Information
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise that plays in the East division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb ofDallas. The team plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, which finished construction in time for the 2009 season.[1] The Cowboys joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team.[2] The team's national following might best be represented by its NFL record of consecutive home sell-outs. The Cowboys' streak of 160 sold-out regular and post-season games began in 1990, and included 79 straight sellouts at their former home, Texas Stadium, and 81 straight sell-outs on the road.[3] The franchise shares the record for most Super Bowl appearances (8) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, corresponding to most NFC championships (8). The Cowboys won 5 of those, tying them with their NFC rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, both are second to Pittsburgh's record 6 Super Bowl championships.[4] The Cowboys are the only NFL team to record 20 straight winning seasons (1966–85), in which they only missed the playoffs twice (1974 and 1984), an NFL record that remains unchallenged.
The Cowboys, at approximately $3.2 billion, are the most valuable NFL franchise according to Forbes, and the most valuable sports team in the United States.[5] They are tied with soccer club FC Barcelona for the second-most in the world; only Real Madrid ($3.4b) is valued higher than the Cowboys.[6] They also generate $560 million in revenue, again the most of any NFL team.[7]
Prior to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of Washington, D.C. since the Dallas Texans folded in 1952. Oilman Clint Murchison Jr. had been trying to get an NFL expansion team in Dallas (as was Lamar Hunt – who ended up with an AFL franchise), but George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins, had a monopoly in theSouth.
Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington Redskins from Marshall in 1958. An agreement was struck, but as the deal was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms. This infuriated Murchison and he called off the deal. Marshall then opposed any franchise for Murchison in Dallas. Since NFL expansion needed unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshall's position would prevent Murchison from joining the league.
Marshall had a falling out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music to the Redskins fight song "Hail to the Redskins" and Marshall’s wife had penned the lyrics. Breeskin owned the rights to the song and was aware of Murchison’s plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchison’s attorney to sell him the rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959. Murchison purchased "Hail to the Redskins" for $2,500. Before the vote to award franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he owned the song and Marshall could not play it during games. After a few Marshall expletives, Murchison gave the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" to Marshall for his vote, the lone one against Murchison getting a franchise at that time, and a rivalrywas born.
1970sFrom 1970 through 1979, the Cowboys won 105 regular season games, more than any other NFL franchise during that span.[8] In addition, they appeared in 5 and won two Super Bowls, at the end of the 1971 and 1977 regular seasons.
1980sDanny White became the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 1980 after quarterback Roger Staubach retired. Despite going to 12-4 in 1980, the Cowboys came into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. In the opening round of the 1980-81 NFL playoffs they avenged their elimination from the prior year's playoffs by defeating the Rams. In the Divisional Round they squeaked by the Falcons 30-27. For the NFC Championship they were pitted against division rival Philadelphia, the team that won the division during the regular season. The Eagles captured their first conference championship and Super Bowl berth by winning 20-7.
1981 brought another division championship for the Cowboys. They entered the 1981-82 NFL playoffs as the number 2 seed. Their first game of the postseason saw them blowout and shutout Tampa Bay 38-0. For the Conference Title game they were pitted against the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. Despite having a late 4th quarter 27-21 lead, they would lose to the 49ers 28-21. 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led his team to an 89-yard game winning touchdown drive connecting to Dwight Clark in a play known as The Catch.
The 1982 season was shortened after a player strike. With a 6-3 record Dallas made it to the playoffs for the 8th consecutive season. As the number 2 seed for the 1982-83 NFL playoffs they eliminated the Buccaneers 30-17 in the Wild Card round and dispatched the Packers 37-26 in the Divisional round to advance to their 3rd consecutive Conference championship game. 3 times was not a charm for the Cowboys as they fell 31-17 to division rival and eventual Super Bowl XVII champions the Washington Redskins.
For the 1983 season the Cowboys went 12-4 and made it once again to the playoffs but were defeated at home in the Wild Card by the Rams 24-17. Prior to the 1984 season,H.R. "Bum" Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys from Clint Murchison, Jr. Dallas posted a 9-7 record that season but missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. After going 10–6 in 1985 and winning a division title, the Cowboys were blown out in the Divisional round at home to the Rams 20-0.
Hard times came for the organization as they went 7–9 in 1986 , 7–8 in 1987, and 3–13 in 1988. During this time period Bright became disenchanted with the team. During theSavings and Loan crisis, the team and Mr. Bright's Savings and Loan were taken over by the FSLIC. During an embarrassing home loss to Atlanta in 1987, Bright told the media that he was "horrified" at coach Tom Landry's play calling. The FSLIC forced Mr. Bright to sell the Cowboys to Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989.
Jones immediately fired Tom Landry, the only head coach in franchise history, replacing him with University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson. With the first pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman. Later that same year, they would trade veteran running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a 1–15 record, their worst in almost 30 years, "The Trade" later allowed Dallas to draft a number of impact players to rebuild the team.
1990sJohnson quickly returned the Cowboys to the NFL's elite. Skillful drafts added fullback Daryl Johnston and center Mark Stepnoski in 1989, 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, defensive lineman Jim Jeffcoat, and veteran pickups such as tight end Jay Novacek and defensive end Charles Haley.
Five-time World Champions Mural
Things started to look for the franchise in 1990. On Week 1 Dallas won their first home game since September 1988 when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 17-14. They would go 2-7 in their next 9 games but would win 4 of their last 6 games to finish the season with a 4th place 7-9 record.
Coming into 1991 the Cowboys replaced offensive coordinator Dave Shula with Norv Turner; the Cowboys raced to a 6–5 start then defeated the previously-unbeaten Redskins despite injury to Troy Aikman. Backup Steve Beuerlein took over and the Cowboys and finished 11–5. In the Wild Card round they defeated the Bears 17-13 for the Cowboys first playoff win since 1982. In the Divisional round their season ended in a 38–6 playoff rout by the Lions.
In 1992 Dallas set a team record for regular season wins with a 13–3 mark. They started off the season by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins 23-10. Going into the playoffs as the number 2 seed they had a first round bye before facing division rival the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys won that game 34-10 to advance to the NFC Conference Championship game for the first time in 10 years. They were pitted against the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. On January 17, 1993 the Cowboys went to Candlestick Park and defeated the 49ers 30-20 to clinch their first Super Bowl berth since 1978. Dallas would go on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 52–17 in Super Bowl XXVII, during which they forced a record nine turnovers. Johnson became the first coach to claim a national championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football.
Despite starting the 1993 season 0-2, they would once again defeat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII, 30–13 (becoming the first team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl after starting 0-2). Dallas would finish the regular season 12-4 as the number 1 seed of the NFC. They defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-17 in the divisional round. The NFC Conference Championship would be a rematch of the Cowboys and the 49ers however this time the game was in Dallas. The Cowboys won 38-21. Dallas sent a then-NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl in 1993: Troy Aikman, safety Thomas Everett, Irvin, Johnston, Maryland, Newton, Norton, Novacek, Smith, Stepnoski and Williams.
