2021 Dallas Cowboys season
OwnerJerry Jones
General managerJerry Jones
Head coachMike McCarthy
Home fieldAT&T Stadium
Results
Record12–5
Division place1st NFC East
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. 49ers) 17–23
Pro Bowlers
6
AP All-Pros
4
Uniform

The 2021 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 62nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 33rd under the ownership of Jerry Jones, and their 13th playing home games at AT&T Stadium.

For the first time since 2004, long-time long snapper L. P. Ladouceur was not on the opening day roster, as he was not re-signed during free agency.[1] This was also the first time since 2010 that long-time punter Chris Jones was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on March 17, 2021.[2] To further add to the notable departures, for the first time since 2011, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on March 25, 2021.[3] Additionally, for the first time since 2009, linebacker Sean Lee was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on April 26, 2021.[4]

With their Week 10 win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Cowboys improved on their 6–10 record from the previous season. With their Week 14 win against the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys clinched their first winning season since 2018, and with the San Francisco 49ers' Week 16 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Cowboys clinched their first playoff berth also since 2018. Following a Denver Broncos' loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cowboys clinched the NFC East, based on strength-of-victory tiebreakers; this was their first division title since 2018. They swept the NFC East for the first time since 1998. The Cowboys' strong offense finished the year with 530 points, the most in the league, and a team record. But despite high expectations, the Cowboys lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys scored 20 or more points in all but two of their regular season games.

On July 2, 2021, the Cowboys were announced to be featured on HBO's Hard Knocks for the third time in franchise history.[5]

Offseason

Signings

Position Player Age 2020 team Contract
RBCorey Clement27Philadelphia Eagles1 year, $990,000
TEJeremy Sprinkle27Washington Football Team1 year, $987,500
OTTy Nsekhe36Buffalo Bills1 year, $1.75 million
DEBrent Urban30Chicago Bears1 year, $1.75 million
DTCarlos Watkins28Houston Texans1 year, $1.75 million
LBTarell Basham27New York Jets2 years, $6.5 million
FSMalik Hooker25Indianapolis Colts1 year, $920,000
FSDamontae Kazee28Atlanta Falcons1 year, $1.127 million
SSJayron Kearse27Detroit Lions1 year, $1.127 million
SSKeanu Neal26Atlanta Falcons1 year, $5 million
PBryan Anger33Houston Texans1 year, $987,500
LSJake McQuaide34Los Angeles Rams1 year, $1.2 million

Re-signings

Position Player Age Contract
QBDak Prescott284 years, $160 million
WRNoah Brown251 year, $1.127 million
WRMalik Turner251 year, $920,000
WRCedrick Wilson Jr.261 year, $2.1 million
CBC. J. Goodwin312 years, $3.5 million
CBJourdan Lewis263 years, $16.5 million

Departures

Position Player Age 2021 team
QBAndy Dalton33Chicago Bears
QBGarrett Gilbert30Washington Football Team
FBJamize Olawale32Unsigned
WRJon'Vea Johnson26Chicago Bears
WRChris Lacy25Chicago Bears
TEBlake Bell30Kansas City Chiefs
TECole Hikutini27New York Giants
OTCameron Erving29Carolina Panthers
OTBrandon Knight24Baltimore Ravens
OTGreg Senat27Indianapolis Colts
CMarcus Henry28Arizona Cardinals
CJoe Looney31Retired
CAdam Redmond28Baltimore Ravens
DERon'Dell Carter24Arizona Cardinals
DETyrone Crawford32Retired
DEAldon Smith32Seattle Seahawks
DTEli Ankou27Buffalo Bills
DTAntwaun Woods28Indianapolis Colts
LBSean Lee35Retired
LBJustin March28Tennessee Titans
LBJaylon Smith26New York Giants
LBJoe Thomas30Baltimore Ravens
CBChidobe Awuzie26Cincinnati Bengals
FSXavier Woods26Minnesota Vikings
PChris Jones32Unsigned
LSL. P. Ladouceur40Unsigned

Draft

2021 Dallas Cowboys draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 12 Micah Parsons *  LB Penn State
2 44 Kelvin Joseph  CB Kentucky
3 75 Osa Odighizuwa  DT UCLA
3 84 Chauncey Golston  DE Iowa
3 99 Nahshon Wright  CB Oregon State Compensatory Pick
4 115 Jabril Cox  LB LSU
4 138 Josh Ball  OT Marshall Compensatory Pick
5 178 Simi Fehoko  WR Stanford Compensatory Pick
6 192 Quinton Bohanna  DT Kentucky
6 227 Israel Mukuamu  CB South Carolina Compensatory Pick
7 238 Matt Farniok  OG Nebraska
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

  • The Cowboys were awarded one third-round, one fourth-round, one fifth-round and one sixth-round compensatory picks (99th, 138th, 178th and 227th overall).
  • The Cowboys traded its first-round selection (10th overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for first- and third-round selections (12th and 84th overall).

