| 2014 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Jones |
| General manager | Jerry Jones |
| Head coach | Jason Garrett |
| Home stadium | AT&T Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1stNFC East |
| Playoffs | WonWild Card Playoffs (vs.Lions) 24–20 LostDivisional Playoffs (atPackers)21–26 |
| All-Pros | RBDeMarco Murray(1st team) WRDez Bryant(1st team) OTTyron Smith(1st team) OGZack Martin(1st team) QBTony Romo(2nd team) CTravis Frederick(2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | QBTony Romo RBDeMarco Murray WRDez Bryant TEJason Witten TTyron Smith GZack Martin CTravis Frederick LSL. P. Ladouceur |
| Uniform | |
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The2014 season was theDallas Cowboys' 55th in theNational Football League (NFL), their sixth playing home games atAT&T Stadium and their fourth full season underhead coachJason Garrett.
The team improved on their 8–8 record from 2013, finishing 12–4 in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC; however, the Cowboys lost the conference record tiebreakers to both theSeattle Seahawks andGreen Bay Packers and had to start their postseason in the wild card round. They started with a 24–20 win over theDetroit Lions before losing to the Packers 26–21 the following week, ending their season.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame |
| 2 | 34 | DeMarcus Lawrence | DE | Boise State |
| 4 | 119 | Anthony Hitchens | LB | Iowa |
| 5 | 146 | Devin Street | WR | Pittsburgh |
| 7 | 231 | Ben Gardner | DE | Stanford |
| 7 | 238 | Will Smith | LB | Texas Tech |
| 7 | 248 | Ahmad Dixon | S | Baylor |
| 7 | 251 | Ken Bishop | DT | Northern Illinois |
| 7 | 254 | Terrance Mitchell | CB | Oregon |
| Compensatory selection |
After the departure of long time Cowboys favorites defensive end/linebackerDeMarcus Ware and defensive tackleJason Hatcher to free agency, and a season-ending knee injury to middle linebackerSean Lee during organized team activities in late May, the Dallas Cowboys were one of the most heavily admonished and second-guessed NFL franchises through the entire preseason and well into the regular season. Much of the criticism was in response to the Cowboys selectingNotre Dame offensive guardZack Martin over the perceived Cowboys savior (Texas A&M quarterbackJohnny Manziel) in the first round of the NFL draft. Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones uncharacteristically downplayed expectations for the upcoming season during spring training, emphasizing to the media and fans that it might take a little more time for the Cowboys' young players to mature into a championship-caliber team.
Adding injury to the many insults hurled atJerry Jones, quarterbackTony Romo and the Cowboys organization in general, Romo did not play well during two preseason starts after receiving only a small percentage of snaps throughout training camp, due to his continuing recovery from off-season surgery to repair a herniated intervertebral disc in his lower back. For these reasons, Romo and the Cowboys' passing offense struggled for the first two games of the regular season, causing many fans and media to declare the Dallas Cowboys as the absolute worst team in the league after their week 1 loss to the 49ers atAT&T Stadium. A humiliating turnover led to defeat for Dallas, which appeared to prove all the Cowboys' critics right, that Jerry Jones should have selected quarterback Johnny "Football" Manziel in the first round of the NFL 2014 draft to eventually replace Romo. But by season's end, not only would Romo have the highestpasser rating (113.2) in the NFL for the 2014 regular season, but first-round pick offensive guardZack Martin (whom the Cowboys had drafted instead of Manziel) would have a well deserved All-Pro season while establishing himself as a critical piece in what many considered to be the best offensive line in the NFL. The stout run-blocking of the Cowboys' offensive line would help two different Cowboys running backs (DeMarco Murray in 2014 andEzekiel Elliott in2016 and2018) win 3 NFL rushing titles in 5 seasons.
Following a win against theIndianapolis Colts in Week 16 (and after thePhiladelphia Eagles' loss to theWashington Redskins), the Cowboys clinched the NFC East title, putting them in the playoffs for the first time since2009. The Cowboys finished 12–4, improving on their 8–8 record from 2013. For the season, the team was 8–0 on the road. Plenty of milestones were established by the 2014 Cowboys team, topped by DeMarco Murray's record-setting rushing season. The Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions at home 24–20 in the wild-card round of the playoffs and advanced to the divisional round. However, the Green Bay Packers defeated them 26–21, handing the Cowboys their first road loss and ending their season.
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 7 | atSan Diego Chargers | L 7–27 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Baltimore Ravens | L 30–37 | 0–2 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | atMiami Dolphins | L 20–25 | 0–3 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | Denver Broncos | L 3–27 | 0–4 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
atAT&T Stadium,Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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The Cowboys were 16–17–1 against the San Francisco 49ers from 1960 to 2014. Since then, Dallas won the next three meetings, in 2016, 2017, and 2020. But the Cowboys would lose to the 49ers in the2021 wild-card round of the playoffs.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
atLP Field,Nashville, Tennessee
| Game information | ||
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The win against the Titans meant that the Cowboys wouldn't start 0–2, which they hadn't done since2010, whenWade Phillips was fired midway through the season and Jason Garrett was promoted to head coach.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
| Rams | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
atEdward Jones Dome,St. Louis, Missouri
| Game information | ||
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The Cowboys' 21-point comeback win against the Rams was a new Cowboys' record for the largest point deficit that a Cowboys team had come back from and won in a game that didn't go into overtime. It was the third 21-point comeback victory in Cowboys' history. The other two came in overtime, in1984 against theNew Orleans Saints and1999 against theWashington Redskins.
