell at home to Philadelphia , then lost a Monday night match in Minnesota ( a game best known for Dorsett ' s NFL record 99 - yard touchdown run ) . Dallas played two home games in the unusual postseason " Super Bowl Tournament , " defeating Tampa Bay and Green Bay . In the NFC Championship Game , Washington defeated Dallas 31 - 17 at RFK Stadium . This finished a remarkable run that saw the Cowboys play in 10 of 13 conference championship games . 1983 . The Cowboys opened the 1983 season in impressive fashion , erasing a 23 - 3 deficit at Washington to defeat the Super Bowl champion Redskins 31 - 30 , then winning their next six games . When Dallas and Washington squared off again on Week 15 at Texas Stadium , both teams had 12 - 2 records . However , the Redskins beat the Cowboys handily in that game , and Dallas subsequently lost its next two games to end its season ( a rout by the 49ers in the regular season finale and an upset home loss to the Rams in the wild card playoff game ) . 1984 . Change and controversy marked the Cowboys ' 1984 season ( its 25th , which Schramm commemorated as the " Silver Season " ) . Despite leading Dallas to the playoffs in each of his four seasons as starting quarterback , Danny White began to draw criticism for " not being able to win the big game , " and several players privately expressed their preference for backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom . Landry decided to start Hogeboom , and while Dallas started the season 4 - 1 , Hogeboom ' s inconsistency eventually led to White regaining the starting job . It would not be enough , though . The Cowboys suffered an embarrassing Week 12 loss to the winless Bills in Buffalo , and needing a win in their final two games to secure a playoff spot , lost both . Dallas finished the 1984 season 9 - 7 , and missed the postseason for the first time in a decade . An important off - field change also took place in 1984 . Clint Murchison , in dire financial straits because of a collapse in oil prices , sold the Cowboys to Dallas oilman H . R . " Bum " Bright in May . 1985 . Bright ' s ownership coincided with a decline in the Cowboys ' fortunes . The 1985 season saw a somewhat uneven string of wins and losses , the worst being in Week 11 when they were annihilated 44 - 0 by the unstoppable Chicago Bears , the team ' s first shutout since 1970 . With a 10 - 6 record , the Cowboys won the division , but were blanked by the Rams 20 - 0 in the playoffs . This was the final postseason appearance with Tom Landry as coach . 1986 . The 1986 campaign started optimistically , with highly - regarded offensive coordinator Paul Hackett and Heisman Trophy - winning Herschel Walker having joined the team . The Cowboys ran their record to 6 - 2 , but White ' s wrist was broken in a mid - season loss to the Giants , and the team only managed to win one of its final seven games . Dallas finished with a 7 - 9 record , ending its streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons . 1987 . Dallas started the 1987 season 1 - 1 before NFL players went on strike and management responded by hiring replacement players . Schramm , having anticipated the strike , assembled one of the better replacement teams , which was soon bolstered by several starters who crossed the picket line ( including Dorsett , Danny White , and Randy White ) . However , the " Counterfeit Cowboys " suffered an embarrassing home loss to a Redskins team composed entirely of replacement players , and once the strike ended , Dallas ' regular squad lost six of its next eight games to finish 7 - 8 . 1988 . The Cowboys went into a free - fall in 1988 . After starting the season 2 - 2 , a last - second loss in New Orleans started a 10 - game Cowboy losing streak . Among the few bright spots in the season were the team ' s first - round draft pick , wide receiver Michael Irvin ( whom Schramm had predicted would spur the team ' s " return from the dead " ) , and a Week 15 victory against the Redskins in Washington , Tom Landry ' s last . 1989 . In early 1989 Bright sold the Cowboys to Arkansas businessman Jerry Jones on February 25 , 1989 . Jones ' first act as owner was to fire the only head coach the franchise had ever known . Tom Landry ' s abrupt termination attracted considerable criticism . He admitted to becoming more forgetful with play calling and clock management as he passed his 60th birthday , and to being a bit unwilling to adapt his offense for the NFL of the 1980s , although he was not totally to blame for the Cowboys ' problems , which included years of poor drafts . Schramm , Brandt , and other longtime personnel were soon gone as well . Jones replaced Landry with University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson . With the worst record of 1988 , Dallas gained the # 1 draft