Staff

2021 Dallas Cowboys staff
Ownership

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Front office

  • Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones
  • COO/Executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones
  • Senior director of football operations/football administration – Todd Williams
  • Executive vice president/chief brand officer – Charlotte Jones Anderson
  • Executive vice president/Chief sales & marketing officer – Jerry Jones Jr.
  • Director of salary cap & player contracts – Adam Prasifka
  • Vice president player personnel – Will McClay
  • Director of team travel and logistics – Craig Glieber
  • Assistant director of football administration and technology – Jason McKay
  • Director of college scouting – Lionel Vital
  • Director of pro scouting – Alex Loomis
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Chris Hall
  • Advance scouting coordinator – Keith O'Quinn
  • Scout – Chris Vaughn
  • Scouting video coordinator – Rich Behm

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Harold Nash
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Kendall Smith

Rosters

Opening preseason roster

Dallas Cowboys 2021 opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists

90 active (+1 exempt), 1 inactive

Week one roster

Dallas Cowboys 2021 week one roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists

Practice squad

54 active, 15 inactive, 15 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Final roster

2021 Dallas Cowboys final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 54 active, 12 inactive, 15 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Preseason

On February 15, the NFL announced that the Cowboys would face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 5, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game kicked off at 7:00 p.m. CDT, and was televised by Fox. The Cowboys were represented by head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris. The Cowboys and Steelers were scheduled to play in the 2020 Hall of Fame game; however, the game, the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement, along with the entire 2020 preseason, were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers was rescheduled for 2021.[6][7]

The remainder of the Cowboys' preseason opponents are listed below; the schedule was announced on May 13.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
HOF August 5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–16 0–1 Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Recap
1 August 13 at Arizona Cardinals L 16–19 0–2 State Farm Stadium Recap
2 August 21 Houston Texans L 14–20 0–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
3 August 29 Jacksonville Jaguars L 14–34 0–4 AT&T Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Cowboys' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 9 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 29–31 0–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
2 September 19 at Los Angeles Chargers W 20–17 1–1 SoFi Stadium Recap
3 September 27 Philadelphia Eagles W 41–21 2–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
4 October 3 Carolina Panthers W 36–28 3–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 10 New York Giants W 44–20 4–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
6 October 17 at New England Patriots W 35–29 (OT) 5–1 Gillette Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 October 31 at Minnesota Vikings W 20–16 6–1 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap
9 November 7 Denver Broncos L 16–30 6–2 AT&T Stadium Recap
10 November 14 Atlanta Falcons W 43–3 7–2 AT&T Stadium Recap
11 November 21 at Kansas City Chiefs L 9–19 7–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
12 November 25 Las Vegas Raiders L 33–36 (OT) 7–4 AT&T Stadium Recap
13 December 2 at New Orleans Saints W 27–17 8–4 Caesars Superdome Recap
14 December 12 at Washington Football Team W 27–20 9–4 FedExField Recap
15 December 19 at New York Giants W 21–6 10–4 MetLife Stadium Recap
16 December 26 Washington Football Team W 56–14 11–4 AT&T Stadium Recap
17 January 2 Arizona Cardinals L 22–25 11–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
18 January 8 at Philadelphia Eagles W 51–26 12–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 9 10329
Buccaneers 7 14 7331

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Dak Prescott played his first game since he suffered compound fracture and dislocation injuries to his right ankle during a Week 5 game against the Giants the previous season. The Cowboys defense forced four turnovers but Greg Zuerlein missed crucial field goals, including a 60-yarder and an extra point. The Cowboys would fall to 0–1. This was the only time this season that the Cowboys had a lead at one point but ended up losing the game.

Week 2: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 14 0 0620
Chargers 3 8 3317

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

The Cowboys started the game with a 14–3 lead, from touchdown runs by Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. The Chargers later tied the game. The Cowboys and Chargers each scored a field goal in their next scoring drives. In the last seconds of the game, the Cowboys marched down the field to the Chargers' 38-yard line. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 56-yard field goal as time expired to give Dallas a crucial win. The win improved the Cowboys to 1–1. This was the Cowboys' first win over the Chargers since 2005.

Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 7 0 7721
Cowboys 14 6 71441

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys continued their home streak against the Eagles. Despite Dak Prescott's early hiccup by fumbling to allow the Eagles to score, Prescott responded by leading his team to torch the Eagles defense. Trevon Diggs recorded a pick-six off Jalen Hurts to tighten the Cowboys' lead. It was the first time since Week 8 of 2017 that the Cowboys recorded a pick-six. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 4: Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Panthers 7 7 01428
Cowboys 7 6 20336

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys continued to roll. The Cowboys trailed 14–13 at halftime, but things significantly turned around for them in the second half. The third quarter began with Panthers' kicker Zane Gonzalez missing a field goal try, which the Cowboys took advantage by marching down the field to score a touchdown on the next drive. The Cowboys scored 23 unanswered points to take a 36–14 lead. Trevon Diggs recorded two interceptions off Panthers' Sam Darnold, giving Diggs a recorded 5 interceptions in the first 4 games. The Panthers scored the final 14 points, but the Cowboys picked up a first down in the last minutes to run out the clock. This win improved the Cowboys to 3–1. This was the Cowboys' first win over the Panthers since 2012.

Week 5: vs. New York Giants

Week 5: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 10 3720
Cowboys 3 14 101744

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys played their second consecutive Week 5 home game against the Giants. Unlike the previous season's matchup, Dak Prescott finished the game without suffering an injury. The game began with Dak Prescott throwing an interception and losing a fumble, neither turnover of which the Cowboys would allow the Giants to score. The Cowboys never once trailed despite allowing New York to tie the game. After this, the game was all Dallas. The Cowboys scored two more takeaways, one of which was a pick six collected by Anthony Brown to seal the win for the Cowboys. This win improved the Cowboys to 4–1. This was the first time since 2018 that they won 4 or more consecutive games.

Week 6: at New England Patriots

Week 6: Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Cowboys 7 3 712635
Patriots 14 0 015029

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: October 17
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys scored the 2,500th touchdown in franchise history with Dak Prescott's 1-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game, their first touchdown against the Patriots since 2011. During overtime, the Cowboys forced a Patriots punt, putting the Cowboys in position to score. During the final play, Dak Prescott threw a game-winning touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb to seal the Cowboys' win. With the win the Cowboys improved to 5–1, as well as getting their first win over the Patriots since 1996, and their first on the road since 1987.

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 3 10720
Vikings 7 3 3316

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,633
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Dak Prescott was benched for the game due to a grade 1 calf strain. Backup Cooper Rush got his first career start in place of Prescott. The Cowboys' defense allowed an opening-drive touchdown and was not able to collect any takeaways, but they gave the Vikings' offense a hard time all game and only allowed three field goals the rest of the game. The Cowboys won the game in the final minute when Cooper Rush connected with Amari Cooper for a five-yard touchdown pass. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 6–1. This was the Cowboys' second consecutive win over the Vikings, as well as the third at U.S. Bank Stadium. This was the first time the Cowboys won six in a row since 2016.

Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 9: Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 6 10 31130
Cowboys 0 0 01616

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,503
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys returned home to face the Denver Broncos. Dallas entered the game as 10-point home favorites, seeking their first win against Denver since the 1995 season. However, the Cowboys' offense was stymied by the Broncos defense the entire game. The Cowboys recorded their second blocked punt of the season, but the Broncos recovered to retain possession. Dallas' only points came on two touchdowns to Malik Turner, but the outcome was already decided in favor of the Broncos. The 30-16 loss dropped the Cowboys to 6–2 on the season, and 0–7 in their last 7 matchups against the Broncos. Dallas never held a lead against Denver, and was held under twenty points, both firsts for the season.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 0 003
Cowboys 7 29 7043

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 93,436
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys rebounded in a considerable way. The Cowboys offense combined for 43 points off of 431 yards. The scoring began with CeeDee Lamb hauling in Dak Prescott's pass for a touchdown to give the Cowboys the early lead. The Falcons responded with a field goal for their lone scoring play of the game. Afterwards, the Cowboys put up 36 unanswered points, 29 of which came in the second quarter. Ezekiel Elliott scored two touchdown runs to extend Dallas' lead to 21-3, before Lamb caught his second touchdown to make it 28-3. The special teams would also contribute with Nahshon Wright returning a blocked punt for a touchdown. As the Cowboys led 36–3 at halftime, their defense intercepted the Falcons three times in as many drives. One of those interceptions was by Trevon Diggs, who had not intercepted a pass since Week 6 against the Patriots. With this win, the Cowboys improved to 7–2.

Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 11: Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 0 339
Chiefs 9 7 3019

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 73,494
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Despite strong defensive play, the Cowboys offense could not keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The Cowboys noticed the absence of Amari Cooper, who was ruled out due to COVID-19 protocols. Cooper's absence would contribute largely to Dallas' subsequent struggles on offense, as they failed to score a single touchdown despite their defense holding Kansas City's high-powered offense under 20 points. The 19–9 loss dropped the Cowboys to 7–3. This was the Cowboys' only game of the season not scoring at least 10 points.

Week 12: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Thanksgiving Day games

Week 12: Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Raiders 14 3 106336
Cowboys 6 7 614033

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,483
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After their loss to the Chiefs, the Cowboys looked to win their first game on Thanksgiving since they beat the Washington Football Team in 2018, who were then known as the Redskins. The Cowboys were already in trouble after several pass interference plays. The Cowboys sent the game to overtime, but after a controversial pass interference call on Anthony Brown, they could not succeed at making a comeback. The Cowboys fell to 7–4, and lost their third consecutive game on Thanksgiving Day.

Week 13: at New Orleans Saints

Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 6 7727
Saints 0 7 3717

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 69,170
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Prime Video): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With Mike McCarthy in COVID-19 protocols, Dan Quinn took the interim head coaching position in place of McCarthy. The Cowboys ended their losing streak against the Saints in New Orleans with the win, as well as improving to 8–4.

Week 14: at Washington Football Team

Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 18 6 3027
Washington 0 0 81220

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,308
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys continued their road trip against the Washington Football Team. Dallas would jump out to a 24-0 lead by halftime. One of those scoring plays involved Micah Parsons forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Dorance Armstrong for a touchdown. In the second half, Washington would awaken from their slump and score three touchdowns of their own, including a pick-six by Cole Holcomb. However, Dallas was able to stave off the late rally and keep the game out of Washington's reach by forcing a game-ending fumble. The win improved the Cowboys to 9–4.

Week 15: at New York Giants

Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 6 9 6021
Giants 3 0 306

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

The Cowboys continued their dominance against the Giants. The Cowboys defense continued to be superior to the Giants offense, as the Cowboys held the Giants without a touchdown. The win improved the Cowboys to 10–4. Several days later, the Cowboys clinched a postseason berth after the 49ers lost to the Titans.

Week 16: vs. Washington Football Team

Week 16: Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Washington 0 7 0714
Cowboys 21 21 7756

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Having already clinched the NFC East after the Broncos lost to the Raiders, the Cowboys looked to add to their momentum as they returned home to play against the Washington Football Team. The Cowboys dominated the game in every way. Their defense continued to shine with an additional 2 takeaways, one of which was a pick six. Dak Prescott became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least one touchdown pass to a wide receiver, running back, offensive tackle, and a tight end, all in one game, with one touchdown pass going to running back Ezekiel Elliott, one touchdown pass going to wide receiver Amari Cooper, one touchdown pass going to offensive tackle Terence Steele, and one touchdown pass going to Dalton Schultz. The Cowboys scored their most points since 1980 when they romped the 49ers, 59–14. This win improved the Cowboys to 11–4 and swept Washington for the first time since 2019.

Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 10 9325
Cowboys 0 7 01522

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,459
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys stayed home for the second straight week to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Dallas struggled in the first half and could not keep pace with Arizona. They later fought back in the fourth quarter to pull within 3 points, but a controversial fumble call ended the Cowboys' momentum. This loss dropped the Cowboys to 11–5 on the season.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter after a touchdown reception. It was confirmed to be a torn ACL, ending his season.

Week 18: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 18: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 10 20 02151
Eagles 7 10 3626

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Clear, 26 °F (−3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,796
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters, and John Parry
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia to play the backup-laden Eagles, who had also already clinched a playoff spot. Dak Prescott threw for 5 touchdowns, a career high. He also surpassed Tony Romo's single-season touchdown pass record. It was the first time in history the Cowboys would score 50+ points on the road. This was the first time since 1998 that the Cowboys completed a season sweep of the NFC East. The Cowboys finished the regular season 12–5 in the first ever 17-game NFL season.