The Rams' 2nd-quarter 21-point lead was the second-largest lead blown by the Rams. The biggest deficit overcome by a Rams opponent was 23 points by theGreen Bay Packers in1982, and theDenver Broncos had a 21-point rally in 1982.
Cowboys kickerDan Bailey set a franchise record by making his 28th field goal in a row on a 40-yarder in the third quarter. Cowboys kickerChris Boniol hit 27 straight field goals in1996.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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After 4 weeks of regular season play, DeMarco Murray found himself in elite company with his 149-yard 2 touchdown performance against the Saints, joiningJim Brown,O. J. Simpson and former CowboyEmmitt Smith as the only players to rush for 100 or more yards, while scoring a touchdown, in the first four games of a season.
The Cowboys' three-game winning streak was their first since the 2012 season.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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After hauling in a 34-yard completion from Tony Romo mid-way through the third quarter, Cowboys TEJason Witten surpassed 10,000 receiving yards for his career, making him only the 3rd tight end in NFL history to do so. Witten's 59-yard day against the Texans left him just 46 yards shy of the No. 2 position held at the time byShannon Sharpe with 10,060 career receiving yards.Tony Gonzalez led all tight ends in career receiving yards at 15,127.
The Cowboys' four-game winning streak was their first since2011, and their best start since2008.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| Seahawks | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
atCenturyLink Field,Seattle, Washington
| Game information | ||
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DeMarco Murray's 115-yard rushing day against the Seahawks made him only the second running back in NFL history – next toJim Brown – to rush for 100 yards in the first 6 games of the season. Jim Brown did it for the first six games of the1958 season.
With the victory, the Cowboys improved to 5–1 on the season, their best record since the 2007 campaign.
Dallas became the first team outside the NFC West to win in Seattle since 2011.
Five days after Seattle's loss at home to the Cowboys, the Seahawks traded WRPercy Harvin to the New York Jets for an undisclosed draft selection. It was reported that the surprisingly sudden move by Seattle was due in large part to Harvin refusing to return to the game in the fourth quarter. While Harvin had a 46-yard kickoff return, his total yardage for rushing and receiving was −1 yard against the Cowboys.
Dan Bailey's 3rd quarter 42-yard field goal made him 100-for-110 on field goals for his career, making him the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a FG percentage of 90.826% from 2011 to 2014.Mike Vanderjagt was second in all-time NFL accuracy with a FG percentage of 86.466% from 1998 to 2006.Stephen Gostkowski was a close third in NFL accuracy with a FG percentage of 86.328% from 2006 to 2014.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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DeMarco Murray continued his amazing season by rushing for his seventh straight 100-yard game to start a season, breaking the record held by the greatJim Brown.[2]
With the win over the Giants, the Cowboys improved to a league-best 6–1 on the season, moving into sole possession of first place in the NFC East due to the Eagles having a bye week. This was the Cowboys' best start to a season since 2007 when they also were 6–1 after the first 7 games.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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Colt McCoy completed 83.3 percent of his passes (25–30 for 299 yards), the most in Redskins history by a quarterback with at least 30 attempts.
Murray extended his 100-yard game rushing streak to eight games with 19 carries for 141 yards.
The game was the 107th meeting in 54 years between the Cowboys and the Redskins. After the loss to Washington, the Cowboys now had a total of 64 wins to 41 losses and 2 ties in 54 years.
Including the loss to the Redskins on Monday Night, the Cowboys had played in a total of 75 Monday Night games and had an overall record of 43–32.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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Brandon Weeden started in place of Tony Romo, who had injured himself the week prior. Weeden had a rough time of it against the stingy Cardinals defense, throwing two interceptions and only managed to compile 183 yards through the air.
It was the Cowboys' third home loss of the season, and the same score as the season opener against the 49ers. The Cardinals also managed to hold DeMarco Murray under the 100-yard mark, the first team to do so in 2014.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
atWembley Stadium,London, England
| Game information | ||
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Tony Romo's return was a successful one, as the Cowboys went across the pond and posted a comfortable win over one of the worst teams in the league.
Dez Bryant had a monster day receiving, catching six passes for 158 yards and two scores, all in the first half. DeMarco Murray got back in the 100-yard category after losing his streak in the loss to the Cardinals the week before.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
atMetLife Stadium,East Rutherford, New Jersey
| Game information | ||
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The Cowboys swept their season series against the Giants for the second year in a row. The Cowboys beat the Giants 5 out of the 6 meetings from 2012 to 2014.
With the win, Dallas improved to 8–3 on the season, setting up a showdown with the 8–3 Eagles for first place in the NFC East on Thanksgiving Day.
