2013 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2013 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing home games at AT&T Stadium (formerly known as "Cowboys Stadium") and the third full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys finished 8–8 for a third consecutive season, but missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season after losing their final game for the third straight season, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles.

2013 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Jerry Jones
General manager	Jerry Jones
Head coach	Jason Garrett
Home field	AT&T Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	2nd NFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR Dez Bryant DT Jason Hatcher RB DeMarco Murray LT Tyron Smith TE Jason Witten
AP All-Pros	Tyron Smith (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2012 Cowboys seasons 2014 →

2013 draft class

Main article: 2013 NFL Draft

2013 Dallas Cowboys Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	31	Travis Frederick	C	Wisconsin
2	47	Gavin Escobar	TE	San Diego State
3	74	Terrance Williams	WR	Baylor
3	80	J. J. Wilcox	S	Georgia Southern
4	114	B. W. Webb	CB	William & Mary
5	151	Joseph Randle	RB	Oklahoma State
6	185	DeVonte Holloman	LB	South Carolina

Notes

• The Cowboys traded their original first-round (#18) selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for first (#31) and (#74) third-round selections.
• The Cowboys traded their seventh-round (#224) selection to the Miami Dolphins for offensive lineman Ryan Cook.^[1]

Staff

2013 Dallas Cowboys staff

Front office Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones COO/executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones Assistant director of player personnel – Tom Ciskowski Director of football administration – Todd Williams Assistant Director of pro scouting – Judd Garrett Head coaches Head coach – Jason Garrett Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/offensive line – Bill Callahan Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson Running backs – Gary Brown Wide receivers – Derek Dooley Tight ends – Wes Phillips Assistant offensive line – Frank Pollack Offensive quality control/wide receivers – Keith O'Quinn Offensive assistant – Dave Borgonzi Senior coaching consultant – Jimmy Robinson

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Monte Kiffin Defensive line – Rod Marinelli Linebackers – Matt Eberflus Secondary – Jerome Henderson Assistant secondary – Joe Baker Defensive assistant/defensive line – Leon Lett Defensive quality control/linebackers – Ben Bloom Special teams coaches Special teams Coordinator – Rich Bisaccia Assistant special teams/kickers – Chris Boniol Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant Strength and conditioning – Brett Bech

Rosters

Opening preseason roster

2013 Dallas Cowboys opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo  3 Nick Stephens  7 Alex Tanney Running backs 25 Lance Dunbar 28 Kendial Lawrence 29 DeMarco Murray 35 Joseph Randle 34 Phillip Tanner Wide receivers 10 Anthony Amos 13 Anthony Armstrong 19 Miles Austin 11 Cole Beasley 16 Tim Benford 88 Dez Bryant 81 Danny Coale 85 Jared Green 17 Dwayne Harris 14 Eric Rogers 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 86 Colin Cochart 89 Gavin Escobar 84 James Hanna 80 Dante Rosario FB 87 Andre Smith 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 62 David Arkin G 63 Ryan Cook C/G 67 Phil Costa C 76 Edawn Coughman T/G 66 Ray Dominguez G 70 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T 60 Kevin Kowalski G/C 65 Ronald Leary G 71 Nate Livings G 61 James Nelson T 69 Jeff Olson G 78 Jermey Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T 75 Darrion Weems T Defensive linemen 79 Ben Bass DT/DE 92 Landon Cohen DT 70 Tyrone Crawford DE 97 Jason Hatcher DT 96 Nick Hayden DT 64 Toby Jackson DE 95 Sean Lissemore DT 99 Jerome Long DE 72 Jeris Pendleton DT 98 George Selvie DE 93 Anthony Spencer DE/OLB 61 Monty Taylor DE 94 DeMarcus Ware DE/OLB 51 Kyle Wilber DE/OLB		Linebackers 55 Alex Albright OLB/DE 54 Bruce Carter OLB 52 Justin Durant OLB 57 DeVonte Holloman OLB 45 Deon Lacey OLB 48 Cameron Lawrence OLB 50 Sean Lee MLB 46 Brandon Magee MLB 56 Caleb McSurdy MLB 58 Taylor Reed MLB 59 Ernie Sims OLB Defensive backs 26 Will Allen SS 33 Xavier Brewer CB 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church FS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 41 Eric Frampton FS 43 Jakar Hamilton FS 38 Jeff Heath SS 37 Matt Johnson FS 40 Danny McCray FS 21 Sterling Moore CB 31 Micah Pellerin CB/FS 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 23 Brandon Underwood CB/FS 20 B. W. Webb CB 27 J. J. Wilcox SS Special teams 44 Jackson Anderson LS  5 Dan Bailey K  2 Spencer Benton P  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS		Reserve lists 74 Demetress Bell OT (Active/NFL-Inj.)   73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G (Active/PUP)   90 Jay Ratliff DT (Active/PUP)   53 Cameron Sheffield DE (IR)   90 active, 1 inactive