Standings

Division

NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Dallas Cowboys 12 5 0 .706 6–0 10–2 530 358 W1
(7) Philadelphia Eagles 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 444 385 L1
Washington Football Team 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 335 434 W1
New York Giants 4 13 0 .235 1–5 3–9 258 416 L6

Conference

NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division winners
1[lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North 13 4 0 .765 4–2 9–3 .479 .480 L1
2[lower-alpha 1] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 13 4 0 .765 4–2 8–4 .467 .443 W3
3[lower-alpha 2] Dallas Cowboys East 12 5 0 .706 6–0 10–2 .488 .431 W1
4[lower-alpha 2] Los Angeles Rams West 12 5 0 .706 3–3 8–4 .483 .409 L1
Wild cards
5 Arizona Cardinals West 11 6 0 .647 4–2 7–5 .490 .492 L1
6 San Francisco 49ers West 10 7 0 .588 2–4 7–5 .500 .438 W2
7[lower-alpha 3] Philadelphia Eagles East 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 .469 .350 L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[lower-alpha 3] New Orleans Saints South 9 8 0 .529 4–2 7–5 .512 .516 W2
9 Minnesota Vikings North 8 9 0 .471 4–2 6–6 .507 .434 W1
10[lower-alpha 4] Washington Football Team East 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 .529 .420 W1
11[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] Seattle Seahawks West 7 10 0 .412 3–3 4–8 .519 .424 W2
12[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] Atlanta Falcons South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 4–8 .472 .315 L2
13 Chicago Bears North 6 11 0 .353 2–4 4–8 .524 .373 L1
14 Carolina Panthers South 5 12 0 .294 2–4 3–9 .509 .412 L7
15 New York Giants East 4 13 0 .235 1–5 3–9 .536 .485 L6
16 Detroit Lions North 3 13 1 .206 2–4 3–9 .528 .627 W1
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 6]
  1. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
  2. 1 2 Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  3. 1 2 Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  4. 1 2 3 Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
  5. 1 2 Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
  6. ↑ 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.

Postseason

Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 16 San Francisco 49ers (6) L 17–23 0–1 AT&T Stadium Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) San Francisco 49ers at (3) Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
49ers 10 6 7023
Cowboys 0 7 01017

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys hosted the San Francisco 49ers for the Wild Card Playoffs. However, the Cowboys were plagued by miscues and penalties throughout the game, and a late fourth-quarter rally fell short in a heartbreaking loss. San Francisco scored first with a touchdown run by Elijah Mitchell on the game's opening drive, and built their lead to 23–7 by the start of the fourth quarter. Dallas started their rally with a long field goal by Greg Zuerlein, followed by a touchdown run by Dak Prescott. On the game's final drive, Prescott led the Cowboys deep into San Francisco territory, but with seconds remaining and no time-outs, he was stopped in bounds on a run up the middle as the game clock continued running. The Cowboys had a first down at the 49ers 24-yard line, but the clock expired before Prescott could stop it by spiking the ball, ending the game and Dallas's season. The 23–17 loss marked the second time in their past three postseason appearances, and the seventh time in their past ten, that Dallas went one-and-done in the playoffs. The Cowboys finished the season with a total record of 12–6.

Statistics

Team

Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense4,800282.42nd
Rushing offense2,119124.69th
Total offense6,919407.01st
Passing defense4,049238.220th
Rushing defense1,918112.816th
Total defense5,967351.019th

Individual

Category Player Total yards
Offense
PassingDak Prescott4,449
RushingEzekiel Elliott1,002
ReceivingCeeDee Lamb1,102
Defense
Tackles (Solo)Jayron Kearse67
SacksMicah Parsons13
InterceptionsTrevon Diggs11

Statistics correct as of the end of the 2021 NFL season[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Patrik (April 1, 2021). "L.P. Ladouceur 'not thinking about retirement' after Cowboys decide to move on from legendary long snapper". CBSsports.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Rob (March 17, 2021). "Cowboys Release Longtime Punter Chris Jones". dallascowboys.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Cowboys DL Tyrone Crawford Retiring from NFL after 9 seasons". Dallasnews.com. March 25, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Archer, Todd (April 26, 2021). "Dallas Cowboys LB Sean Lee retires after 11 seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Dallas Cowboys to be featured in HBO's 2021 'Hard Knocks' series". Fox4News.com. July 2, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ Schefter, Adam (June 25, 2020). "Cowboys-Steelers Hall of Fall Game called off; enshrinement ceremony postponed". ESPN. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  7. ↑ Williams, Chareen (February 15, 2021). "Unprecedented Hall of Fame weekend will kick off with Cowboys-Steelers". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ "2021 NFL Team Total Statistics". ESPN. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Dallas Cowboys Stats". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
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