DeMarco Murray went over 100 yards yet again, rushing for 121 yards but failed to get in the end zone.
Giants rookie wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr. finished his historic night with 10 catches for 146 yards and two scores.
Rapper and New York City nativeJay Z attended the game and was seen having a brief conversation withJerry Jones on the field prior to kickoff. This was somewhat of an event due to Jay Z's agency,Roc Nation, signing on asDez Bryant's representation earlier in the month. The pair spoke briefly before the game, which led to questions about whether they were discussing Bryant's contract negotiations. Jones later claimed that the brief conversation had nothing to do with contract negotiations.[citation needed]
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 14 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
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With the 33–10 victory against Dallas, the Eagles were now 2–0 against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day and 6–0 overall for Thanksgiving games.
Tony Romo's 38-game streak with at least one touchdown pass came to an end against Philadelphia. Romo's 38-game touchdown streak was the longest in franchise history and fifth longest in NFL history and the second-longest among active streaks, behindPeyton Manning's 50. Romo was 18 of 29 for 199 yards and 0 TDs in the loss.
It was the fourth loss of the season for Dallas at home, and DeMarco Murray failed to break 100 yards for only the second time this season.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 41 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
atSoldier Field,Chicago, Illinois
| Game information | ||
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With the win, the Cowboys avoided going 8–8 for the first time since 2010, and clinched a winning season, the first since the2009 team won the NFC East and won a playoff game.
After defeating the Bears in Chicago, the Cowboys were 6–0 on the road after 13 games into their 2014 season. Oddly enough, the last time Dallas lost on the road was in Chicago 45–28 nearly a year earlier on December 9, 2013. That devastating loss to the Bears began the 7–5 Cowboys' late-season slide, losing 3 out of their 4 final games, and ending the year with a 3rd straight 8–8 season and no playoff appearance for the 4th year in a row.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
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For the second consecutive year, Dallas and Philadelphia split the season series with the road team winning all four games. Dallas had now won 5 out of their last 6 meetings in Philadelphia.
With the win, the Cowboys took a one-game lead in the NFC East with two games to go.
The victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia improved the Cowboys' road record to 7–0 for the season.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Through the 2014 season, the Cowboys won the NFC East 22 times in their 54-year history.
After quarterbackTony Romo completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to TEJason Witten late in the third quarter, Romo eclipsedTroy Aikman as the all-time leader in passing yards in franchise history. The throw put Romo at 32,961 passing yards in his career, passing Aikman's career total of 32,942. Romo finished the game with 218 yards, putting him at 32,971 for his career.
At the start of the game, Murray had a total of 1,686 yards on the season and needed only 87 yards to pass Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith's team record for the most rushing yards in a single season with 1,773 yards set in 1995. However, with Murray still nursing the injury, coupled with an early Cowboys rout, Murray ended up with only 22 carries for 59 yards on the day, leaving him with a total of 1,745 yards for the year, just 28 yards short of Smith's single season record with one more game left to be played.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 44 |
| Redskins | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
atFedExField,Landover, Maryland
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the victory, the Cowboys finished 12–4 on the season, their best record since the team's 13–3 campaign of2007.[3]
DeMarco Murray made Cowboys' history by finishing the season with 1,845 yards on 393 carries, surpassingEmmitt Smith's record of 1,773 in 1995; the 32-yard carry was Murray's longest since a 40-yard carry on December 4 against the Chicago Bears.
Dez Bryant also made Cowboys' history by catching 2 touchdown passes, giving him a total of 16 touchdown receptions on the year, breakingTerrell Owens's previous single-season touchdown reception record of 15 in 2007 (the second touchdown was originally called incomplete by the refs, but was overturned after review).
The game was the 108th meeting in 54 years between the Cowboys and Redskins. After this game, the Cowboys' all-time record versus the Redskins was 65–41–2 in 54 years.
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3)Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 467 | 352 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 474 | 400 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 380 | 400 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 301 | 438 | L1 |
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
| 2[a] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
| 3[a] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5[b] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
| 6[b] | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
| 9[c] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
| 10[c] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
| 11[d] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
| 12[d] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
| 13[d] | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
| Tiebreakers[e] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild card | January 4, 2015 | Detroit Lions (6) | W 24–20 | 1–0 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 11, 2015 | atGreen Bay Packers (2) | L21–26 | 1–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
atAT&T Stadium,Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Dallas Cowboys now lead the all-time head-to-head match-up against the Detroit Lions (14–12). The Cowboys also lead the all-time playoff match-up against the Lions (2–1).
This was the first time in franchise history that the Cowboys won a post-season game when trailing by 10 points or more at half time.
At the time, with this win over the Lions, the Cowboys became the team with the most NFL playoff wins with 34, one more than thePittsburgh Steelers.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
atLambeau Field,Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Packers defeated the Cowboys 26–21, ending their season.[5] The Packers handed the Cowboys their first road loss of the season, snapping a 9-game road winning streak that began in week 16 of the 2013 season against the Washington Redskins.