Week one roster

2013 Dallas Cowboys week one roster
Quarterbacks 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo Running backs 25 Lance Dunbar 29 DeMarco Murray 21 Joseph Randle 34 Phillip Tanner Wide receivers 19 Miles Austin 11 Cole Beasley 88 Dez Bryant 17 Dwayne Harris RS 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 89 Gavin Escobar 84 James Hanna 87 Andre Smith 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 62 David Arkin G 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G 67 Phil Costa C 72 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T/G 65 Ronald Leary G 78 Jermey Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T 64 Brian Waters G 75 Darrion Weems T Defensive linemen 92 Landon Cohen DT 97 Jason Hatcher DT 96 Nick Hayden DT 55 Edgar Jones DE/OLB 70 Jerome Long DT/DE 95 Caesar Rayford DE 99 George Selvie DE 93 Anthony Spencer DE/OLB 94 DeMarcus Ware DE/OLB 51 Kyle Wilber DE/OLB		Linebackers 58 Kyle Bosworth MLB/OLB 54 Bruce Carter OLB 52 Justin Durant OLB 57 DeVonte Holloman OLB 50 Sean Lee MLB 59 Ernie Sims OLB Defensive backs 26 Will Allen SS 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church FS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 38 Jeff Heath SS 40 Danny McCray FS 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 20 B. W. Webb CB 27 J. J. Wilcox SS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS		Reserve lists -- Alex Albright OLB/DE (IR)   79 Ben Bass DT/DE (IR)   63 Ryan Cook C/G (IR)   -- Tyrone Crawford DE (IR)   41 Eric Frampton FS (IR)   37 Matt Johnson FS (IR)   90 Jay Ratliff DT (PUP)   Practice squad 16 Tim Benford WR 81 Danny Coale WR 66 Ray Dominguez G 23 Jakar Hamilton FS 53 Cameron Lawrence OLB 31 Micah Pellerin CB/FS  7 Alex Tanney QB 56 Jason Vega DE 53 active, 7 inactive, 8 practice squad

Final roster

2013 Dallas Cowboys final roster
Quarterbacks  3 Jon Kitna 18 Kyle Orton  9 Tony Romo Running backs 44 Tyler Clutts FB 29 DeMarco Murray 21 Joseph Randle 34 Phillip Tanner Wide receivers 19 Miles Austin 11 Cole Beasley 88 Dez Bryant 17 Dwayne Harris 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 89 Gavin Escobar 84 James Hanna 82 Jason Witten		Offensive linemen 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G 67 Phil Costa C 72 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T 65 Ronald Leary G 78 Jermey Parnell T 77 Tyron Smith T 75 Darrion Weems T Defensive linemen 71 Everette Brown DE 97 Jason Hatcher DT 96 Nick Hayden DT 69 Corvey Irvin DT 55 Edgar Jones DE 70 Frank Kearse DT 99 George Selvie DE 94 DeMarcus Ware DE 56 Martez Wilson DE 92 Jarius Wynn DE		Linebackers 54 Bruce Carter OLB 57 DeVonte Holloman MLB 53 Cameron Lawrence OLB 50 Sean Lee MLB 98 Orie Lemon OLB 59 Ernie Sims OLB/MLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB Defensive backs 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church FS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 23 Jakar Hamilton FS 38 Jeff Heath SS 40 Danny McCray FS 26 Sterling Moore CB 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 20 B. W. Webb CB 27 J. J. Wilcox SS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS		Reserve lists 79 Ben Bass DT/DE (IR)   63 Ryan Cook C (IR)   -- Tyrone Crawford DE (IR)   25 Lance Dunbar RB (IR)   52 Justin Durant OLB/MLB (IR)   37 Matt Johnson FS (IR)   93 Anthony Spencer DE (IR)   64 Brian Waters G (IR)   Practice squad 16 Tim Benford WR 66 Ray Dominguez G 80 Jameson Konz TE 86 Lance Lewis WR 85 Jamar Newsome WR (IR)   95 Caesar Rayford DE 81 Lanear Sampson WR 48 Jonathan Stewart LB 61 John Wetzel T 53 active, 9 inactive, 8 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
HOF	August 4	vs. Miami Dolphins	W 24–20	1–0	Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio)	Recap
1	August 9	at Oakland Raiders	L 17–19	1–1	O.co Coliseum	Recap
2	August 17	at Arizona Cardinals	L 7–12	1–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
3	August 24	Cincinnati Bengals	W 24–18	2–2	AT&T Stadium	Recap
4	August 29	Houston Texans	L 6–24	2–3	AT&T Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 8	New York Giants	W 36–31	1–0	AT&T Stadium	Recap
2	September 15	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 16–17	1–1	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
3	September 22	St. Louis Rams	W 31–7	2–1	AT&T Stadium	Recap
4	September 29	at San Diego Chargers	L 21–30	2–2	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
5	October 6	Denver Broncos	L 48–51	2–3	AT&T Stadium	Recap
6	October 13	Washington Redskins	W 31–16	3–3	AT&T Stadium	Recap
7	October 20	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 17–3	4–3	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
8	October 27	at Detroit Lions	L 30–31	4–4	Ford Field	Recap
9	November 3	Minnesota Vikings	W 27–23	5–4	AT&T Stadium	Recap
10	November 10	at New Orleans Saints	L 17–49	5–5	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 24	at New York Giants	W 24–21	6–5	MetLife Stadium	Recap
13	November 28	Oakland Raiders	W 31–24	7–5	AT&T Stadium	Recap
14	December 9	at Chicago Bears	L 28–45	7–6	Soldier Field	Recap
15	December 15	Green Bay Packers	L 36–37	7–7	AT&T Stadium	Recap
16	December 22	at Washington Redskins	W 24–23	8–7	FedExField	Recap
17	December 29	Philadelphia Eagles	L 22–24	8–8	AT&T Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New York Giants