pick for 1989 , UCLA QB Troy Aikman ( Tom Landry had expressed interest in Aikman just before being fired ) . After Dallas opened the 1989 season 0 - 5 , Johnson traded away Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and eight draft choices . ( A total of 18 players or draft choices were involved in what was the largest trade in NFL history at the time . ) The Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a 1 - 15 record , their worst record since the team ' s inception . Rookie quarterback Steve Walsh , starting in place of an injured Aikman , led the team to its lone victory in a midseason Sunday night game in Washington . The two games with Philadelphia in 1989 ( which became known as the Bounty Bowls ) were marked by particularly strong hostility between the staff and fans of both teams . Eagles coach Buddy Ryan insulted Jimmy Johnson , saying that he did nothing in his tenure at the University of Miami except run the score up on bad teams and also made fun of his weight . Ryan reputedly wanted his players to injure Cowboys kicker Roger Ruzek , who had been cut from the Eagles early in the season and on the season ender in Philadelphia , the Cowboys were pelted with snowballs . 1990s . Dallas again finished with the league ' s worst record , but did not get the # 1 draft pick again , as they had traded it to Indianapolis . Johnson quickly returned the Cowboys to the NFL ' s elite with a series of skillful drafts . Having picked Aikman , fullback Daryl Johnston and center Mark Stepnoski in 1989 , Johnson added running back Emmitt Smith in 1990 , defensive tackle Russell Maryland and offensive tackle Erik Williams in 1991 , and safety Darren Woodson in 1992 . The young talent joined holdovers from the Landry era such as wide receiver Michael Irvin , guard Nate Newton , linebacker Ken Norton , Jr . , and offensive lineman Mark Tuinei , and veteran pickups such as tight end Jay Novacek and defensive end Charles Haley . 1990 . The Cowboys finished 7 – 9 , with Smith being named NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year and Johnson earning Coach of the Year honors . The Week 15 match with the Cardinals was the team ' s last game to be blacked out as of 2010 . 1991 . In 1991 , Dallas finished with an 11 – 5 record , making the playoffs for the first time since 1985 . The Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears 17 - 13 in the wild card round . In the divisional round , they faced the Lions , who had beaten them earlier in the season . Detroit went in for a repeat performance , dismembering the Cowboys 38 - 6 for their only postseason victory since 1957 . The 1991 Cowboys also became the first team to feature the league leaders in rushing yards ( Smith ) and receiving yards ( Irvin ) . The 1991 season also marked Dallas ' s return to Monday Night Football after an absence of two years . 1992 . In 1992 , the Cowboys finished with a 13 – 3 record ( second best in the league ) , reached their peak in popularity ( many road fans were cheering for the Cowboys ) , and finally avenged their 1981 NFC Championship Game loss to San Francisco by defeating the 49ers in the conference title game , 30 – 20 , in a muddy Candlestick Park . The Cowboys went on to crush the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII , 52 – 17 , forcing a Super Bowl record 9 turnovers . Coach Johnson became the first coach to claim a National Championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football . 1993 . The following season , the Cowboys finished with a 12 – 4 record , again defeating the 49ers in the NFC Championship , only this time at Texas Stadium , and again defeating the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII , 30 – 13 . The Cowboys sent an NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl : Troy Aikman , Emmitt Smith , Michael Irvin , Thomas Everett , Daryl Johnston , Russell Maryland , Nate Newton , Ken Norton Jr , Jay Novacek , Mark Stepnoski and Erik Williams . Switzer era . 1994 . Only weeks after Super Bowl XXVIII , however , friction between Johnson and Jones culminated in Johnson stunning the football world by announcing his resignation . The next day Jones hired former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer to replace Johnson . Norton and guard Kevin Gogan departed via free agency , but Dallas drafted offensive lineman Larry Allen , who would be a mainstay on the line for the next decade . In 1994 , the Cowboys played before the largest crowd to ever attend an NFL game when 112 , 376 in Mexico City turned out for a preseason match against the Houston Oilers . The Cowboys cruised to another NFC East title in 1994 . They finished the regular season 12 – 4 , with their four losses coming by a combined 20 points . The team suffered key injuries , however , when Erik Williams was lost for the year after a mid - season auto accident and Emmitt Smith was hobbled for the final month with a pulled hamstring . Dallas advanced to the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco , but fell behind 21 – 0 in the first quarter , and despite a valiant comeback , lost to the 49ers 38 – 28 . 