Dallas Cowboys championship banners inside AT&T Stadium
Only weeks after Super Bowl XXVIII, however, friction between Johnson and Jones culminated in Johnson stunning the football world by announcing his resignation. Jones then hired former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer to replace Johnson. The Cowboys finished 12–4 in 1994. They once again clinched a first round bye and defeated Green Bay 35-9 in the Divisional Round. They would miss the Super Bowl however after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 38–28.
Prior to the start of 1995 season Jerry Jones lured All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders away from San Francisco. Dallas started the season 4-0 including shutting out their division rival New York Giants 35-0 at Giants Stadium to open their season. Emmitt Smith would set an NFL record with 25 rushing touchdowns that season. They would end the season 12-4 and go into the playoffs as the number 1 seed. In the Divisional round they would dispatch their division rival Eagles 30-11 to advance to their 4th consecutive NFC Conference Championship Game. However this year they would play Green Bay. Dallas would win 38-27. In Super Bowl XXX the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 at Sun Devil Stadium for their fifth Super Bowl championship. Switzer joined Johnson as the only coaches to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
The glory days of the Cowboys were again beginning to dim as free agency, age and injuries began taking their toll. Star receiver Michael Irvin was suspended by the league for the first five games of 1996 following a drug-related arrest; he came back after the Cowboys started the season 2–3. They finished the regular season with a 10–6 record, won theNFC East title, and entered the playoffs as the number 3 seed in the NFC. They defeated Minnesota 40-15 in the Wild Card round but were eliminated in the Divisional round of the playoffs 26–17 by Carolina Panthers.
The Cowboys went 6–10 in 1997 (including losing their last 6 games of the season), with discipline and off-field problems becoming major distractions.[9] As a result, Switzer resigned as head coach in January 1998 and former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to take his place.
Gailey led the team to two playoff appearances with a 10–6 record in 1998 and an NFC East championship, but the Cowboys were defeated in the playoffs by the Arizona Cardinals 20–7.
In 1999 Dallas went 8-8 (during which Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal injury in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles) ending in another playoff loss (this time to the Minnesota Vikings 27–10). Gailey was fired and became the first Cowboys coach who did not take the team to a Super Bowl.
2000–2009Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach for the 2000 season. Prior to the season starting cornerback Deion Sanders was released after 5 seasons with the team. He would later sign with division rival Washington. In Week 1 they were blown out 41-14 by Philadelphia. That game was very costly when veteran quarterback Troy Aikman suffered a serious concussion which would ultimately end his career. Longtime NFL QB Randall Cunningham would fill in for Aikman for the rest of the season at QB. The Cowboys would finish the season in 4th place with a 5-11 record. The only highlights of 2000 would be Emmitt Smith having his 10th consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season and getting a season sweep over the Redskins.
2001 was another hard year in Dallas. Prior to the season starting Aikman was released from the team and he retired due to the concussions he had received. Jerry Jones would sign Tony Banks as a QB. Banks had been a starter for h-alf of the season the previous year for the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens before being benched. Jones would also draft QB Quincy Carter in the second round of that year's draft. However Banks would be released during the preseason. Ryan Leaf, Anthony Wright, and Clint Stoernerwould all fill in at the quarterback position that season. Dallas would again finish at 5-11 however this year they would fall to last place of the NFC East. Despite these woes they were able to once again season sweep the Redskins, the 4th consecutive season.
Prior to the 2002 season Dallas would draft wide receiver Roy Williams with the 8th overall pick. The season started out low as the Cowboys would lose to 1st year expansion team and their new intrastate rivals the Houston Texans 19-10 on Week 1. By far the highlight of 2002 was on October 28 when during a home game against the Seattle SeahawksEmmitt Smith broke all time NFL rushing record which was previously held by Walter Payton. Their Thanksgiving Day win over the Redskins was their 10th consecutive win against Washington. However that would be their final win of 2002. Dallas would lose their next 4 games to finish with another last place 5-11 record. The losing streak was punctuated with a Week 17 20-14 loss against Washington. That game would also be Emmitt's last game as a Cowboy as he would be released during the offseason. Campo was immediately fired as head coach at the conclusion of the season.
Jones then lured Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season getting off to a hot 7-2 season. They would go 3-4 for the rest of the season however. They were able to win the division with a 10-6 record. However they would lose in the Wild Card round to eventual conference champion Carolina Panthers 29-10.
In 2004 Dallas was unable to replicate their 2003 success as they would have a 6-10 2nd place season. Quincy Carter was released during the preseason and was replaced at QB by Vinny Testaverde
Dallas got off to a hot 7-3 start for the 2005 season but would end the season in 3rd place with a 9-7 record. Prior to the season starting the Cowboys signed veteran Drew Bledsoe as a quarterback.
2006 was an interesting year for the Cowboys. Prior to the season Dallas signed free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens who was talented yet controversial. The Cowboys started the season 3-2. During a week 7 matchup against the Giants Bledsoe, who had been struggling since the start of the season, was pulled from the game and was replaced by backup Tony Romo. Romo was unable to salvage that game as Dallas would lose 38-22. However Romo was named the starter for team and went 5-1 in his first 6 games. Dallas would end the season with a 9-7 2nd-place finish. They were able to clinch the number 5 playoff seed. They traveled to play Seattle where the Seahawks won 21-20. After the season Parcells retired and was replaced as head coach by Wade Phillips.[10]
Dallas started off the 2007 season with a bang. They began the season with a 12-1 start including winning their first 5 games. Their only loss during that time span came against New England, whom would go undefeated until they lost in the Super Bowl. Despite dropping 2 of their last 3 regular season games, the Cowboys would clinch their first number 1 NFC seed in 12 years which also granted them a first round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However they would lose in the Divisional Round 21-17 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants.
In the tumultuous 2008 season, the Cowboys started off strong, going 3–0 for the second straight year, en route to a 4–1 start. However, things soon went downhill from there, as quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken pinkie in an overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger playing as backups, Dallas went 1–2 during a three-game stretch. Romo's return showed promise, as Dallas went 3–0. However, injuries mounted during the season with the team losing several starters for the year, such asKyle Kosier, Felix Jones, safety Roy Williams and punter Mat McBriar, and several other starters playing with injuries.[11] Entering December, the 8–4 Cowboys underperformed, finishing 1–3. They failed to make the playoffs after losing at Philadelphia in the final regular season game which saw the Eagles reach the playoffs instead.
On May 2, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility collapsed during a wind storm. The collapse left twelve Cowboys players and coaches injured. The most serious injuries were special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who suffered fractured cervical vertebrae and had surgery to stabilize fractured vertebrae in his neck, and Rich Behm, the team's 33-year-old scouting assistant, who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed.