Week One: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	7	7	14	31
Cowboys	3	10	14	9	36

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 85,348
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30–yard field goal, 13:04. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:49. NYG – Josh Brown 20–yard field goal, 2:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:58. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 38–yard field goal, 10:02. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:00. DAL – Jason Witten 15–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:55. Cowboys 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:57. NYG – Victor Cruz 70–yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 1:50. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:05. Third quarter DAL – Barry Church 27–yard defensive fumble return (Dan Bailey kick), 12:31. Cowboys 20–10. DAL – Jason Witten 4–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:55. Cowboys 27–10. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:49. NYG – Victor Cruz 18–yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 1:44. Cowboys 27–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:11. Fourth quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 45–yard field goal, 12:10. Cowboys 30–17. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:34. NYG – Victor Cruz 10–yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 8:47. Cowboys 30–24. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:23. DAL – Brandon Carr 49–yard interception return (pass failed), 1:50. Cowboys 36–24. NYG – Brandon Myers 4–yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 0:11. Cowboys 36–31. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:39. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning – 27/42, 450 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT DAL – Tony Romo – 36/49, 263 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NYG – Da'Rel Scott – 5 rushes, 23 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray – 20 rushes, 86 yards Top receivers NYG – Victor Cruz – 5 receptions, 118 yards, 3 TD DAL – Miles Austin – 10 receptions, 72 yards

This was the Cowboys' first home win against the Giants since 2008, and their first win against the Giants at AT&T Stadium.

Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Two: Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	10	0	3	3	16
Chiefs	7	0	7	3	17

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 15
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,952
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter KC – Jamaal Charles 2–yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 8:13. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:47. DAL – Dan Bailey 51–yard field goal, 5:02. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:11. DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:36. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:20. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30–yard field goal, 6:54. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 8:06. KC – Dwayne Bowe 12–yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 2:53. Chiefs 14–13. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:01. Fourth quarter KC – Ryan Succop 40–yard field goal, 14:06. Chiefs 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:32. DAL – Dan Bailey 53–yard field goal, 3:50. Chiefs 17–16. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:53. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 30/42, 298 yards, TD KC – Alex Smith – 21/36, 223 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 12 rushes, 25 yards KC – Jamaal Charles – 16 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 9 receptions, 141 yards, TD KC – Dwayne Bowe – 4 receptions, 56 yards, TD

Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Three: St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	0	7	0	7
Cowboys	10	7	7	7	31

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: September 22
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 80,848
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:06. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:52. DAL – Dan Bailey 19–yard field goal, 2:06. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:57. Second quarter DAL – DeMarco Murray 2–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:10. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:50. Third quarter DAL – Gavin Escobar 24–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:39. Cowboys 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:21. STL – Austin Pettis 4–yard pass from Sam Bradford (Greg Zuerlein kick), 3:20. Cowboys 24–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:15. Fourth quarter DAL – Dwayne Harris 24–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:55. Cowboys 31–7. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:24. Top passers STL – Sam Bradford – 29/48, 240 yards, TD DAL – Tony Romo – 17/24, 210 yards, 3 TD Top rushers STL – Isaiah Pead – 6 rushes, 20 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray – 26 rushes, 175 yards, TD Top receivers STL – Chris Givens – 2 receptions, 54 yards DAL – Jason Witten – 5 receptions, 67 yards