1995 . In 1995 , Jones made a huge free agent splash by signing All - Pro cornerback Deion Sanders away from San Francisco . Dallas posted another 12 – 4 regular season record and NFC East crown . After crushing the Eagles 30 - 11 in the divisional playoffs , the Cowboys earned their 8th NFC Championship title by defeating the Green Bay Packers 38 – 27 at Texas Stadium . The Cowboys then topped the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX 27 – 17 , avenging two four - point losses to Pittsburgh in Super Bowls X and XIII . Coach Switzer followed Johnson to become the second coach to claim a National Championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football . 1996 . Injuries and off - field incidents deviled the 1996 Cowboys . Novacek , possibly Aikman ' s most trusted target , suffered an off - season back injury that ended his career . Irvin was convicted of narcotics possession and suspended for the first five games of the season . In December defensive tackle Leon Lett was given a one - year suspension for failing a narcotics test . Late in the season Irvin and Williams drew national attention when they were accused of assaulting a Dallas woman , although the allegations were later recanted . Haley and Emmitt Smith were also plagued by injuries during the season . Yet Dallas still managed to earn its fifth consecutive NFC East title with a 10 – 6 record . The Cowboys thumped the Vikings 40 - 15 in the first round of the playoffs , then traveled to Carolina , where they lost to the upstart Panthers 26 - 17 after Irvin and Sanders left the game with injuries . 1997 . Preseason pundits again put the Cowboys at the top of the NFC in 1997 . However , Dallas finished the season with a disappointing 6 – 10 record as continued discipline and off - field problems became major distractions . Switzer was arrested during the preseason after a handgun was found in his luggage at an airport metal detector . The team collapsed down the stretch , losing its final 5 games . Switzer resigned as head coach in January 1998 and was replaced by former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey . Gailey era . 1998 . Gailey led the team to a 10 – 6 record in 1998 as Dallas became the first NFC East team to sweep the division . The Cowboys suffered a humiliating first - round playoff exit , however , when the Arizona Cardinals defeated them at Texas Stadium 20 - 7 for their first postseason victory in half a century . Jones raised hopes in the off - season , though , signing fleet wide receiver " Rocket " Ismail . 1999 . The Cowboys started the 1999 campaign in impressive fashion , erasing a 21 - point deficit in Washington on opening day for a 41 – 35 overtime victory . In their fourth game of the season , however , Dallas lost Irvin to a neck injury that ended his career . Darryl Johnston also suffered a career - ending injury early in the season , and Aikman , Allen , Sanders and cornerback Kevin Smith missed time as well . Dallas sputtered to an 8 – 8 finish in 1999 . They gained a wild - card berth in their final regular season game , but lost in Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs , 27 - 10 . Key players were now grumbling about Gailey , and Jones fired him in January 2000 . 2000s . Dave Campo era ( 2000 – 02 ) . Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach , but he could only post three consecutive 5 – 11 seasons . Instability plagued the quarterback position after several concussions ; the first suffered on opening day against the Eagles known as the pickle juice game because Eagle players drank pickle juice at half time , finally ended Aikman ' s career late in the 2000 season ; five different quarterbacks started between 2001 and 2002 . The lowest point of the Campo era was an embarrassing and humiliating loss on opening night of the 2002 season to the brand - new Houston Texans . Many fans and media blamed Jerry Jones for the team ' s ills , noting that he refused to hire a strong coach , preferring to hire coaches who did not want to be involved with personnel duties so that Jones himself could manage them . Parcells era . 2003 . However , Jones proved them wrong in 2003 by luring Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys . The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season , posting a 10 – 6 record and a playoff berth by leading the NFL in sacks , turnovers and having the best overall defense in the NFL . 