The 2009 season started on a positive with a road win against Tampa Bay, but fortunes quickly changed as Dallas fell to a 2–2 start. In week five, with starting wide receiver Roy Williams sidelined by injury, receiver Miles Austin got his first start of the season and had a record setting day (250 yards receiving and 2 TDs) to help lead Dallas to an overtime win over Kansas City. Following their bye week, Dallas went on a three-game winning streak including wins over Atlanta and NFC East division rival Philadelphia. Despite entering December with a record of 8–3, Dallas lost its slim grip on 1st place in the division with losses to the New York Giants and San Diego. Talks of past December collapses resurfaced, and another collapse in 2009 seemed validated. However, the Dallas team surged in the final three weeks of the season with a 24–17 victory at the Superdome, ending New Orleans' previously unbeaten season in week 15. For the first time in franchise history, Dallas posted back-to-back shutouts when they beat division rivals Washington (17–0) and Philadelphia (24–0) to end the season. In the process, the Cowboys clinched their second NFC East title in three years as well as the third seed in the NFC Playoffs. Six days later, in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Dallas played the Eagles in a rematch of week 17. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the first Cowboys' post-season win since the 1996 season, ending a streak of six consecutive NFL post-season losses. Dallas ended their playoff run after a hard divisional playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
2010–2013After beginning the 2010 season at 1–7, Phillips was fired as head coach and was replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as the interim head coach.[12] The Cowboys finished the season 6–10.
With the 9th pick of the 1st round of the 2011 draft, the Cowboys selected USC tackle Tyron Smith.
To start the 2011 season the Cowboys played the New York Jets on a Sunday night primetime game in New York, on September 11, 2011. The Cowboys held the lead through most of the game, until a fumble, blocked punt, and interception led to the Jets coming back to win the game. In week 2 Dallas traveled to San Francisco to play the 49ers. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, while the Cowboys trailed 10–7, Tony Romo suffered a rib injury and was replaced by Jon Kitna. Kitna threw 1 Touchdown and 2 interceptions until Romo returned in the 3rd quarter as Dallas trailed 17–7. Romo then threw 3 touchdown passes to Miles Austin as the Cowboys rallied to send the game into overtime. On the Cowboys opening possession after 49ers punt, Romo found WR Jesse Holley on a 78-yard pass, which set up the game winning field goal by rookie kicker Dan Bailey.
Dallas ended the season 8-8. They were in a position to win the NFC East but lost to the Giants in a Week 17 primetime Sunday Night game on NBC which allowed New York to win the division. The Giants would go on to win Super Bowl XLVI.
The Cowboys started off the 2012 season season on a high note by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants 24-17 on the opening night of the season. They would hover around the .500 mark for the majority of the season. They lost a close Week 6 game to eventual Super Bowl XXVII Champion Baltimore Ravens 31-29 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Going into Week 17 they found themselves once again one win away from winning the division. Standing in their way was the Redskins who had beat them on Thanksgiving atAT&T Stadium and whom were also one win away from their first division title since 1999. Led by Robert Griffin III the Redskins defeated the Cowboys at home 28-18. Dallas once again finished the season 8-8.
In the 2013 season Dallas started off by defeating the Giants for the second straight year this time 36-31. It was the first time since AT&T Stadium had opened back in 2009 that the Cowboys were able to defeat New York at home. The win was punctuated by Brandon Carr returning an Eli Manning interception to a touchdown late in the 4th quarter.
For the third straight year Dallas once again found themselves stuck in the .500 area. In Week 5 they lost a shootout to eventual AFC Champion Denver Broncos 51-48. They battled it out with Philadelphia for control of the division throughout the season. In December however they lost 2 crucial back to back games to Chicago and Green Bay. They were very successful in division games having a 5-0 division record heading into another Week 17 showdown for the NFC East crown against the Eagles. That included beating Washington 24-23 on Week 16 thanks to late game heroics of Tony Romo. However Romo received a severe back injury in that game which prematurely ended his season. The Cowboys called upon backup QB Kyle Orton to lead them into battle on the final week of the season. Orton was unsuccessful who threw a game ending interception to the Eagles which allowed Philly to win 24-22. Dallas ended the year at 8-8 for the third year in a row. The only difference of this 8-8 ending compared to the others was that Dallas ended the season in second place compared to the 2 previous 3rd-place finishes.
2014–presentTo start off the 2014 season Dallas began by losing to San Francisco 28-17. After that they went on a 6-game winning streak. The highlight of this streak was on Week 6 by defeating the heavily favored defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks in Seattle 30-23. This was Seattle's 2nd loss at home in the past 3 seasons. The streak was ended by division rival Washington on Week 8 where the Redskins won in overtime 20-17. Romo's back became once again injured in that game. He would miss the next week where the Cowboys lost at home to the Arizona Cardinals 28-17 where backup QB Brandon Weeden started. Romo would return in Week 9 to lead a 31-17 victory of Jacksonville which was played in London, England as part of the NFL International Series.
Dallas played into their traditional Thanksgiving home game, this time against division rival Philadelphia. Both teams were vying for first place in the division with identical 8-3 records. The Eagles got off to a fast start and the Cowboys were unable to catch up, losing 33-10. They would rebound the next week where on the road Thursday night game they defeated Chicago 41-28 for their 9th win of the year to clinch their first winning season since 2009. This was the first time that Dallas played on back to back Thursdays. Week 15 was a rematch against 1st place Philadelphia. This time it was the Cowboys who got off to a fast start going up 21-0. Then the Eagles put up 24 answered points but Dallas came back to win 38-27 to go into first place for the first time in the season and improve to 10-4. Going into their Week 16 matchup at home against Indianapolis, Dallas was in a position to clinch their first division title since 2009 by defeating the Colts thanks to the Eagles losing that week to the Redskins. They would not disappoint as they blew out the Colts 42-7 to become the 2014 NFC East Champions, eliminating the Eagles from the playoffs. Dallas would end the regular season with a 12-4 record and an 8-0 away record when they won on the road against Washington 44-17. They would also finish December 4-0 which was huge for the Cowboys since they had struggled in the recent years in the month of December.
In the Wild Card round of the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs Dallas as the number 3 seed hosted the number 6 seed Detroit Lions. The Lions got off to a hot start going up 14-0 in the first quarter. Dallas initially struggled on both sides of the ball. However in towards the end of the 2nd quarter Romo connected to Terrance Williams for a 76yd touchdown pass. The Lions would hit a field goal before halftime to go up 17-7. Dallas came out swinging to start the second half by picking off Detroit QB Matthew Stafford on the first play of the 3rd quarter. Dan Bailey would miss a field goal during Dallas's ensuing drive. Detroit would then kick another field goal to make the score 20-7. A DeMarco Murray touchdown later in that quarter closed the gap to 20-14. A 51yd Dallas field goal almost 3 minutes into the 4th quarter put Dallas down by 3. The Lions got the ball back and started driving down the field. A 3rd and 1 pass 17 yard pass from Stafford to Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew was initially flagged as defensive pass interference against Dallas defender Anthony Hitchens. The penalty was then nullified by the officiating crew. Dallas got the ball back on their 41yd line and had a successful 59yd drive which was capped off by a 8yd touchdown pass from Romo to Williams to give Dallas its first lead of the game 24-20. The Lions got the ball back with less than 2 and 1/2 minutes to play. Stafford fumbled the ball at the 2 minute mark and was picked up by Dallas defender DeMarcus Lawrence who then fumbled the ball which gave the Lions the ball back. Lawrence would redeem himself by sacking Stafford on a 4th and 3 play which lead to Stafford fumbling the ball again which Lawrence recovered to end the game. Dallas won 24-20. This was the first time in franchise playoff history that that Dallas had been down by 10+ points at halftime to comeback and win the game. They would travel to Green Bay for the Divisional Round. Despite having a 14-7 haltime lead, they would fall to the Packers 26-21 thus ending their season. The season ended on an overturned call of a completed catch by Dez Bryant. The catch was challenged by the Packers, and the refs overturned the call because of the "Calvin Johnson rule."