Week 4: at San Diego Chargers

Week Four: Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	21	0	0	21
Chargers	7	6	7	10	30

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 68,601
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter SD – Danny Woodhead 26–yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 7:05. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 3:01. Second quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 5–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 13:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 3:58. SD – Nick Novak 36–yard field goal, 5:11. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:27. DAL – Dez Bryant 34–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:36. Cowboys 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:35. DAL – Sean Lee 52–yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 1:19. Cowboys 21–10. SD – Nick Novak 42–yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:19. Third quarter SD – Danny Woodhead 13–yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 9:32. Cowboys 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter SD – Nick Novak 23–yard field goal, 14:46. Chargers 23–21. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:23. SD – Antonio Gates 54–yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 6:54. Chargers 30–21. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:08. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 27/37, 246 yards, 2 TD SD – Philip Rivers – 35/42, 401 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 14 rushes, 70 yards SD – Ryan Matthews – 19 rushes, 62 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 6 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD SD – Antonio Gates – 10 receptions, 136 yards, TD

Week 5: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Five: Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	21	10	13	51
Cowboys	14	6	13	15	48

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 92,758
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:06. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:54. DAL – DeMarco Murray 4–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 3:18. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:35. DEN – Julius Thomas 4–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 2:28. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:50. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 43–yard field goal, 12:14. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:14. DEN – Eric Decker 2–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:06. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:08. DEN – Julius Thomas 9–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:22. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:27. DEN – Peyton Manning 1–yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:46. Broncos 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:24. DAL – Dan Bailey 48–yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 0:46. Third quarter DEN – Wes Welker 2–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 8:03. Broncos 35–20. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 6:57. DAL – Terrance Williams 82–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:08. Broncos 35–27. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:55. DEN – Matt Prater 48–yard field goal, 3:23. Broncos 38–27. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:45. DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (run failed), 0:14. Broncos 38–33. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter DAL – Jason Witten 10–yard pass from Tony Romo (Tony Romo–Terrance Williams pass), 13:38. Cowboys 41–38. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:24. DEN – Matt Prater 50–yard field goal, 9:37. Tied 41–41. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 4:01. DAL – Cole Beasley 4–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:19. Cowboys 48–41. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 2:18. DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1–yard run (Matt Prater kick), 2:39. Tied 48–48. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:40. DEN – Matt Prater 28–yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 51–48. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 1:57. Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning – 33/42, 414 yards, 4 TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo – 25/36, 506 yards, 5 TD, INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 19 rushes, 93 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 12 rushes, 43 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Julius Thomas – 9 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 151 yards, TD

Coming off their loss to the Chargers, the Cowboys hosted the Denver Broncos at home for an interconference duel. The Cowboys grabbed a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Romo to wide receiver Dez Bryant, followed by running back DeMarco Murray rushing for a 4-yard touchdown. The latter score occurred after a fumble by Broncos' wide receiver Eric Decker. The Broncos later got on the scoreboard, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting on a 4-yard shovel pass to tight end Julius Thomas for a touchdown. Early in the second quarter, a 43-yard field goal by placekicker Dan Bailey gave the Cowboys a 17–7 lead. The Broncos then reeled off 21 unanswered points, with Manning adding two more touchdown passes — a 2-yarder to Decker and a 9-yarder to Thomas, followed by Manning rushing for a 1-yard touchdown on a bootleg play. A 48-yard field goal by Bailey at the end of the first half narrowed the Broncos' lead to 28–20.^[2]

In the second half, the Broncos added to their lead midway through the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. However, the Cowboys subsequently began chipping away at the Broncos’ lead, with Romo connecting on an 82-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrance Williams. A 48-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater gave the Broncos a 38–27 lead, but the Cowboys further narrowed the Broncos' lead, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Bryant (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt). Following an intercepted Broncos' pass, the Cowboys subsequently re-claimed the lead early in the fourth quarter, with Romo throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten, coupled with a two-point pass from Romo to Williams. The Broncos tied the game at 41–41 on their next possession, with a 50-yard field goal by Prater. As the shootout continued, on the Cowboys' next possession, Romo connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cole Beasley to give the Cowboys a 48–41 lead with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Manning subsequently led the Broncos on a 9-play, 73-yard drive, which culminated with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 48–48 with 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. Two plays into the Cowboys' next possession, as the Cowboys were attempting a game-winning drive, Romo was intercepted by Broncos’ linebacker Danny Trevathan at the Cowboys' 24-yard line just before the two-minute warning. On the fourth play of the Broncos' final possession, the Broncos were facing a 3rd-and-1 at the Cowboys' 2-yard line, after the Cowboys had exhausted two of their three team timeouts. Moreno earned a crucial first down after Manning implored him to go down before reaching the goal line instead of scoring a touchdown, which forced the Cowboys to burn their final timeout with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. After three kneel-downs by Manning, Prater nailed the game-winning 28-yard field goal as time expired.^[2] With the loss, the Cowboys moved to 2–3, and dropped to second place in the division. Romo passed for 506 yards in this shootout, and his 36 attempted passes is the fewest by any quarterback who managed to pass for 500 yards in one game.