2004 . However , the 2004 season was one of turmoil . Injuries and persistent penalty problems plagued the Cowboys , who were shaken early in training camp when starting quarterback Quincy Carter was suddenly released , allegedly for drug use . 40 - year - old veteran Vinny Testaverde , recently brought in by former coach Parcells to be the back - up , became the starter . They had only a 3 – 5 record at midseason , but injured rookie running back Julius Jones returned in late November , and in consecutive games logged two of the best single - game performances in franchise history . Dallas went 1 – 3 down the stretch , though , finishing the season 6 – 10 . In November 2004 , a vote was passed by the City of Arlington in Tarrant County to build a new stadium adjacent to the existing Ameriquest Field in Arlington . The team began playing at the new site in 2009 after thirty - eight years playing in the city of Irving , and forty - nine years in Dallas County . 2005 . The Cowboys improved their defense before the 2005 season , adding DeMarcus Ware , Marcus Spears , Kevin Burnett , and Chris Canty through the draft . Parcells hoped to jumpstart the team ' s transition from the traditional 4 - 3 defense , which had been the Cowboys ' base defense for the past 20 years , to his preferred 3 - 4 defense , which he believes favors the talents of the current lineup ( speed and athleticism over power ) . Jerry Jones also added a number of veterans , including nose tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry via free agency . On offense , the Cowboys tried to upgrade their passing game by signing free agent quarterback Drew Bledsoe . Bledsoe had a solid year and gave the Cowboys stability at the QB position , which had been lacking since Troy Aikman ' s retirement 5 years earlier . The Cowboys endured an up - and - down 2005 season . Entering Thanksgiving the Cowboys had a 7 - 3 record , Dallas would go onto to finish the season 2 - 4 and miss the playoffs . An injury to kicker Billy Cundiff lead to inconsistency at that position , and costly misses contributed to close losses against Seattle and Denver . Shortly before the regular season finale , the Cowboys learned that they had been eliminated from the playoff chase , and turned in a listless performances against a the St Louis Rams on Sunday Night Football to finish the season 9 - 7 , 3rd place in the NFC East . 2006 . The Cowboys entered the season with high hopes but got off to a mediocre 3 – 2 start before an important " Monday Night Football " game against division rivals , the New York Giants . The Cowboys suffered a tough 36 – 22 loss despite " a changing of guard " at the QB position from Drew Bledsoe to Tony Romo . With the next three games on the road , speculation grew that the Giants would run away with the division for a second straight year . Romo won his first game as a starter the following week against the Carolina Panthers with an outstanding 4th quarter comeback to win ( 35 – 14 ) . The Cowboys ' chance to challenge the Giants seemingly fizzled when they lost to the Washington Redskins at FedExField on a last second field goal ( the " Hand of God " game ) However , the Giants entered a slump , and Tony Romo impressed the media as a quarterback , revitalizing the Cowboys with a 27 – 10 win over the Cardinals , a well - earned ( 21 – 14 ) victory over the previously unbeaten Colts , and a thorough routing of Tampa Bay ( 38 – 10 ) on Thanksgiving Day . During that home game , Romo solidified his position as QB and quieted any remaining skeptics by completing 22 - of - 29 passes for 306 yards and five touchdowns ( tying a franchise record ) . Furthermore , the Cowboys took a two - game lead of the NFC East by beating the Giants in a Week 13 rematch . The success of the new quarterback surprised much of the nation and helped Romo receive much air - time on sports shows . The Cowboys then self - destructed in the last four games of the season , losing to the Saints in a battle for second - best record in the league , to the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that would have earned them the division championship , and to the 2 – 13 Detroit Lions in a game where Tony Romo ' s four fumbles cast significant doubt on his ability to successfully lead his team in the playoffs . The Cowboys played a wild card matchup at Seattle to start the playoffs . Leading 20 - 13 with 6 : 42 left in the game with the ball at their own 1 - yard line , Romo threw a short pass to Terry Glenn where he fumbled it and it went out of bounds in the endzone resulting in a safety . The Seahawks got the ball back and Matt Hasselbeck threw a touchdown to Jerramy Stevens to take a 21 - 20 lead after missing the two point conversion . With 1 : 19 left in the game , the Cowboys had a chance win the game on a 19 - yard field goal , but the