The Cowboys
Through the Years.

Tom Landry led the expansion Cowboys through a winless debut; a tie with the Giants prevented twelve straight losses.

Did not qualify

Dallas earned its first regular-season victory against Pittsburgh. First draft pick Bob Lilly began his Cowboys career.

Did not qualify

Don Perkins and Jerry Tubbs became the first Cowboys to earn All-Pro recognition as Dallas improved to five wins.

Did not qualify

Don Meredith delivered the franchise’s first 400-yard passing game, throwing for 460 yards against San Francisco.

Did not qualify

The Cowboys gave Landry a ten-year contract extension while the team continued building toward its first winning season.

Did not qualify

Dallas reached .500 for the first time. The Cotton Bowl also hosted the franchise’s first home sellout.

Did not qualify

The Cowboys recorded their first winning season and first playoff appearance, reaching the NFL Championship Game.

Lost NFL Championship to Green Bay, 34–27

Dallas returned to the NFL Championship Game, where Green Bay won the freezing Ice Bowl in the final seconds.

Lost NFL Championship to Green Bay, 21–17

A 12-win regular season brought another Capitol Division title, but Cleveland ended the Cowboys’ championship bid.

Lost Eastern Conference playoff to Cleveland, 31–20

Mel Renfro led the NFL with ten interceptions. Dallas won the Capitol Division before another playoff loss to Cleveland.

Lost Eastern Conference playoff to Cleveland, 38–14

The Cowboys captured their first NFC championship and reached their first Super Bowl, losing to Baltimore by three points.

Lost Super Bowl V to Baltimore Colts, 16–13

Dallas won its first Super Bowl, with Roger Staubach named MVP. The season also marked the opening of Texas Stadium.

Won Super Bowl VI over Miami, 24–3

Calvin Hill became Dallas’ first 1,000-yard rusher. The defending champions advanced to another NFC title game.

Lost NFC Championship to Washington, 26–3

Dallas regained the NFC East title and beat the Rams in the playoffs before falling to Minnesota.

Lost NFC Championship to Minnesota, 27–10

Clint Longley’s Thanksgiving comeback produced a memorable win over Washington, but Dallas missed the postseason at 8–6.

Did not qualify

Staubach’s Hail Mary touchdown to Drew Pearson helped send Dallas to Super Bowl X. Pittsburgh won the championship.

Lost Super Bowl X to Pittsburgh, 21–17

An 11–3 finish secured another NFC East crown, but the Rams eliminated Dallas in a two-point playoff game.

Lost Divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams, 14–12

Dallas won its second Super Bowl. Defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White shared the game’s MVP award.

Won Super Bowl XII over Denver, 27–10

The Cowboys shut out the Rams in the NFC Championship Game and reached a Super Bowl rematch with Pittsburgh.

Lost Super Bowl XIII to Pittsburgh, 35–31

Roger Staubach’s final season brought a fourth consecutive NFC East title; a narrow loss to the Rams ended the run.

Lost Divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams, 21–19

Danny White took over at quarterback and led Dallas through two playoff wins to the NFC Championship Game.

Lost NFC Championship to Philadelphia, 20–7

Another 12-win season ended one point short of the Super Bowl when San Francisco won on The Catch.

Lost NFC Championship to San Francisco, 28–27

Dallas finished 6–3 in a strike-shortened season, then won twice in the playoffs before losing at Washington.

Lost NFC Championship to Washington, 31–17

A 7–0 start helped Dallas earn twelve wins, but the Rams ended the season in the Wild Card round.

Lost Wild Card playoff to Los Angeles Rams, 24–17

The Cowboys’ 25th anniversary season ended 9–7, bringing their first missed postseason since 1974.

Did not qualify

Dallas won the NFC East and completed its twentieth consecutive winning season, the last of Landry’s historic streak.

Lost Divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams, 20–0

A 7–9 finish ended Dallas’ twenty-season winning streak, marking its first losing record since 1964.

Did not qualify

A players’ strike brought replacement games to a shortened season. Dallas finished below .500 for a second straight year.

Did not qualify

Landry’s 29th and final Cowboys season ended 3–13, closing the franchise’s founding coaching era.

Did not qualify

Jerry Jones bought the team and hired Jimmy Johnson. Dallas drafted Troy Aikman first overall and traded Herschel Walker to Minnesota.

Did not qualify

Emmitt Smith earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as Dallas improved from one win to seven.

Did not qualify

Dallas reached the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Smith won his first NFL rushing title.

Beat Chicago 17–13 in the Wild Card round; lost to Detroit 38–6 in the Divisional round

A franchise-record 13 wins set up the team's third Super Bowl championship. Aikman threw four touchdown passes against Buffalo.

Won Super Bowl XXVII, beating Buffalo 52–17

Dallas repeated as Super Bowl champion. Emmitt Smith won both the league MVP award and Super Bowl MVP honors.

Won Super Bowl XXVIII, beating Buffalo 30–13

Barry Switzer's first season brought another division title, but San Francisco ended Dallas' bid for a third straight championship.

Lost the NFC Championship to San Francisco 38–28

The Cowboys won their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Smith rushed for 1,773 yards and 25 touchdowns during the regular season.