Logos and uniformsLogo
The script logo.
The Dallas Cowboys' blue star logo–representative of Texas as "The Lone Star State"–is one of the best known team logos in professional sports. The blue star originally was a solid shape until a white line and blue border was added in 1964. The logo has remained the same since. Today, the blue star has been extended to not only the Dallas Cowboys, but owner Jerry Jones' AFL team, the Dallas Desperados that have a similar logo based on the Cowboys. The blue star also is used on other entries like an imaging facility and storage facility.
UniformsThe Dallas Cowboys' white home jersey has royal blue (PMS 280 C) solid socks, numbers, lettering, and two stripes on the sleeves outlined in black. The home pants, according to the Dallas Cowboys official media guide, are a common metallic silver-blue color (PMS 8280 C) that help bring out the blue in the uniform. The navy (PMS 289 C) road jerseys (nicknamed the "Stars and Stripes" jersey) have white lettering and numbers with navy pinstripes. A white/gray/white stripe are on each sleeve as well as the collared V-neck, and a Cowboys star logo is placed upon the stripes. A "Cowboys" chest crest is directly under the NFL shield. The away pants are a pearlish metallic-silver color (PMS 8001 C) and like the home pants, enhance the navy in the uniforms. The team uses a serifed font for the lettered player surnames on the jersey nameplates.
The team's helmets are also a unique silver with a tint of blue known as "Metallic Silver Blue" (PMS 8240 C) and have a blue/white/blue vertical stripe placed upon the center of the crown. The Cowboys also include a unique, if subtle, feature on the back of the helmet: a blue strip of Dymo tape with the player's name embossed, placed on the white portion of the stripe at the back of the helmet.
Uniform historyWhen the Dallas Cowboys franchise debuted in 1960, the team's uniform included a white helmet adorned with a simple blue star and a blue-white-blue stripe down the center crown. The team donned blue jerseys with white sleeves and a small blue star on each shoulder for home games and the negative opposite for away games. Their socks also had two horizontal white stripes overlapping the blue.
In 1964 the Cowboys opted for a simpler look (adopting essentially the team's current uniform) by changing their jersey/socks to one solid color with three horizontal stripes on the sleeves; the white jersey featured royal blue stripes with a narrow black border, the royal blue jersey white stripes with the same black outline. The star-shouldered jerseys were eliminated; "TV" numbers appeared just above the jersey stripes. The new helmet was silverblue, with a blue-white-blue tri-stripe down the center (the middle white stripe was thicker). The blue "lone star" logo was retained, but with a white border setting it off from the silverblue. The new pants were silverblue, with a blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In 1964 the NFL allowed teams to wear white jerseys at home; several teams did so, and the Cowboys have worn white at home ever since, except on certain "throwback" days.
In 1966, the team modified the jerseys, which now featured only two sleeve stripes, slightly wider; the socks followed the same pattern. In 1967 the "lone star" helmet decal added a blue outline to the white-bordered star, giving the logo a bigger, bolder look. The logo and this version of the uniform has seen little change to the present day.
The "throwback" NFL 75th Anniversary uniform was introduced in 1994.
In 1994, the NFL celebrated their 75th Anniversary, and the Dallas Cowboys celebrated their back-to-back Super Bowl titles by unveiling a white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day. This jersey was used for special occasions and was worn throughout the 1994–1995 playoffs. During the same season, the Cowboys also wore their 1960–63 road jersey with a silver helmet for one game as part of a league-wide "throwback" policy.
During the 1995 season, the team wore the navy "Double-Star" jersey for games at Washington and Philadelphia and permanently switched to solid color socks (royal blue for the white uniform, and navy blue for the dark uniform). The navy "Double-Star" jersey was not seen again until the NFL's Classic Throwback Weekend on Thanksgiving Day 2001–2003.
In 2004, the Cowboys resurrected their original 1960–1963 uniform on Thanksgiving Day. This uniform became the team's alternate or "third jersey" and was usually worn at least once a year, primarily Thanksgiving Day. Two exceptions were when the Cowboys wore their normal white uniforms on Thanksgiving in 2007 and 2008. While the team didn't wear the throwback uniform exactly on Thanksgiving Day in those two years, Dallas wore them on a date around Thanksgiving for those two years. In 2007 Dallas wore the throwback uniform on November 29, 2007 against the Green Bay Packers. In 2008 Dallas wore the throwback uniform on November 23, 2008 against the San Francisco 49ers. The team went back to wearing this uniform at home on Thanksgiving Day in 2009 while their opponent was the Oakland Raiders who wore their AFL Legacy Weekend throwbacks. Dallas wore this alternate uniform on October 11, 2009 as part of one of the NFL's AFL Legacy Weekends when they traveled to Kansas City to play the Chiefs who were sporting their AFL Dallas Texans' uniforms. This created a rare game in which neither team wore a white jersey and the first time the Cowboys wore the alternative uniform as a visiting team. The 1960–1963 uniform may also be used on other special occasion. Other instances include the 2005 Monday Night game against the Washington Redskins when the team inducted Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irving into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and the 2006 Christmas Day game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2013, the NFL issued a new helmet rule stating that players will no longer be allowed to use alternate helmets due to the league's enhanced concussion awareness. This caused the Cowboys' white 1960s throwback helmets to become non-compliant. The team instead decided to wear their normal blue jerseys at home for Thanksgiving.[13]
Home/road jersey historyIn 1964, Tex Schramm started the tradition of the Cowboys wearing their white jersey at home, contrary to an unofficial rule that teams should wear colored jerseys at home. Schramm did this because he wanted fans to see a variety of opponents' colors at home games.[14] Since then, a number of other teams have worn their white uniforms at home, including the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.
Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly jerseys shown at Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.
Throughout the years, the Cowboys' blue jersey has been popularly viewed to be "jinxed" because the team often seemed to lose when they wore them. This curse purportedly became popular after the team lost Super Bowl V, when they were forced to wear their colored jersey because they were the designated home team.[15] However, the roots of the curse likely date back earlier to the end of the 1968 season when the blue-shirted Cowboys were upset badly by the Cleveland Browns in the divisional playoffs. That turned out to be Don Meredith's final game as a Cowboy. Dallas's lone victory in a conference championship or Super Bowl wearing the blue jerseys was in the 1978 NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Cowboys, at approximately $3.2 billion, are the most valuable NFL franchise according to Forbes, and the most valuable sports team in the United States.[5] They are tied with soccer club FC Barcelona for the second-most in the world; only Real Madrid ($3.4b) is valued higher than the Cowboys.[6] They also generate $560 million in revenue, again the most of any NFL team.[7]
Prior to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of Washington, D.C. since the Dallas Texans folded in 1952. Oilman Clint Murchison Jr. had been trying to get an NFL expansion team in Dallas (as was Lamar Hunt – who ended up with an AFL franchise), but George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins, had a monopoly in theSouth.
Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington Redskins from Marshall in 1958. An agreement was struck, but as the deal was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms. This infuriated Murchison and he called off the deal. Marshall then opposed any franchise for Murchison in Dallas. Since NFL expansion needed unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshall's position would prevent Murchison from joining the league.
Marshall had a falling out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music to the Redskins fight song "Hail to the Redskins" and Marshall’s wife had penned the lyrics. Breeskin owned the rights to the song and was aware of Murchison’s plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchison’s attorney to sell him the rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959. Murchison purchased "Hail to the Redskins" for $2,500. Before the vote to award franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he owned the song and Marshall could not play it during games. After a few Marshall expletives, Murchison gave the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" to Marshall for his vote, the lone one against Murchison getting a franchise at that time, and a rivalrywas born.
1970sFrom 1970 through 1979, the Cowboys won 105 regular season games, more than any other NFL franchise during that span.[8] In addition, they appeared in 5 and won two Super Bowls, at the end of the 1971 and 1977 regular seasons.
1980sDanny White became the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 1980 after quarterback Roger Staubach retired. Despite going to 12-4 in 1980, the Cowboys came into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. In the opening round of the 1980-81 NFL playoffs they avenged their elimination from the prior year's playoffs by defeating the Rams. In the Divisional Round they squeaked by the Falcons 30-27. For the NFC Championship they were pitted against division rival Philadelphia, the team that won the division during the regular season. The Eagles captured their first conference championship and Super Bowl berth by winning 20-7.
1981 brought another division championship for the Cowboys. They entered the 1981-82 NFL playoffs as the number 2 seed. Their first game of the postseason saw them blowout and shutout Tampa Bay 38-0. For the Conference Title game they were pitted against the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. Despite having a late 4th quarter 27-21 lead, they would lose to the 49ers 28-21. 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led his team to an 89-yard game winning touchdown drive connecting to Dwight Clark in a play known as The Catch.
The 1982 season was shortened after a player strike. With a 6-3 record Dallas made it to the playoffs for the 8th consecutive season. As the number 2 seed for the 1982-83 NFL playoffs they eliminated the Buccaneers 30-17 in the Wild Card round and dispatched the Packers 37-26 in the Divisional round to advance to their 3rd consecutive Conference championship game. 3 times was not a charm for the Cowboys as they fell 31-17 to division rival and eventual Super Bowl XVII champions the Washington Redskins.
For the 1983 season the Cowboys went 12-4 and made it once again to the playoffs but were defeated at home in the Wild Card by the Rams 24-17. Prior to the 1984 season,H.R. "Bum" Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys from Clint Murchison, Jr. Dallas posted a 9-7 record that season but missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. After going 10–6 in 1985 and winning a division title, the Cowboys were blown out in the Divisional round at home to the Rams 20-0.
Hard times came for the organization as they went 7–9 in 1986 , 7–8 in 1987, and 3–13 in 1988. During this time period Bright became disenchanted with the team. During theSavings and Loan crisis, the team and Mr. Bright's Savings and Loan were taken over by the FSLIC. During an embarrassing home loss to Atlanta in 1987, Bright told the media that he was "horrified" at coach Tom Landry's play calling. The FSLIC forced Mr. Bright to sell the Cowboys to Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989.
Jones immediately fired Tom Landry, the only head coach in franchise history, replacing him with University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson. With the first pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman. Later that same year, they would trade veteran running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a 1–15 record, their worst in almost 30 years, "The Trade" later allowed Dallas to draft a number of impact players to rebuild the team.
1990sJohnson quickly returned the Cowboys to the NFL's elite. Skillful drafts added fullback Daryl Johnston and center Mark Stepnoski in 1989, 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, defensive lineman Jim Jeffcoat, and veteran pickups such as tight end Jay Novacek and defensive end Charles Haley.
Five-time World Champions Mural
Things started to look for the franchise in 1990. On Week 1 Dallas won their first home game since September 1988 when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 17-14. They would go 2-7 in their next 9 games but would win 4 of their last 6 games to finish the season with a 4th place 7-9 record.
Coming into 1991 the Cowboys replaced offensive coordinator Dave Shula with Norv Turner; the Cowboys raced to a 6–5 start then defeated the previously-unbeaten Redskins despite injury to Troy Aikman. Backup Steve Beuerlein took over and the Cowboys and finished 11–5. In the Wild Card round they defeated the Bears 17-13 for the Cowboys first playoff win since 1982. In the Divisional round their season ended in a 38–6 playoff rout by the Lions.
In 1992 Dallas set a team record for regular season wins with a 13–3 mark. They started off the season by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins 23-10. Going into the playoffs as the number 2 seed they had a first round bye before facing division rival the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys won that game 34-10 to advance to the NFC Conference Championship game for the first time in 10 years. They were pitted against the San Francisco 49ers, the number 1 seed. On January 17, 1993 the Cowboys went to Candlestick Park and defeated the 49ers 30-20 to clinch their first Super Bowl berth since 1978. Dallas would go on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 52–17 in Super Bowl XXVII, during which they forced a record nine turnovers. Johnson became the first coach to claim a national championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football.
Despite starting the 1993 season 0-2, they would once again defeat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII, 30–13 (becoming the first team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl after starting 0-2). Dallas would finish the regular season 12-4 as the number 1 seed of the NFC. They defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-17 in the divisional round. The NFC Conference Championship would be a rematch of the Cowboys and the 49ers however this time the game was in Dallas. The Cowboys won 38-21. Dallas sent a then-NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl in 1993: Troy Aikman, safety Thomas Everett, Irvin, Johnston, Maryland, Newton, Norton, Novacek, Smith, Stepnoski and Williams.
Dallas Cowboys championship banners inside AT&T Stadium
Only weeks after Super Bowl XXVIII, however, friction between Johnson and Jones culminated in Johnson stunning the football world by announcing his resignation. Jones then hired former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer to replace Johnson. The Cowboys finished 12–4 in 1994. They once again clinched a first round bye and defeated Green Bay 35-9 in the Divisional Round. They would miss the Super Bowl however after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 38–28.