hold was fumbled by Romo , who continued to serve as field goal holder even after ascending to the starting quarterback ' s role ( the backup quarterback is traditionally the holder on field goals ) . He picked up the loose ball and tried to run it to the 1 - yard line for a first down , but was tackled at the 2 . As the game came to a close , the Cowboys managed to get the ball back with two seconds left , but Romo ' s hail mary pass attempt to the endzone fell incomplete . On January 22 , at the conclusion of the Cowboys ' season , head coach Bill Parcells retired . On February 8 , after a replacement search that included Mike Singletary , Jason Garrett , Jim Caldwell , Ron Rivera and Norv Turner , San Diego defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as the new head coach . Jerry Jones eventually hired Garrett as offensive coordinator ( even before hiring Phillips ) . Phillips has since hired his son Wes Phillips , and former linebacker Dat Nguyen to his new list of assistant coaches . Phillips era . 2007 . During the 2007 offseason , the Cowboys signed offensive lineman Leonard Davis and quarterback Brad Johnson to back up Tony Romo and have also resigned center Andre Gurode and kicker Martin Gramatica . They have also released two players ; quarterback Drew Bledsoe and tight end Ryan Hannam . Tony Romo also received a $ 67 . 5 million dollar contract for six years with the Dallas Cowboys on October 30 , 2007 , making Romo the third highest paid quarterback in the NFL , after Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals . The Cowboys tied a franchise record in 2007 with 13 wins , equaling the total from the 1992 squad . Terrell Owens had arguably the most productive year in his career and franchise history , Owens tied the franchise record for most scoring receptions in a single game ( Four ) . When Owens caught a touchdown pass in Week 16 against the Panthers , he set the franchise record for most touchdown receptions in a single season ( 15 ) . Tony Romo set team records in Touchdowns ( 36 ) and Passing Yards ( 4 , 211 ) in one season . After receiving the top NFC playoff seed , and getting a first - round bye , they lost to the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs to end one of the most exciting seasons of the decade . In week 5 against the Buffalo Bills The Cowboys turned the ball over six times , including five interceptions thrown by Romo . With a - 5 turnover margin , the Cowboys had no business beating the Bills in Week 5 on Monday Night Football . Trailing 24 - 22 , Dallas sent rookie kicker Nick Folk out to attempt a potential 53 - yard game winner . His first kick sailed through the uprights , but didn ' t count because Buffalo called a timeout immediately before the snap . Folk had to attempt the kick a second time , and hammered it through the goalposts again to finish a dramatic victory . The season would go on to produce some of the teams most memorable games of the decade as well in Week 9 Tight end Jason Witten , who already had a reputation as a tough and intense player , caught a 25 - yard pass from Romo . Immediately after the catch , two Eagles delivered a hit that knocked Witten ' s helmet off . Unfazed by the contact , Witten ran another 30 yards without a helmet . When he was finally dragged down at the Eagles ' 6 , he walked to the sideline with a bloody nose . The team started 5 - 0 before losing to the undefeated Patriots , Their three losses came in Week 6 ( a home game with the unstoppable Patriots ) , and in Weeks 15 and 17 against their division rivals Philadelphia and Washington . When Wide Receiver Terrell Owens went down with an ankle injury against the Panthers in Week 16 , and missed Week 17 against the Redskins , the offense became stagnant . Another highlight was the Week 13 match with Green Bay in a 37 - 27 win that was reminiscent of the 1990s Cowboys - Packers duels . Both teams finished 13 - 3 , but Dallas got the # 1 seed due to a better conference record and head to head win . A record thirteen members of the Cowboys were named to the Pro Bowl , while five were named All - Pro by the Associated Press . The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC ( 13 - 3 ) , and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs . However , they lost their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants , a team that they had defeated in their two regular - season matchups . Dallas was the first number one seed in the NFC to lose in the divisional round since 1990 . Meanwhile , their division rivals , who had lost both regular - season games with the Cowboys , went on to topple Green Bay in the NFC Championship and New England in the Super Bowl . 