Won Super Bowl XXX, beating Pittsburgh 27–17

Dallas claimed a fifth consecutive NFC East title, then won a playoff game before falling at Carolina.

Beat Minnesota 40–15 in the Wild Card round; lost to Carolina 26–17 in the Divisional round

A 6–10 finish ended six consecutive playoff seasons. It was Switzer's final year as head coach.

Did not qualify

Chan Gailey led Dallas back to the NFC East crown. The Cowboys swept all eight division games.

Lost to Arizona 20–7 in the Wild Card round

Dallas earned a wild-card berth despite an even record, closing a decade that included eight playoff appearances and three Super Bowl wins.

Lost to Minnesota 27–10 in the Wild Card round

Dave Campo took over as head coach. Troy Aikman's final playing season ended with Dallas out of the playoffs.

Did not qualify

Dallas repeated its 5–11 record. Emmitt Smith extended his streak to 11 consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Did not qualify

Smith passed Walter Payton to become the NFL's career rushing leader in his final Dallas season. The team finished 5–11 again.

Did not qualify

Bill Parcells doubled Dallas' win total in his first season, returning the Cowboys to the playoffs after three straight losing years.

Lost to Carolina 29–10 in the Wild Card round

Dallas slipped to six wins. Jason Witten caught 87 passes for 980 yards and six touchdowns.

Did not qualify

Drew Bledsoe threw for 3,639 yards, and Terry Glenn topped 1,100 receiving yards. Nine wins were insufficient for a playoff berth.

Did not qualify

Tony Romo became the starting quarterback. Dallas' playoff return ended in Seattle after a late mishandled field-goal snap.

Lost to Seattle 21–20 in the Wild Card round

Wade Phillips' first Dallas team earned the NFC's top seed. The Giants eliminated the Cowboys after losing both regular-season meetings.

Lost to the New York Giants 21–17 in the Divisional round

The Cowboys' final season at Texas Stadium ended short of the playoffs, with a 44–6 defeat in Philadelphia in the finale.

Did not qualify

In their first season at Cowboys Stadium, Dallas won the NFC East and earned its first playoff victory since the 1996 season.

Beat Philadelphia 34–14 in the Wild Card round; lost to Minnesota 34–3 in the Divisional round

A 1–7 start led to a midseason coaching change. Jason Garrett took over on an interim basis and went 5–3 over the final eight games.

Did not qualify

Garrett's first full season ended at .500. Dallas had a chance to take the NFC East in the finale, but a 31–14 loss to the Giants ended its playoff hopes.

Did not qualify

The division again came down to the last game. Washington's 28–18 win left Dallas at 8–8 and outside the postseason for a third straight year.

Did not qualify

A third consecutive 8–8 finish brought another final-week elimination. With Tony Romo unavailable, Kyle Orton started the 24–22 loss to Philadelphia that decided the division.

Did not qualify

Dallas broke through with an NFC East title and a playoff win over Detroit. The divisional loss at Green Bay included the overturned Dez Bryant catch near the goal line.

Lost divisional round to Green Bay, 26–21

Injuries sidelined Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, and Dallas fell to 4–12. Darren McFadden still passed 1,000 rushing yards as the season ended with a loss to Washington.

Did not qualify

Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott helped Dallas match its franchise-best 13 wins and take the NFC East. Green Bay ended the run with a late field goal.

Lost divisional round to Green Bay, 34–31

Dallas finished with a winning record but missed the playoffs. Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension interrupted his second season, and a Christmas Eve loss to Seattle ended postseason contention.

Did not qualify

A recovery from a 3–5 start produced an NFC East title and a playoff win over Seattle. The Rams' rushing attack stopped Dallas in the divisional round.

Lost divisional round to Los Angeles Rams, 30–22

A 47–16 finale win could not rescue Dallas' playoff hopes because Philadelphia also won. The 8–8 finish closed Jason Garrett's tenure as head coach.

Did not qualify

Mike McCarthy's first Dallas season included Dak Prescott's serious ankle injury. The Cowboys remained in the division race until a 23–19 finale loss to the Giants.

Did not qualify

Dallas returned to the postseason as NFC East champion at 12–5. A penalty-filled wild-card game against San Francisco ended when the clock expired after a quarterback draw.

Lost wild-card round to San Francisco, 23–17

A second straight 12–5 season earned a wild-card berth. Dallas beat Tampa Bay in the first round before San Francisco again ended its season.

Lost divisional round to San Francisco, 19–12

Dallas won the NFC East and the conference's No. 2 seed. Green Bay then scored the most points ever allowed by the Cowboys in a playoff game.

Lost wild-card round to Green Bay, 48–32

Prescott's hamstring injury ended his season early. Dallas finished 7–10, while Brandon Aubrey set a team record for field goals made in a season.

Did not qualify

Brian Schottenheimer's first season ended 7–9–1 without a playoff berth. A 40–40 game against Green Bay produced Dallas' first tie since 1969.

Did not qualify

Through October 31, Dallas is 3–4 in Schottenheimer's second season. A 38–21 win at Philadelphia featured 155 rushing yards from Javonte Williams and three Prescott touchdown passes.

Season in progress — postseason not yet determined