Prior to the start of 1995 season Jerry Jones lured All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders away from San Francisco. Dallas started the season 4-0 including shutting out their division rival New York Giants 35-0 at Giants Stadium to open their season. Emmitt Smith would set an NFL record with 25 rushing touchdowns that season. They would end the season 12-4 and go into the playoffs as the number 1 seed. In the Divisional round they would dispatch their division rival Eagles 30-11 to advance to their 4th consecutive NFC Conference Championship Game. However this year they would play Green Bay. Dallas would win 38-27. In Super Bowl XXX the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 at Sun Devil Stadium for their fifth Super Bowl championship. Switzer joined Johnson as the only coaches to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
The glory days of the Cowboys were again beginning to dim as free agency, age and injuries began taking their toll. Star receiver Michael Irvin was suspended by the league for the first five games of 1996 following a drug-related arrest; he came back after the Cowboys started the season 2–3. They finished the regular season with a 10–6 record, won theNFC East title, and entered the playoffs as the number 3 seed in the NFC. They defeated Minnesota 40-15 in the Wild Card round but were eliminated in the Divisional round of the playoffs 26–17 by Carolina Panthers.
The Cowboys went 6–10 in 1997 (including losing their last 6 games of the season), with discipline and off-field problems becoming major distractions.[9] As a result, Switzer resigned as head coach in January 1998 and former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to take his place.
Gailey led the team to two playoff appearances with a 10–6 record in 1998 and an NFC East championship, but the Cowboys were defeated in the playoffs by the Arizona Cardinals 20–7.
In 1999 Dallas went 8-8 (during which Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal injury in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles) ending in another playoff loss (this time to the Minnesota Vikings 27–10). Gailey was fired and became the first Cowboys coach who did not take the team to a Super Bowl.
2000–2009Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach for the 2000 season. Prior to the season starting cornerback Deion Sanders was released after 5 seasons with the team. He would later sign with division rival Washington. In Week 1 they were blown out 41-14 by Philadelphia. That game was very costly when veteran quarterback Troy Aikman suffered a serious concussion which would ultimately end his career. Longtime NFL QB Randall Cunningham would fill in for Aikman for the rest of the season at QB. The Cowboys would finish the season in 4th place with a 5-11 record. The only highlights of 2000 would be Emmitt Smith having his 10th consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season and getting a season sweep over the Redskins.
2001 was another hard year in Dallas. Prior to the season starting Aikman was released from the team and he retired due to the concussions he had received. Jerry Jones would sign Tony Banks as a QB. Banks had been a starter for h-alf of the season the previous year for the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens before being benched. Jones would also draft QB Quincy Carter in the second round of that year's draft. However Banks would be released during the preseason. Ryan Leaf, Anthony Wright, and Clint Stoernerwould all fill in at the quarterback position that season. Dallas would again finish at 5-11 however this year they would fall to last place of the NFC East. Despite these woes they were able to once again season sweep the Redskins, the 4th consecutive season.
Prior to the 2002 season Dallas would draft wide receiver Roy Williams with the 8th overall pick. The season started out low as the Cowboys would lose to 1st year expansion team and their new intrastate rivals the Houston Texans 19-10 on Week 1. By far the highlight of 2002 was on October 28 when during a home game against the Seattle SeahawksEmmitt Smith broke all time NFL rushing record which was previously held by Walter Payton. Their Thanksgiving Day win over the Redskins was their 10th consecutive win against Washington. However that would be their final win of 2002. Dallas would lose their next 4 games to finish with another last place 5-11 record. The losing streak was punctuated with a Week 17 20-14 loss against Washington. That game would also be Emmitt's last game as a Cowboy as he would be released during the offseason. Campo was immediately fired as head coach at the conclusion of the season.
Jones then lured Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season getting off to a hot 7-2 season. They would go 3-4 for the rest of the season however. They were able to win the division with a 10-6 record. However they would lose in the Wild Card round to eventual conference champion Carolina Panthers 29-10.
In 2004 Dallas was unable to replicate their 2003 success as they would have a 6-10 2nd place season. Quincy Carter was released during the preseason and was replaced at QB by Vinny Testaverde
Dallas got off to a hot 7-3 start for the 2005 season but would end the season in 3rd place with a 9-7 record. Prior to the season starting the Cowboys signed veteran Drew Bledsoe as a quarterback.
2006 was an interesting year for the Cowboys. Prior to the season Dallas signed free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens who was talented yet controversial. The Cowboys started the season 3-2. During a week 7 matchup against the Giants Bledsoe, who had been struggling since the start of the season, was pulled from the game and was replaced by backup Tony Romo. Romo was unable to salvage that game as Dallas would lose 38-22. However Romo was named the starter for team and went 5-1 in his first 6 games. Dallas would end the season with a 9-7 2nd-place finish. They were able to clinch the number 5 playoff seed. They traveled to play Seattle where the Seahawks won 21-20. After the season Parcells retired and was replaced as head coach by Wade Phillips.[10]
Dallas started off the 2007 season with a bang. They began the season with a 12-1 start including winning their first 5 games. Their only loss during that time span came against New England, whom would go undefeated until they lost in the Super Bowl. Despite dropping 2 of their last 3 regular season games, the Cowboys would clinch their first number 1 NFC seed in 12 years which also granted them a first round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However they would lose in the Divisional Round 21-17 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants.
In the tumultuous 2008 season, the Cowboys started off strong, going 3–0 for the second straight year, en route to a 4–1 start. However, things soon went downhill from there, as quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken pinkie in an overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger playing as backups, Dallas went 1–2 during a three-game stretch. Romo's return showed promise, as Dallas went 3–0. However, injuries mounted during the season with the team losing several starters for the year, such asKyle Kosier, Felix Jones, safety Roy Williams and punter Mat McBriar, and several other starters playing with injuries.[11] Entering December, the 8–4 Cowboys underperformed, finishing 1–3. They failed to make the playoffs after losing at Philadelphia in the final regular season game which saw the Eagles reach the playoffs instead.
On May 2, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility collapsed during a wind storm. The collapse left twelve Cowboys players and coaches injured. The most serious injuries were special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who suffered fractured cervical vertebrae and had surgery to stabilize fractured vertebrae in his neck, and Rich Behm, the team's 33-year-old scouting assistant, who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed.
The 2009 season started on a positive with a road win against Tampa Bay, but fortunes quickly changed as Dallas fell to a 2–2 start. In week five, with starting wide receiver Roy Williams sidelined by injury, receiver Miles Austin got his first start of the season and had a record setting day (250 yards receiving and 2 TDs) to help lead Dallas to an overtime win over Kansas City. Following their bye week, Dallas went on a three-game winning streak including wins over Atlanta and NFC East division rival Philadelphia. Despite entering December with a record of 8–3, Dallas lost its slim grip on 1st place in the division with losses to the New York Giants and San Diego. Talks of past December collapses resurfaced, and another collapse in 2009 seemed validated. However, the Dallas team surged in the final three weeks of the season with a 24–17 victory at the Superdome, ending New Orleans' previously unbeaten season in week 15. For the first time in franchise history, Dallas posted back-to-back shutouts when they beat division rivals Washington (17–0) and Philadelphia (24–0) to end the season. In the process, the Cowboys clinched their second NFC East title in three years as well as the third seed in the NFC Playoffs. Six days later, in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Dallas played the Eagles in a rematch of week 17. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the first Cowboys' post-season win since the 1996 season, ending a streak of six consecutive NFL post-season losses. Dallas ended their playoff run after a hard divisional playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
2010–2013After beginning the 2010 season at 1–7, Phillips was fired as head coach and was replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as the interim head coach.[12] The Cowboys finished the season 6–10.
