2015 Dallas Cowboys season

56th season in franchise history August 2023 March 2026 Dallas Cowboys 2015 4–12 4th NFC East Jason Garrett Jerry Jones Jerry Jones AT&T Stadium Did not qualify Dan Bailey PKTravis Frederick CSean Lee OLBZack Martin OGTyron Smith OT Dan Bailey (2nd team)Travis Frederick (2nd team)Zack Martin (2nd team)Tyron Smith (2nd team) File:Dallas Cowboys Uniforms 2015-2021.png Cowboys seasons The 2015 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 56th in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh playing home games at AT&T Stadium and their fifth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. They finished the regular season with a 4–12 record, which was their first losing season since 2010, their worst since 1989, when they went 1–15, and the first time (and, as of the 2025 season, only time) the Cowboys finished in last place in the NFC East since 2002. Despite starting 2–0, they would struggle immensely. Key injuries, including starting quarterback Tony Romo were factors in their struggles of the season. They were eliminated from playoff contention with their Week 15 loss to the New York Jets. This would be the last losing season for the Cowboys until 2020. Offseason Staff transactions Head coach Jason Garrett remains head coach signing a five-year $30 million contract Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli resigned to a three-year contract Players transactions Resigned wide receiver Dez Bryant to a five-year $70 million contract Resigned right tackle Doug Free to a three-year contract RB Demarco Murray departed signing a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/transactions/_/name/dal/dallas-cowboys Dallas Cowboys 2015 Team Transactions - Trades, Injured List, Free Agents, and Signings - ESPN ESPN.com 20 December 2015 2015 draft class 2015 NFL draft 2015 Dallas Cowboys 1 27 Byron Jones Cornerback UConn yes yes 2 60 Randy Gregory Defensive end Nebraska yes 3 91 Chaz Green Offensive tackle Florida yes 4 127 Damien Wilson Linebacker Minnesota yes 5 163 Ryan Russell Defensive end Purdue yes 7 236 Mark Nzeocha Linebacker Wyoming from San Diego yes 7 243 Laurence Gibson Offensive tackle Virginia Tech from Baltimore no 7 246 Geoff Swaim Tight end Texas from Indianapolis via San Francisco yes yes no Notes The Cowboys traded their sixth-round selection (No. 204 overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for the Ravens' seventh-round selection (No. 243 overall) and linebacker Rolando McClain. The Cowboys traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 244 overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for defensive end Caesar Rayford. The Cowboys acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 236 overall) in a trade that sent defensive tackle Sean Lissemore to the San Diego Chargers. Dallas acquired another additional seventh-round selection (No. 246 overall) in exchange for their sixth-round pick in 2016.http://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/DraftTrades/Years/2015.htm 2015 NFL Draft Pick Transactions ProSportsTransactions.com Undrafted free agents Name Position College George Farmer Wide receiver USC Antwan Goodley Wide receiver Baylor Deontay Greenberry Wide receiver Houston Joel Ross Cornerback Appalachian State Tim Scott Cornerback North Carolina Jameill Showers Quarterback UTEP Ray Vinopal Safety Pittsburgh Lucky Whitehead Wide receiver Florida Atlantic Regular season Despite starting the season 2–0 and leading the NFC East, the Cowboys lost their next seven games and finished the season by going 2–12 in their final 14 games. They were eliminated from playoff contention following a loss to the New York Jets in week 15. Their collapse from a solid start was primarily due to injuries to starting quarterback Tony Romo and starting wide receiver Dez Bryant. Bryant broke a bone in his foot during the week 1 win against the Giants, and Romo suffered a broken clavicle in the week 2 triumph at Philadelphia. Brandon Weeden started the next 3 games, which the team lost, and then was benched in week 7 following the bye week in favor of Matt Cassel, who was acquired via trade from the Buffalo Bills following Romo's injury. The Cowboys, with Cassell at the helm, lost their next 4 games. Tony Romo, not fully recovered from his broken collarbone injury, started the next game against the Dolphins, which they won. However, in a week 12 loss against the undefeated Panthers, Romo suffered a second collarbone injury and was later ruled out for the season. Matt Cassel then started the next 3 games for the Cowboys with a week 13 win against the rival Redskins. But after a poor performance against the New York Jets in week 15 in