Week 6: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Six: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	3	10	0	16
Cowboys	7	7	7	10	31

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: October 13
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 90,239
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – DeMarco Murray 4-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 8:52. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:08. WAS – Kai Forbath 20-yard field goal, 1:38. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 7:14. Second quarter DAL – Dwayne Harris 86-yard punt return (Dan Bailey kick), 2:26. Cowboys 14–3. WAS – Kai Forbath 32-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 2:26. Third quarter WAS – Kai Forbath 33-yard field goal, 10:03. Cowboys 14–9. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:57. DAL – Terrance Williams 15-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:03. Cowboys 21–9. Drive: 2 plays, 15 yards, 1:00. WAS – Alfred Morris 45-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:43. Cowboys 21–16. Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 0:37. Fourth quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 10:36. Cowboys 24–16. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:06. DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 8:49. Cowboys 31–16. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:47. Top passers WAS – Robert Griffin III – 19/39, 246 yards, INT DAL – Tony Romo – 18/30, 170 yards, TD, INT Top rushers WAS – Alfred Morris – 16 rushes, 81 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 7 rushes, 29 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – Pierre Garçon – 6 receptions, 69 yards DAL – Cole Beasley – 4 receptions, 44 yards

Week 7: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	3	7	7	17
Eagles	0	0	0	3	3

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 69,144
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 38–yard field goal, 3:17. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:42. Third quarter DAL – Phillip Tanner 1–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:17. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:43. Fourth quarter PHI – Alex Henery 31–yard field goal, 14:57. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 17 yards, 2:49. DAL – Terrance Williams 9–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:25. Cowboys 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:32. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 28/47, 317 yards, TD, 2 INT PHI – Matt Barkley – 11/20, 129 yards, 3 INT Top rushers DAL – Joseph Randle – 19 rushes, 65 yards PHI – LeSean McCoy – 18 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 8 receptions, 110 yards PHI – Riley Cooper – 6 receptions, 88 yards

Week 8: at Detroit Lions

Week Eight: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	10	3	17	30
Lions	7	0	0	24	31

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 64,379
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DET – Calvin Johnson 2–yard pass from Matthew Stafford (David Akers kick), 0:54. Lions 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 2:27. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 53–yard field goal, 5:39. Lions 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:37. DAL – Dez Bryant 5–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 0:52. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 53–yard field goal, 3:02. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:56. Fourth quarter DET – David Akers 20–yard field goal, 13:13. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:49. DAL – Terrance Williams 60–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:32. Cowboys 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:41. DET – Joique Bell 1–yard run (David Akers kick), 7:38. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:54. DAL – Dez Bryant 50–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:45. Cowboys 27–17. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:53. DET – Reggie Bush 1–yard run (David Akers kick), 3:33. Cowboys 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:12. DAL – Dan Bailey 44–yard field goal, 1:02. Cowboys 30–24. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:22. DET – Matthew Stafford 1–yard run (David Akers kick), 0:12. Lions 31–30. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 0:50. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 14/30, 206 yards, 3 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 33/48, 488 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers DAL – Joseph Randle – 14 rushes, 26 yards DET – Reggie Bush – 21 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 3 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TD DET – Calvin Johnson – 14 receptions, 329 yards, TD

Dez Bryant was the topic of the close loss as he was engaged in several sideline rants throughout the second half.

Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Nine: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	7	7	6	23
Cowboys	3	3	14	7	27

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: November 3
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 85,360
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 41–yard field goal, 6:51. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:15. MIN – Blair Walsh 23–yard field goal, 2:08. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:43. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 41–yard field goal, 6:35. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:56. MIN – Christian Ponder 6–yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:41. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:51. Third quarter DAL – Jason Witten 26–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 11:38. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:22. DAL – Nick Hayden defensive fumble recovery in end zone (Dan Bailey kick), 11:28. Cowboys 20–10. MIN – Kyle Rudolph 31–yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 8:11. Cowboys 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:17. Fourth quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 11–yard run (Blair Walsh kick failed), 5:40. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 4:52. DAL – Dwayne Harris 7–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:35. Cowboys 27–23. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 2:09. Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 25/37, 236 yards, TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo – 34/51, 337 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 25 rushes, 140 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 4 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers MIN – Greg Jennings – 6 receptions, 56 yards DAL – Jason Witten – 8 receptions, 102 yards, TD