With the 9th pick of the 1st round of the 2011 draft, the Cowboys selected USC tackle Tyron Smith.
To start the 2011 season the Cowboys played the New York Jets on a Sunday night primetime game in New York, on September 11, 2011. The Cowboys held the lead through most of the game, until a fumble, blocked punt, and interception led to the Jets coming back to win the game. In week 2 Dallas traveled to San Francisco to play the 49ers. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, while the Cowboys trailed 10–7, Tony Romo suffered a rib injury and was replaced by Jon Kitna. Kitna threw 1 Touchdown and 2 interceptions until Romo returned in the 3rd quarter as Dallas trailed 17–7. Romo then threw 3 touchdown passes to Miles Austin as the Cowboys rallied to send the game into overtime. On the Cowboys opening possession after 49ers punt, Romo found WR Jesse Holley on a 78-yard pass, which set up the game winning field goal by rookie kicker Dan Bailey.
Dallas ended the season 8-8. They were in a position to win the NFC East but lost to the Giants in a Week 17 primetime Sunday Night game on NBC which allowed New York to win the division. The Giants would go on to win Super Bowl XLVI.
The Cowboys started off the 2012 season season on a high note by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants 24-17 on the opening night of the season. They would hover around the .500 mark for the majority of the season. They lost a close Week 6 game to eventual Super Bowl XXVII Champion Baltimore Ravens 31-29 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Going into Week 17 they found themselves once again one win away from winning the division. Standing in their way was the Redskins who had beat them on Thanksgiving atAT&T Stadium and whom were also one win away from their first division title since 1999. Led by Robert Griffin III the Redskins defeated the Cowboys at home 28-18. Dallas once again finished the season 8-8.
In the 2013 season Dallas started off by defeating the Giants for the second straight year this time 36-31. It was the first time since AT&T Stadium had opened back in 2009 that the Cowboys were able to defeat New York at home. The win was punctuated by Brandon Carr returning an Eli Manning interception to a touchdown late in the 4th quarter.
For the third straight year Dallas once again found themselves stuck in the .500 area. In Week 5 they lost a shootout to eventual AFC Champion Denver Broncos 51-48. They battled it out with Philadelphia for control of the division throughout the season. In December however they lost 2 crucial back to back games to Chicago and Green Bay. They were very successful in division games having a 5-0 division record heading into another Week 17 showdown for the NFC East crown against the Eagles. That included beating Washington 24-23 on Week 16 thanks to late game heroics of Tony Romo. However Romo received a severe back injury in that game which prematurely ended his season. The Cowboys called upon backup QB Kyle Orton to lead them into battle on the final week of the season. Orton was unsuccessful who threw a game ending interception to the Eagles which allowed Philly to win 24-22. Dallas ended the year at 8-8 for the third year in a row. The only difference of this 8-8 ending compared to the others was that Dallas ended the season in second place compared to the 2 previous 3rd-place finishes.
2014–presentTo start off the 2014 season Dallas began by losing to San Francisco 28-17. After that they went on a 6-game winning streak. The highlight of this streak was on Week 6 by defeating the heavily favored defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks in Seattle 30-23. This was Seattle's 2nd loss at home in the past 3 seasons. The streak was ended by division rival Washington on Week 8 where the Redskins won in overtime 20-17. Romo's back became once again injured in that game. He would miss the next week where the Cowboys lost at home to the Arizona Cardinals 28-17 where backup QB Brandon Weeden started. Romo would return in Week 9 to lead a 31-17 victory of Jacksonville which was played in London, England as part of the NFL International Series.
Dallas played into their traditional Thanksgiving home game, this time against division rival Philadelphia. Both teams were vying for first place in the division with identical 8-3 records. The Eagles got off to a fast start and the Cowboys were unable to catch up, losing 33-10. They would rebound the next week where on the road Thursday night game they defeated Chicago 41-28 for their 9th win of the year to clinch their first winning season since 2009. This was the first time that Dallas played on back to back Thursdays. Week 15 was a rematch against 1st place Philadelphia. This time it was the Cowboys who got off to a fast start going up 21-0. Then the Eagles put up 24 answered points but Dallas came back to win 38-27 to go into first place for the first time in the season and improve to 10-4. Going into their Week 16 matchup at home against Indianapolis, Dallas was in a position to clinch their first division title since 2009 by defeating the Colts thanks to the Eagles losing that week to the Redskins. They would not disappoint as they blew out the Colts 42-7 to become the 2014 NFC East Champions, eliminating the Eagles from the playoffs. Dallas would end the regular season with a 12-4 record and an 8-0 away record when they won on the road against Washington 44-17. They would also finish December 4-0 which was huge for the Cowboys since they had struggled in the recent years in the month of December.
In the Wild Card round of the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs Dallas as the number 3 seed hosted the number 6 seed Detroit Lions. The Lions got off to a hot start going up 14-0 in the first quarter. Dallas initially struggled on both sides of the ball. However in towards the end of the 2nd quarter Romo connected to Terrance Williams for a 76yd touchdown pass. The Lions would hit a field goal before halftime to go up 17-7. Dallas came out swinging to start the second half by picking off Detroit QB Matthew Stafford on the first play of the 3rd quarter. Dan Bailey would miss a field goal during Dallas's ensuing drive. Detroit would then kick another field goal to make the score 20-7. A DeMarco Murray touchdown later in that quarter closed the gap to 20-14. A 51yd Dallas field goal almost 3 minutes into the 4th quarter put Dallas down by 3. The Lions got the ball back and started driving down the field. A 3rd and 1 pass 17 yard pass from Stafford to Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew was initially flagged as defensive pass interference against Dallas defender Anthony Hitchens. The penalty was then nullified by the officiating crew. Dallas got the ball back on their 41yd line and had a successful 59yd drive which was capped off by a 8yd touchdown pass from Romo to Williams to give Dallas its first lead of the game 24-20. The Lions got the ball back with less than 2 and 1/2 minutes to play. Stafford fumbled the ball at the 2 minute mark and was picked up by Dallas defender DeMarcus Lawrence who then fumbled the ball which gave the Lions the ball back. Lawrence would redeem himself by sacking Stafford on a 4th and 3 play which lead to Stafford fumbling the ball again which Lawrence recovered to end the game. Dallas won 24-20. This was the first time in franchise playoff history that that Dallas had been down by 10+ points at halftime to comeback and win the game. They would travel to Green Bay for the Divisional Round. Despite having a 14-7 haltime lead, they would fall to the Packers 26-21 thus ending their season. The season ended on an overturned call of a completed catch by Dez Bryant. The catch was challenged by the Packers, and the refs overturned the call because of the "Calvin Johnson rule."
Logos and uniformsLogo
The script logo.