the 1st half, Cassel was benched in favor of backup Kellen Moore, and the team went on to lose the rest of the games of the season. Staff 2015 Dallas Cowboys Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones COO/executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones Assistant director of player personnel – Will McClay Assistant Director of college scouting – Tom Ciskowski Assistant Director of pro scouting – Judd Garrett Director of football administration – Todd Williams Head coach – Jason Garrett Offensive coordinator – Scott Linehan Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson Running backs – Gary Brown Wide receivers – Derek Dooley Assistant Wide receivers – Kyle Valero Tight ends – Mike Pope Offensive line – Frank Pollack Assistant offensive line – Marc Colombo Senior coaching consultant/Offensive Consultant – Jimmy Robinson Offensive assistant – Kevin Carberry Defensive coordinator/Defensive line – Rod Marinelli Linebackers – Matt Eberflus Secondary – Jerome Henderson Assistant secondary – Joe Baker Defensive assistant – Turner West Defensive assistant/defensive line – Leon Lett Defensive quality control/linebackers – Ben Bloom Special teams coordinator – Rich Bisaccia Assistant special teams/kickers – Keith O'Quinn Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Brett Bech Assistant strength and conditioning – Kendall Smith Rosters Opening preseason roster Dallas Cowboys 2015 opening preseason roster Quarterbacks  9 Tony Romo  7 Jameill Showers 10 Dustin Vaughan  3 Brandon Weeden Running backs 48 Ray Agnew III FB 44 Tyler Clutts FB 25 Lance Dunbar 37 Gus Johnson 21 Joseph Randle 30 Lache Seastrunk Wide receivers 11 Cole Beasley 88 Dez Bryant 14 Reggie Dunn 19 George Farmer 85 Antwan Goodley 81 Deontay Greenberry 17 Nick Harwell 16 A. J. Jenkins 15 Devin Street 13 Lucky Whitehead 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 80 Brandon Barden 89 Gavin Escobar 84 James Hanna 87 Geoff Swaim 82 Jason Witten Offensive linemen 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau C/G 69 Cody Clay G/T 71 La'el Collins G/T 74 R. J. Dill G/T 72 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T 67 Laurence Gibson T 65 Ronald Leary G 70 Zack Martin G 62 Shane McDermott C 78 Ronald Patrick G/C 77 Tyron Smith T 75 Darrion Weems T 61 John Wetzel T/G Defensive linemen 66 Ken Bishop DT 79 Kenneth Boatright DE 60 Davon Coleman DT 58 Jack Crawford DT/DE 98 Tyrone Crawford DT 95 Lavar Edwards DE 93 Ben Gardner DE 94 Randy Gregory DE 76 Greg Hardy DE/DT 96 Nick Hayden DT 90 DeMarcus Lawrence DE 97 Terrell McClain DT 92 Jeremy Mincey DE 63 Efe Obada DE 99 Ryan Russell DE/DTLinebackers 46 Donnie Baggs OLB 54 Jasper Brinkley MLB 45 Jonathan Brown OLB/MLB 52 Andrew Gachkar OLB 47 Ka'Lial Glaud MLB/OLB 59 Anthony Hitchens OLB/MLB 50 Sean Lee OLB/MLB 56 Keith Smith OLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB/DE 57 Damien Wilson OLB/MLB Defensive backs 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church FS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 38 Jeff Heath SS 31 Byron Jones CB/FS 40 Danny McCray FS 26 Tyler Patmon CB 29 Joel Ross CB 32 Orlando Scandrick CB 41 Tim Scott FS 35 Brandon Smith CB 28 Robert Steeples CB 36 Ray Vinopal SS/FS 23 Corey White CB/FS 27 J. J. Wilcox SS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  1 Tom Hornsey P  6 Chris Jones P 49 Casey Kreiter LS 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS Reserve lists -- Reshod Fortenberry G/T (IR) 10px 79 Chaz Green T (Active/PUP) 10px -- Justin Jackson OLB (IR) 10px -- Cameron Lawrence OLB/MLB (IR) 10px 55 Rolando McClain MLB (Active/PUP) 10px 20 Darren McFadden RB (Active/PUP) 10px -- Ryan Miller T/G (IR) 10px 53 Mark Nzeocha OLB (Active/NF-Inj.) 10px 43 Will Smith OLB (IR) 10px 64 Chris Whaley DT (IR) 10px 34 Ryan Williams RB (IR) 10px 33 Jason Wilson CB (IR) 10px 89 active, 8 inactive Week one roster Dallas Cowboys 2015 week one roster Quarterbacks  9 Tony Romo  3 Brandon Weeden Running backs 44 Tyler Clutts FB 25 Lance Dunbar KR 20 Darren McFadden 30 Christine Michael 21 Joseph Randle Wide receivers 11 Cole Beasley PR 88 Dez Bryant 15 Devin Street 13 Lucky Whitehead 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 89 Gavin Escobar 84 James Hanna 87 Geoff Swaim 82 Jason Witten Offensive linemen 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau C/G 71 La'el Collins G/T 72 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T 65 Ronald Leary G 70 Zack Martin G 67 Jordan Mills T 77 Tyron Smith T 75 Darrion Weems T Defensive linemen 93 Ken Bishop DT 60 Davon Coleman DT 58 Jack Crawford DT/DE 98 Tyrone Crawford DT 94 Randy Gregory DE 96 Nick Hayden DT 90 DeMarcus Lawrence DE 97 Terrell