2008 . The Cowboys began the 2008 season by defeating the Cleveland Browns 28 - 10 , Coming off their commanding road win over the Browns , the Cowboys played their Week 2 home opener under the MNF spotlight . In the last MNF game at Texas Stadium , Dallas would duel with their NFC East foe , the Philadelphia Eagles . In the first quarter , the Cowboys trailed early as Eagles kicker David Akers got a 34 - yard field goal . Dallas would answer in their first possession with QB Tony Romo completing a 72 - yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens In a game that had 9 lead changes , it also set different point records , including most first half points in MNF history ( 54 ) and most combined points in the rivalry ' s history ( 78 ) . Dallas would hold on to win 41 - 37 . After starting 4 - 1 the Cowboys flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 6 Sunday Night Football showdown with the Arizona Cardinals . The Cardinals would return the opening kick return for a touchdown but Dallas would tie the game 7 - 7 at halftime . With only 3 : 17 left in the 4th quarter Tony Romo would complete a 70 yard pass to Marion Barber III and the kicker Nick Folk hit a 52 yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime . In overtime the Cowboys punter Mat McBriar had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown also in overtime QB Tony Romo broke his right pinkie finger . In the week following the game Tony Romo was listed as questionable and would go on to miss 3 games . In addition , Matt McBriar and Sam Hurd were placed in injured reserve , and Felix Jones was listed as out for 2 – 3 weeks with a hamstring injury . Furthermore , Adam ( Pacman ) Jones was suspended by the NFL for a minimum of 4 weeks after an altercation with his bodyguard . Lastly The Cowboys traded for WR Roy Williams with the Detroit Lions , in exchange for their first , third , and sixth - round picks . After the bye week , they won another four victories , Dallas would finish the season 1 - 3 losing its final game in Texas Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens 33 - 24 and a disastrous 44 - 6 loss to Philadelphia . With a 9 - 7 record , the team finished third in the division and failed to qualify for the playoffs . After the season ended highly controversial and productive receiver Terrell Owens was released after receiving a $ 34 million extension the previous June that supposedly would allow the wide receiver to retire a Cowboy . Jones said he released Owens because of production and " In this particular case , we have an outstanding player in Roy Williams , and it was a significant factor in the decision I made to release Terrell . " In three seasons with the Cowboys , Owens had 235 receptions for 3 , 587 yards and 38 touchdowns , but his numbers declined last season , when he had 69 receptions for 1 , 052 yards and 10 touchdowns . 2010 . In May 2009 , the new Cowboys Stadium was completed in Arlington , Texas . It was widely criticized for its appearance , cost ( over a billion USD ) and high energy use . The first game played in the team ' s new home was a preseason match with the Tennessee Titans on August 21 , and the first regular season one was a three - point loss to the Giants on September 20 . By Week 9 , the Cowboys stood at 6 - 2 after defeating their arch rival Eagles in Philadelphia . Then followed a loss to the Packers , and victories over Washington and Oakland , the latter being on Thanksgiving . The team then fell to the Giants a second time , and lost at home to the Chargers . By this point , the Cowboys ' playoff chances were doubtful , and the old talk of the " December curse " reappeared . The next game was a surprise upset of the 13 - 0 New Orleans Saints , followed by a shutout of Washington . Combined with Giants defeats , the Cowboys now found themselves guaranteed a wild card spot at the minimum . On January 3 , they hosted the Eagles , who had won their last five games . Philadelphia ' s offense completely folded , and the team suffered a 24 - 0 shutout , which was the first time in the Cowboys ' 49 - year history that they blanked two consecutive opponents . This gave them the division title and the # 3 NFC seed , but also gave their opponent a wild card , which meant that they had to play in Dallas again the following week . The rematch saw the Eagles score 17 points , but their defense , which had been considered one of the NFL ' s best a few weeks earlier , again performed poorly and the Cowboys put up 34 points , to beat them for the third time in one season . Having won their first playoff game since 1996 , the Cowboys traveled to the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome to face Brett Favre and the Vikings . Their season quickly ended after Minnesota scored four touchdowns and limited them to a single field goal . Linebacker Keith Brooking criticized the last touchdown pass of