The Dallas Cowboys' blue star logo–representative of Texas as "The Lone Star State"–is one of the best known team logos in professional sports. The blue star originally was a solid shape until a white line and blue border was added in 1964. The logo has remained the same since. Today, the blue star has been extended to not only the Dallas Cowboys, but owner Jerry Jones' AFL team, the Dallas Desperados that have a similar logo based on the Cowboys. The blue star also is used on other entries like an imaging facility and storage facility.
UniformsThe Dallas Cowboys' white home jersey has royal blue (PMS 280 C) solid socks, numbers, lettering, and two stripes on the sleeves outlined in black. The home pants, according to the Dallas Cowboys official media guide, are a common metallic silver-blue color (PMS 8280 C) that help bring out the blue in the uniform. The navy (PMS 289 C) road jerseys (nicknamed the "Stars and Stripes" jersey) have white lettering and numbers with navy pinstripes. A white/gray/white stripe are on each sleeve as well as the collared V-neck, and a Cowboys star logo is placed upon the stripes. A "Cowboys" chest crest is directly under the NFL shield. The away pants are a pearlish metallic-silver color (PMS 8001 C) and like the home pants, enhance the navy in the uniforms. The team uses a serifed font for the lettered player surnames on the jersey nameplates.
The team's helmets are also a unique silver with a tint of blue known as "Metallic Silver Blue" (PMS 8240 C) and have a blue/white/blue vertical stripe placed upon the center of the crown. The Cowboys also include a unique, if subtle, feature on the back of the helmet: a blue strip of Dymo tape with the player's name embossed, placed on the white portion of the stripe at the back of the helmet.
Uniform historyWhen the Dallas Cowboys franchise debuted in 1960, the team's uniform included a white helmet adorned with a simple blue star and a blue-white-blue stripe down the center crown. The team donned blue jerseys with white sleeves and a small blue star on each shoulder for home games and the negative opposite for away games. Their socks also had two horizontal white stripes overlapping the blue.
In 1964 the Cowboys opted for a simpler look (adopting essentially the team's current uniform) by changing their jersey/socks to one solid color with three horizontal stripes on the sleeves; the white jersey featured royal blue stripes with a narrow black border, the royal blue jersey white stripes with the same black outline. The star-shouldered jerseys were eliminated; "TV" numbers appeared just above the jersey stripes. The new helmet was silverblue, with a blue-white-blue tri-stripe down the center (the middle white stripe was thicker). The blue "lone star" logo was retained, but with a white border setting it off from the silverblue. The new pants were silverblue, with a blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In 1964 the NFL allowed teams to wear white jerseys at home; several teams did so, and the Cowboys have worn white at home ever since, except on certain "throwback" days.
In 1966, the team modified the jerseys, which now featured only two sleeve stripes, slightly wider; the socks followed the same pattern. In 1967 the "lone star" helmet decal added a blue outline to the white-bordered star, giving the logo a bigger, bolder look. The logo and this version of the uniform has seen little change to the present day.
- from 1970–1973 when the "TV" numbers were moved from the shoulders to the sleeves above the stripes
- from 1982–1988 the pants featured a white uniform number in an elliptical blue circle worn near the hip.
- the removal of the indented serifs on the front and back jersey numbers in the early 1980s (seen currently on the throwback jersey)
- In 1980 the blue jersey was rendered in a slightly darker shade than the 1964–79 version; from 1981–1994 the dark jerseys sported numbers that were gray with white borders and a blue pinstripe. The stripes on the sleeves and socks also used the same gray with white border scheme (sans navy pinstripe).
- Player names on jersey backs, which appeared in 1970, were originally in block-letter style; from 1982 onward the names were slightly smaller and in footed, "serif" style.
- the 1996 addition of the word "Cowboys" in the center of the neckline which lasted until 1998 on the white jersey but currently remains on the blue jersey.
The "throwback" NFL 75th Anniversary uniform was introduced in 1994.
In 1994, the NFL celebrated their 75th Anniversary, and the Dallas Cowboys celebrated their back-to-back Super Bowl titles by unveiling a white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day. This jersey was used for special occasions and was worn throughout the 1994–1995 playoffs. During the same season, the Cowboys also wore their 1960–63 road jersey with a silver helmet for one game as part of a league-wide "throwback" policy.
During the 1995 season, the team wore the navy "Double-Star" jersey for games at Washington and Philadelphia and permanently switched to solid color socks (royal blue for the white uniform, and navy blue for the dark uniform). The navy "Double-Star" jersey was not seen again until the NFL's Classic Throwback Weekend on Thanksgiving Day 2001–2003.
In 2004, the Cowboys resurrected their original 1960–1963 uniform on Thanksgiving Day. This uniform became the team's alternate or "third jersey" and was usually worn at least once a year, primarily Thanksgiving Day. Two exceptions were when the Cowboys wore their normal white uniforms on Thanksgiving in 2007 and 2008. While the team didn't wear the throwback uniform exactly on Thanksgiving Day in those two years, Dallas wore them on a date around Thanksgiving for those two years. In 2007 Dallas wore the throwback uniform on November 29, 2007 against the Green Bay Packers. In 2008 Dallas wore the throwback uniform on November 23, 2008 against the San Francisco 49ers. The team went back to wearing this uniform at home on Thanksgiving Day in 2009 while their opponent was the Oakland Raiders who wore their AFL Legacy Weekend throwbacks. Dallas wore this alternate uniform on October 11, 2009 as part of one of the NFL's AFL Legacy Weekends when they traveled to Kansas City to play the Chiefs who were sporting their AFL Dallas Texans' uniforms. This created a rare game in which neither team wore a white jersey and the first time the Cowboys wore the alternative uniform as a visiting team. The 1960–1963 uniform may also be used on other special occasion. Other instances include the 2005 Monday Night game against the Washington Redskins when the team inducted Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irving into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and the 2006 Christmas Day game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2013, the NFL issued a new helmet rule stating that players will no longer be allowed to use alternate helmets due to the league's enhanced concussion awareness. This caused the Cowboys' white 1960s throwback helmets to become non-compliant. The team instead decided to wear their normal blue jerseys at home for Thanksgiving.[13]
Home/road jersey historyIn 1964, Tex Schramm started the tradition of the Cowboys wearing their white jersey at home, contrary to an unofficial rule that teams should wear colored jerseys at home. Schramm did this because he wanted fans to see a variety of opponents' colors at home games.[14] Since then, a number of other teams have worn their white uniforms at home, including the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.
Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly jerseys shown at Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.
Throughout the years, the Cowboys' blue jersey has been popularly viewed to be "jinxed" because the team often seemed to lose when they wore them. This curse purportedly became popular after the team lost Super Bowl V, when they were forced to wear their colored jersey because they were the designated home team.[15] However, the roots of the curse likely date back earlier to the end of the 1968 season when the blue-shirted Cowboys were upset badly by the Cleveland Browns in the divisional playoffs. That turned out to be Don Meredith's final game as a Cowboy. Dallas's lone victory in a conference championship or Super Bowl wearing the blue jerseys was in the 1978 NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.