McClain DT 92 Jeremy Mincey DE 99 Ryan Russell DE/DTLinebackers 52 Andrew Gachkar MLB/OLB 59 Anthony Hitchens OLB/MLB 50 Sean Lee OLB/MLB 56 Keith Smith OLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB/DE 57 Damien Wilson OLB/MLB Defensive backs 39 Brandon Carr CB 42 Barry Church SS 24 Morris Claiborne CB 38 Jeff Heath SS 31 Byron Jones CB/FS 40 Danny McCray FS 26 Tyler Patmon CB 23 Corey White CB/FS 27 J. J. Wilcox FS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS Reserve lists -- Kenneth Boatright DE (IR) 10px 69 Cody Clay G/T (IR) 10px 74 R. J. Dill G/T (IR) 10px -- Reshod Fortenberry G/T (IR) 10px 47 Ka'Lial Glaud MLB/OLB (IR) 10px 79 Chaz Green T (PUP) 10px 76 Greg Hardy DE/DT (Susp.) 34 Michael Hill RB (IR) 10px -- Cameron Lawrence OLB/MLB (IR) 10px 55 Rolando McClain MLB (Susp.) -- Ryan Miller T/G (IR) 10px 53 Mark Nzeocha OLB (NF-Inj.) 10px 32 Orlando Scandrick CB (IR) 10px -- Rod Sweeting CB (IR) 10px -- Chris Whaley DT (IR) 10px -- Ryan Williams RB (IR) 10px Practice squad 43 Dakorey Johnson OLB 37 Gus Johnson RB 85 Vince Mayle WR 17 Kellen Moore QB 29 Deji Olatoye CB 41 Tim Scott FS  7 Jameill Showers QB 14 Rodney Smith WR 48 Joe Thomas MLB 61 John Wetzel T/G 53 active, 16 inactive, 10 practice squad Final roster Dallas Cowboys 2015 final roster Quarterbacks 16 Matt Cassel 17 Kellen Moore  7 Jameill Showers Running backs 44 Tyler Clutts FB 20 Darren McFadden 45 Rod Smith 23 Robert Turbin Wide receivers 11 Cole Beasley 19 Brice Butler 85 Vince Mayle 14 Rodney Smith 15 Devin Street 13 Lucky Whitehead 83 Terrance Williams Tight ends 84 James Hanna 87 Geoff Swaim 82 Jason Witten Offensive linemen 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G/C 78 Charles Brown T 71 La'el Collins G 72 Travis Frederick C 68 Doug Free T 79 Chaz Green T/G 65 Ronald Leary G 70 Zack Martin G 77 Tyron Smith T Defensive linemen 58 Jack Crawford DE 98 Tyrone Crawford DT 94 Randy Gregory DE 76 Greg Hardy DE 96 Nick Hayden DT 90 DeMarcus Lawrence DE 92 Jeremy Mincey DE 63 Casey Walker DTLinebackers 52 Andrew Gachkar OLB 59 Anthony Hitchens OLB/MLB 50 Sean Lee OLB 55 Rolando McClain MLB 53 Mark Nzeocha OLB 51 Kyle Wilber OLB 57 Damien Wilson OLB/MLB Defensive backs 39 Brandon Carr CB 24 Morris Claiborne CB 38 Jeff Heath SS 31 Byron Jones FS/CB 40 Danny McCray SS 21 Terrance Mitchell CB 29 Deji Olatoye CB 26 Josh Thomas CB 27 J. J. Wilcox FS/SS Special teams  5 Dan Bailey K  6 Chris Jones P 91 L. P. Ladouceur LS Reserve lists -- Kenneth Boatright DE (IR) 10px 88 Dez Bryant WR (IR) 10px 42 Barry Church SS (IR) 10px 25 Lance Dunbar RB (IR) 10px 89 Gavin Escobar TE (IR) 10px 95 David Irving DT/DE (IR) 10px 97 Terrell McClain DT (IR) 10px  9 Tony Romo QB (IR) 10px 99 Ryan Russell DE (IR) 10px 32 Orlando Scandrick CB (IR) 10px 67 Chris Whaley DT (IR) 10px Practice squad 54 Derek Akunne OLB 81 Donte Foster WR 35 Buddy Jackson CB 61 Antonio Johnson G 33 Ben Malena RB 66 Mike McAdoo DE 36 Brandon McGee CB 93 Efe Obada DE 56 Keith Smith OLB 75 Darrion Weems T 53 active, 11 inactive, 10 practice squad Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1 August 13 at San Diego Chargers L 7–17 0–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 2 August 23 at San Francisco 49ers L 6–23 0–2 Levi's Stadium Recap 3 August 29 Minnesota Vikings L 14–28 0–3 AT&T Stadium Recap 4 September 3 Houston Texans W 21–14 1–3 AT&T Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1 September 13 New York Giants W 27–26 1–0 AT&T StadiumSeptember 14, 2015 Tony Romo's last-minute TD keeps Cowboys perfect vs. Giants in openers https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791590 2024-06-04 ESPN.com Associated Press en Recap 2 September 20 at Philadelphia Eagles W 20–10 2–0 Lincoln Financial Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791705 Cowboys win over Eagles marred by Tony Romo injury 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 3 September 27 Atlanta Falcons L 28–39 2–1 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791491 Falcons beat Cowboys behind Ryan-Jones combo, Freeman 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 4 October 4 at New Orleans Saints L 20–26 (OT) 2–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdomehttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791720 Drew Brees hits 2 passing milestones in Saints' OT win over Cowboys 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 5 October 11 New England Patriots L 6–30 2–3 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791559 Brady, Patriots pull away from Romo-less Cowboys 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 6 Bye 7 October 25 at New York Giants L 20–27 2–4 MetLife Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791564 