Week 10: at New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	7	7	0	17
Saints	7	21	7	14	49

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 10
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,018
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 37–yard field goal, 8:14. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:22. NO – Marques Colston 22–yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:23. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:51. Second quarter DAL – DeMarco Murray 7–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:05. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:18. NO – Pierre Thomas 1–yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:09. Saints 14–10. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:56. NO – Darren Sproles 3–yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:32. Saints 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:29. NO – Darren Sproles 28–yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:05. Saints 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:48. Third quarter NO – Mark Ingram II 4–yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:12. Saints 35–10. Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 2:43. DAL – Terrance Williams 21–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:41. Saints 35–17. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:31. Fourth quarter NO – Kenny Stills 52–yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:43. Saints 42–17. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:30. NO – Pierre Thomas 1–yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:44. Saints 49–17. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 5:27. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 10/24, 128 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 34/41, 392 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 16 rushes, 89 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 rushes, 145 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 1 reception, 44 yards NO – Marques Colston – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD

Week 12: at New York Giants

Week Twelve: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	7	3	24
Giants	0	6	7	8	21

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: November 24
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), windy
• Game attendance: 80,499
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Jeff Heath 50–yard defensive fumble return (Dan Bailey kick), 4:17. Cowboys 7–0. Second quarter NYG – Josh Brown 21–yard field goal, 12:40. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:37. DAL – Jason Witten 22–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:37. Cowboys 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:03. NYG – Josh Brown 23–yard field goal, 5:18. Cowboys 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:19. Third quarter DAL – Jason Witten 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:54. Cowboys 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:41. NYG – Brandon Myers 27–yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 4:33. Cowboys 21–13. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:21. Fourth quarter NYG – Louis Murphy 4–yard pass from Eli Manning (Andre Brown run), 4:45. Tied 21–21. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:13. DAL – Dan Bailey 35–yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 24–21. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 4:45. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 23/38, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT NYG – Eli Manning – 16/30, 174 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 14 rushes, 86 yards NYG – Andre Brown – 21 rushes, 127 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 9 receptions, 86 yards NYG – Rueben Randle – 3 receptions, 64 yards

Dan Bailey's 34 yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the game gave the Cowboys their sixth win of the season. With the win, the Giants' four game winning streak was snapped and the Cowboys regained the top spot of the NFC East, remaining undefeated in the division. With the victory, the Cowboys swept the Giants for the first time since 2007.

Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Thirteen: Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	7	14	0	3	24
Cowboys	7	7	7	10	31

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: November 28
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 87,572
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter OAK – Greg Jenkins 23–yard fumble return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:48. Raiders 7–0. DAL – DeMarco Murray 2–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:43. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:04. Second quarter OAK – Rashad Jennings 1–yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 10:13. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 5:30. OAK – Rashad Jennings 1–yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:56. Raiders 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 7:46. DAL – DeMarco Murray 4–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:10. Raiders 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:46. Third quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 4–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:26. Tied 21–21. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 6:03. Fourth quarter DAL – DeMarco Murray 4–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:20. Cowboys 28–21. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 5:20. DAL – Dan Bailey 19–yard field goal, 1:56. Cowboys 31–21. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 6:43. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 45–yard field goal, 0:35. Cowboys 31–24. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:21. Top passers OAK – Matt McGloin – 18/30, 255 yards, INT DAL – Tony Romo – 23/32, 225 yards, TD Top rushers OAK – Rashad Jennings – 17 rushes, 35 yards, 2 TD DAL – Lance Dunbar – 12 rushes, 82 yards Top receivers OAK – Andre Holmes – 7 receptions, 136 yards DAL – Dez Bryant – 7 receptions, 61 yards, TD

Week 14: at Chicago Bears

Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	0	14	28
Bears	7	17	11	10	45

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 7:40 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 8 °F (−13 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 62,229
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:02. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:58. CHI – Earl Bennett 4–yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 1:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:27. Second quarter CHI – Josh McCown 7–yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 8:58. Bears 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:34. DAL – Jason Witten 10–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:22. Tied 14–14. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:36. CHI – Robbie Gould 27–yard field goal, 1:33. Bears 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:49. CHI – Alshon Jeffery 25–yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 0:10. Bears 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 0:37. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 34–yard field goal, 12:02. Bears 27–14. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:58. CHI – Matt Forte 4–yard pass from Josh McCown (Josh McCown–Brandon Marshall pass), 2:20. Bears 35–14. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 8:10. Fourth quarter CHI – Michael Bush 17–yard pass from Josh McCown (Robbie Gould kick), 14:24. Bears 42–14. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:58. DAL – Cole Beasley 9–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:52. Bears 42–21. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:32. CHI – Robbie Gould 23–yard field goal, 3:47. Bears 45–21. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 7:05. DAL – Joseph Randle 1–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:06. Bears 45–28. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:41. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 11/20, 104 yards, 3 TD CHI – Josh McCown – 27/36, 348 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 18 rushes, 146 yards CHI – Matt Forte – 20 rushes, 102 yards Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 2 receptions, 36 yards CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions, 100 yards

Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	3	0	14	20	37
Cowboys	13	13	3	7	36

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 15
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 91,054
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 47–yard field goal, 10:56. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:04. GB – Mason Crosby 57–yard field goal, 7:40. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:16. DAL – Dan Bailey 23–yard field goal, 4:52. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:48. DAL – Jason Witten 25–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:28. Cowboys 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:57. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 43–yard field goal, 5:54. Cowboys 16–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:26. DAL – Dan Bailey 50–yard field goal, 3:45. Cowboys 19–3. Drive: 4 plays, -11 yards, 0:53. DAL – DeMarco Murray 1–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:24. Cowboys 26–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:35. Third quarter GB – Jordy Nelson 13–yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), 13:08. Cowboys 26–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:52. DAL – Dan Bailey 50–yard field goal, 6:33. Cowboys 29–10. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 6:35. GB – Andrew Quarless 3–yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), 1:09. Cowboys 29–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:24. Fourth quarter GB – James Starks 11–yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), 12:47. Cowboys 29–24. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:14. DAL – Dez Bryant 5–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:55. Cowboys 36–24. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:52. GB – James Jones 3–yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), 4:17. Cowboys 36–31. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:38. GB – Eddie Lacy 1–yard run (pass failed), 1:31. Packers 37–36. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:15. Top passers GB – Matt Flynn – 26/39, 299 yards, 4 TD, INT DAL – Tony Romo – 29/48, 358 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers GB – Eddie Lacy – 21 rushes, 141 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 18 rushes, 134 yards, TD Top receivers GB – Jarrett Boykin – 6 receptions, 83 yards DAL – Dez Bryant – 11 receptions, 153 yards, TD

With the Packers coming off of their first win since the injury of Aaron Rodgers, the Cowboys lead 26–3 at halftime. In the second half of the game, the Packers managed a dramatic comeback that was helped by the mistake-prone Cowboys. The Packers scored the game-winning touchdown with almost a minute left in the game. Tony Romo tried to rally back and give the Cowboys a win, but threw an interception near the 50-yard line that sealed their fate. Controversy followed the game for the Cowboys giving up a 23-point halftime lead and the play-calling of the coaching staff.^{[citation needed]}

Week 16: at Washington Redskins

Week Sixteen: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	0	10	24
Redskins	3	3	14	3	23

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: December 22
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), rain
• Game attendance: 80,411
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter DAL – DeMarco Murray 3–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 12:49. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:11. WAS – Kai Forbath 36–yard field goal, 4:15. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:53. Second quarter WAS – Kai Forbath 22–yard field goal, 7:36. Cowboys 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 7:15. DAL – Dez Bryant 14–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:37. Cowboys 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 93 yards, 2:59. Third quarter WAS – Pierre Garçon 8–yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Kai Forbath kick), 9:09. Cowboys 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 4:20. WAS – Alfred Morris 4–yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 3:41. Redskins 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:13. Fourth quarter WAS – Kai Forbath 47–yard field goal, 14:56. Redskins 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 2:55. DAL – Dan Bailey 25–yard field goal, 6:09. Redskins 23–17. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:47. DAL – DeMarco Murray 10–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:08. Cowboys 24–23. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 2:31. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 17/27, 226 yards, 2 TD, INT WAS – Kirk Cousins – 21/36, 197 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 22 rushes, 96 yards, TD WAS – Alfred Morris – 24 rushes, 88 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 84 yards WAS – Pierre Garçon – 11 receptions, 144 yards, TD