the game , arguing that it served no purpose other than to run up the score in a game the Vikings already had won . The Cowboys opened 2010 in Washington against a revitalized Redskins team that now featured Donovan McNabb ( traded from the Eagles in April ) and former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan . Although neither team performed well , Dallas lost unexpectedly when on the last play of the game Tony Romo threw a pass into the end zone that was nullified by a holding penalty . The Redskins thus won 13 - 10 . In Week 2 , Dallas fell to the Bears 27 - 20 in their second straight home opener loss . This was also the team ' s first 0 - 2 start since 2001 . Desperate to win , they headed to Houston for the third " Battle of Texas " with the Texans ( the first and second were in 2002 and 2006 ) and beat them 27 - 13 . After coming back from their bye week , the Cowboys suffered another home embarrassment , this time against Tennessee . Dallas ' s fortunes continued to slide in Week 6 as they lost to Minnesota 24 - 21 . Things steadily got worse the next week as Tony Romo was knocked out with a fractured collarbone while playing the Giants on MNF . Filling in for him was 38 - year old QB Jon Kitna , who hadn ' t started in two years . Although rusty , he managed two touchdown passes and the Cowboys scored 35 points . But their division rival edged them out 41 - 35 to win in Cowboys Stadium for the second straight year . By Week 8 , the Cowboys found themselves at 1 - 6 after losing at home to Jacksonville after six Jon Kitna interceptions . After a disastrous 45 - 7 loss in Green Bay , Wade Phillips was fired ( thus breaking Jerry Jones ' s policy of not changing head coaches during the season ) and replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett . Now largely eliminated from playoff contention , the Cowboys headed to the Meadowlands for a rematch with New York . This time things would be different as Jon Kitna passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns . An all - around better performance by the team allowed them to win 33 - 20 . After beating Detroit at home , the Cowboys lost a close Thanksgiving game to New Orleans . They next defeated the Colts in Indianapolis 38 - 35 on an OT field goal to retain faint playoff hopes . After losing to Philadelphia at home , the Cowboys were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention . Week 15 saw them beat the hapless Redskins 33 - 30 and then lose a meaningless game in Arizona followed by a meaningless win over the Eagles to end their season 6 - 10 . Jason Garrett Era . With Tony Romo back in action , the Cowboys headed to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets for a Sunday Night game commemorating the 10 - year anniversary of the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks . An early Dallas lead soon led to a 24 - 24 tie , but Romo threw a fatal interception in the 4th quarter that allowed New York to get into the red zone and score a game - winning touchdown . The next week , the Cowboys headed to San Francisco and won 27 - 21 after Romo made a valiant overtime comeback effort despite playing through a painful rib injury . Despite this and a punctured lung , Romo started in Week 3 as the Cowboys hosted Washington on MNF . They won 18 - 16 in a bizarre game with six field goals from rookie kicker Dan Bailey . Dallas ' s offense struggled the entire night with Romo handicapped by pain , multiple dropped passes , and several botched snaps from rookie center Kevin Kowalski . Notable games . January 1 , 1967 , NFL Championship Game vs . Green Bay Packers December 31 , 1967 , NFL Championship Game at Green Bay Packers January 17 , 1971 , Super Bowl V vs . Baltimore Colts December 23 , 1972 , at San Francisco 49ers , 1972 NFC Divisional Playoff Game November 28 , 1974 , vs . Washington Redskins December 28 , 1975 , at Minnesota Vikings , 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff Game December 16 , 1979 , vs . Washington Redskins January 4 , 1981 , at Atlanta Falcons , 1980 NFC Divisional Playoff Game January 3 , 1983 , at Minnesota Vikings September 5 , 1983 , at Washington Redskins January 31 , 1993 , vs . Buffalo Bills , Super Bowl XXVII November 25 , 1993 , vs . Miami Dolphins January 2 , 1994 , at New York Giants November 18 , 1996 , vs . Green Bay Packers September 12 , 1999 , at Washington Redskins September 24 , 2000 , vs . San Francisco 49ers September 19 , 2005 , vs . Washington Redskins January 6 , 2007 at Seattle Seahawks , NFC wild card playoff game , " The Bobble " October 8 , 2007 vs . Buffalo Bills . December 19 , 2009 vs . New Orleans Saints . Notable firsts . The Dallas Cowboys team / franchise has been " first " in the record books for a whole host of accomplishments , a few of which include :