After the loss to the Packers the week before, the Cowboys managed to hold the Redskins to only two field goals to lead 14–6 at halftime. In the third quarter, Kirk Cousins threw two touchdown passes to give the Redskins a 20–14 lead at the end of the 3rd. The Redskins extended their lead to 23–14 after another field goal. The Cowboys, in an attempt to not repeat the mistakes of the previous week, sent Dan Bailey out to kick a field goal to trail 23–17 in the 4th. At the 3:29 mark, the Cowboys went back to work to start at their own 13 yard line. Romo led the Cowboys downfield thanks in large part to a Terrance Williams 51 yard catch and then a Dez Bryant catch and run for 17 yards to set up first and goal at the Redskins' 4 yard line. DeMarco Murray carried the ball for all three plays (+3, no gain, −9). Facing 4th and goal at the Washington 10 yard line, Romo climbed the pocket and fired a pass to DeMarco Murray in the end zone to tie the game 23–23. With the extra point good, the Cowboys led 24–23 with 1:01 remaining in the game. Washington started their drive on their own 13 yard line after a 10-yard illegal block penalty negated what would have been a 21-yard return (to the Washington 23). Kirk Cousins and co. could not sustain their drive, totaling 4 yards on four passing attempts. The Redskins turned the ball over on downs with 40 seconds remaining in the game. Lining up in the victory formation, Tony Romo was able to kneel the ball down and run the clock out. With the win, the Cowboys advanced to 5-0 in the NFC East and kept their playoff hopes alive to set up a do-or-die at home versus the Eagles.

Romo was seen limping through most of the fourth quarter after rolling out of what would have been a sack by Redskins linebacker Rob Jackson. The Cowboys later confirmed injury reports of Romo suffering a herniated disc in his lower back. Despite statements that he would be ready to face Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East Championship, Romo was placed on injured reserve. The Cowboys tried to delay surgery by administering an epidural injection two days prior to the anticipated game, but it was decided Romo needed the surgery and ended his season.

Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Seventeen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	14	0	7	24
Cowboys	0	10	6	6	22

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 29
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 91,166
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Game book

Game information

First quarter PHI – Alex Henery 47–yard field goal, 7:07. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:35. Second quarter PHI – LeSean McCoy 3–yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 14:13. Eagles 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:20. DAL – Gavin Escobar 17–yard pass from Kyle Orton (Dan Bailey kick), 8:16. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:51. PHI – Brent Celek 14–yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 1:19. Eagles 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:34. DAL – Dan Bailey 44–yard field goal, 0:18. Eagles 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 1:01. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 43–yard field goal, 8:59. Eagles 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:50. DAL – Dan Bailey 36–yard field goal, 5:38. Eagles 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:06. Fourth quarter PHI – Bryce Brown 6–yard run (Alex Henery kick), 6:09. Eagles 24–16. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:37. DAL – Dez Bryant 32–yard pass from Kyle Orton (pass failed), 3:50. Eagles 24–22. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:19. Top passers PHI – Nick Foles – 17/26, 263 yards, 2 TD DAL – Kyle Orton – 30/46, 358 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers PHI – LeSean McCoy – 27 rushes, 131 yards DAL – DeMarco Murray – 17 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers PHI – Brent Celek – 3 receptions, 71 yards, TD DAL – Jason Witten – 12 receptions, 135 yards

The loss caused the Cowboys once again to miss out on the playoffs and gave them a 2–12 record in Week 17 games since 2000.

Standings

Division

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(3) Philadelphia Eagles	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	442	382	W2
Dallas Cowboys	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	439	432	L1
New York Giants	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	294	383	W2
Washington Redskins	3	13	0	.188	0–6	1–11	334	478	L8

Conference

NFC^[3] view talk edit
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division winners
1	Seattle Seahawks	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	.490	.445	W1
2	Carolina Panthers	South	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.494	.451	W3
3	Philadelphia Eagles	East	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	.453	.391	W2
4	Green Bay Packers	North	8	7	1	.531	3–2–1	6–5–1	.453	.371	W1
Wild cards
5	San Francisco 49ers	West	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.494	.414	W6
6	New Orleans Saints	South	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	.516	.455	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Arizona Cardinals	West	10	6	0	.625	2–4	6–6	.531	.444	L1
8^[a]	Chicago Bears	North	8	8	0	.500	2–4	4–8	.465	.469	L2
9	Dallas Cowboys	East	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	.484	.363	L1
10^[b]^[c]	New York Giants	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.520	.366	W2
11^[d]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.457	.402	L4
12	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	.551	.446	L1
13	Minnesota Vikings	North	5	10	1	.344	2–3–1	4–7–1	.512	.450	W1
14^[e]	Atlanta Falcons	South	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	.553	.313	L2
15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	.574	.391	L3
16	Washington Redskins	East	3	13	0	.188	0–6	1–11	.516	.438	L8
Tiebreakers^[f]
Chicago defeated Dallas head-to-head (Week 14, 45–28). The NY Giants and Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. The NY Giants defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 16, 23–20 (OT)). Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. Atlanta finished with a better conference record than Tampa Bay. 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.

References

1. "2013 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". ProSportsTransactions.com.
2. Kavner, Rowan (October 6, 2013). "Cowboys Fall Short After Late Pick In 51–48 Loss To Denver". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
3. "2013 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.

External links

• "2013 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
• Official website