Giants take advantage of Cowboys' mistakes 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 8 November 1 Seattle Seahawks L 12–13 2–5 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791681 Russell Wilson, Seahawks squeak by at Dallas, return to .500 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 9 November 8 Philadelphia Eagles L 27–33 (OT) 2–6 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791734 Eagles hand Cowboys sixth straight loss, 33-27 in OT 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 10 November 15 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 6–10 2–7 Raymond James Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791494 Winston's 1-yard TD run lifts Bucs over Cowboys 10-6 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 11 November 22 at Miami Dolphins W 24–14 3–7 Sun Life Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791703 Romo returns from layoff to help Dallas beat Miami 24-14 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 12 November 26 Carolina Panthers L 14–33 3–8 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791509 Cam Newton, Panthers 11-0 as Tony Romo injured again after 3 INTs 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 13 December 7 Monday at Washington Redskins W 19–16 4–8 FedExFieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791686 Dan Bailey's 54-yard field goal lifts Cowboys past Redskins 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 14 December 13 at Green Bay Packers L 7–28 4–9 Lambeau Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791612 Lacy, Starks lead Packers past Cowboys 28-7 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 15 December 19 Saturday New York Jets L 16–19 4–10 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791656 Jets keep pressure on in wild card thanks to late FG vs. Cowboys 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 16 December 27 at Buffalo Bills L 6–16 4–11 Ralph Wilson Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791535 Led by Mike Gillislee, Bills ground out win over Cowboys 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap 17 January 3 Washington Redskins L 23–34 4–12 AT&T Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791651 Cousins, Redskins top Cowboys 34-23 in playoff tuneup 2024-06-04 ESPN.com en Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. New York Giants Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary September 13 7:30 p.m. CDT Giants 3 10 3 10 Cowboys 3 3 7 14 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 93,579 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Bill Vinovich NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 21-yard field goal, 4:36. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 79 yards, 10:27. NYG – Josh Brown 50-yard field goal, 2:03. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 2:35. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 5:35. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:22. NYG – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 57-yard fumble return (Josh Brown kick), 1:12. Giants 10–6. NYG – Josh Brown 40-yard field goal, 0:19. Giants 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 0:32. Third quarter NYG – Josh Brown 30-yard field goal, 9:52. Giants 16–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:12. DAL – Gavin Escobar 2-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:08. Giants 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:47. Fourth quarter NYG – Rashad Jennings 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 8:09. Giants 23–13. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:08. DAL – Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:11. Giants 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:53. NYG – Josh Brown 19-yard field goal, 1:37. Giants 26–20. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 3:34. DAL – Jason Witten 11-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:13. Cowboys 27–26. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 1:27. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning – 20/36, 189 yards DAL – Tony Romo – 36/45, 356 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Rashad Jennings – 13 rushes, 52 yards, TD DAL – Joseph Randle – 16 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers NYG – Shane Vereen – 4 receptions, 45 yards DAL – Lance Dunbar – 8 receptions, 70 yards Top tacklers NYG – Uani 'Unga - 10 tackles, 2 assists DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 2 assists The Cowboys opened the season at home against their rival, the New York Giants, led by the quarterback-receiver tandem of Eli Manning and young Odell Beckham Jr. Tony Romo came back late in the fourth quarter and nailed the game-winning drive to Jason Witten to give Dallas a narrow 27-26 victory. The victory, however, was bittersweet as Dez Bryant broke his foot in the second half. The injury required surgery and he was expected to miss 10–12 weeks. Cameras caught Bryant congratulating his teammates in the locker room after a close victory. Romo spoke on Bryant's injury: "You can't replace Dez Bryant."https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13682564/minus-dez-bryant-demarco-murray-tony-romo-enters-defining-stretch-nfl Don't be surprised if Tony Romo holds the Cowboys together ESPN.com Reid Jason September 18, 2015 June 20, 2025 Three days later, the NFL came forward and apologized to the Giants for 2 blown calls. The first call led to a Cowboys touchdown due to a wrong pass interference call which set up the Cowboys on 1st and Goal on the 2 yard line, and the second was a blown defensive holding call which would have set up the Giants on first and goal with the Cowboys having no timeouts remaining and 1:36 left on the clock.September 17, 2015 Giants vs Cowboys: NFL admits two blown calls https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/09/17/new-york-giants-dallas-cowboys-blown-calls-week-one December 20, 2015 SI.com Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary September 20 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT Cowboys 3 3 7 7 Eagles 0 0 0 10 Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 69,296 77 F C, partly cloudy Tony Corrente Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 1:42. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:04. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Cowboys 6–0. Drive: 15 plays, 79 yards, 5:24. Third quarter DAL - Donnie Jones punt blocked by Danny McCray, 26-yard return by Kyle Wilber (Dan Bailey kick), 12:44. Cowboys 13–0. Fourth quarter PHI – Cody Parkey 46-yard field goal, 14:21. Cowboys 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 2:16. DAL – Terrance Williams 42-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Dan Bailey kick), 4:20. Cowboys 20–3. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 0:16. PHI – Jordan Matthews 6-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Cody Parkey kick), 1:26. Cowboys 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:52. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 18/27, 195 yards PHI – Sam Bradford – 23/37, 224 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers DAL – Joseph Randle – 18 rushes, 51 yards PHI – Sam Bradford – 2 rushes, 9 yards Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 84 yards, TD PHI – Jordan Matthews – 6 receptions, 80 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee - 9 tackles, 5 assists, INT PHI – Malcolm Jenkins - 8 tackles Shining atop the division, the Cowboys played their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles in what turned out to be a defensive juggernaut of a game. Neither team could really get anything going on offense; however, the Cowboys were able to pull away by dominating the time of possession. Already missing starting wide receiver Dez Bryant, the Cowboys experienced a devastating loss when Tony Romo was sacked by Jordan Hicks. The result of the hit was a fractured collarbone and an expected eight-week absence. The fractured collarbone is the same one Romo broke in 2010. Backup Brandon Weeden got his first taste of game time this season, completing all of his 7 passes for a total of 73 yards and one touchdown. Despite the injuries to the two key players, the Cowboys still managed to hold off the Eagles with a 20-10 victory, ultimately stunning Philadelphia's home crowd. Dallas's defense harassed Sam Bradford and ex-Cowboy DeMarco Murray all game, holding Murray to a measly 2 yards on 13 carries. Sean Lee, a defensive powerhouse, finished the game with 14 tackles and an interception for the Cowboys. For his performance, Lee was given the honor of being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary September 27 12:00 p.m. CDT Falcons 7 10 8 14 Cowboys 14 14 0 0 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 90,345 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Pete Morelli Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Joseph Randle 37-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:03. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:08. DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:12. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:37. ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. Second quarter DAL – Darren McFadden 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:31. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 5:09. ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:23. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:32. DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:38. ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:05. Cowboys 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 0:40. Third quarter ATL – Julio Jones 45-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Levine Toilolo pass from Matt Ryan), 7:16. Cowboys 28–25. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:15. Fourth quarter ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:30. Falcons 32–28. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:44. ATL – Julio Jones 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:09. Falcons 39–28. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:14. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/36, 285 yards, 2 TD DAL – Brandon Weeden – 22/26, 232 yards, INT Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman – 30 rushes, 141 yards, 3 TD DAL – Joseph Randle – 14 rushes, 87 yards, 3 TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TD DAL – Lance Dunbar – 10 receptions, 100 yards Top tacklers ATL – Justin Durant - 8 tackles, 1 assist DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 3 assists Many questions surrounded the Dallas Cowboys as they entered Week 3, especially regarding how the team would respond to having neither Dez Bryant nor Tony Romo. Coach Jason Garrett's mantra of “next man up” played a big part in preparing for the game against the Atlanta Falcons. Backup quarterback Brandon Weeden started for the first time since the previous season's game against the Arizona Cardinals, completing 22 of 26 passes for 232 yards and one interception with no touchdowns. The Cowboys played very well in the first half, outscoring the Falcons 28-17; however, the Falcons made a few halftime adjustments that squashed any running game the Cowboys pursued afterwards. On the other hand, the Cowboys had no answer for Julio Jones, who caught for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns. Owner Jerry Jones said after the game that the Cowboys just looked tired in the second half. The Falcons eventually came back late in the second half and won the game 39-28. Week 4: at New Orleans Saints Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary October 4 7:30 p.m. CDT Cowboys 3 7 3 7 0 Saints 7 0 6 7 6 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,009 Played indoors (dome stadium) Brad Allen NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:46. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:19. NO – Josh Hill 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Zach Hocker kick), 3:52. Saints 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:53. Second quarter DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 13:37. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:13. Third quarter NO – Zach Hocker 51-yard field goal, 11:24. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:23. DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 8:25. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:59. NO – Zach Hocker 29-yard field goal, 1:30. Tied 13–13. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter NO – Khiry Robinson 1-yard run (Zach Hocker kick), 8:02. Saints 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:45. DAL – Terrance Williams 17-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Dan Bailey kick), 1:56. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:14. Overtime NO – C. J. Spiller 80-yard pass from Drew Brees, 14:57. Saints 26–20. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:13. Top passers DAL – Brandon Weeden – 16/26, 246 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 33/41, 359 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – Lance Dunbar – 3 rushes, 54 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 17 rushes, 77 yards Top receivers DAL – Brice Butler – 1 reception, 67 yards NO – C. J. Spiller – 5 receptions, 99 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – Anthony Hitchens – 9 tackles, 2 assists (1 sack) NO – Hau'oli Kikaha – 4 tackles, 4 assists (1 sack) In another heartbreaking loss which ended a 9-0 winning streak of regular season away games, the injury bug struck the Cowboys again. Sean Lee exited the game early with a concussion, Lance Dunbar saw the last of his playing time this season with a torn ACL, and Brice Butler injured his hamstring. Despite all the injuries, the Cowboys were able to stay neck and neck with the New Orleans Saints. Enduring a few lead changes throughout the first four quarters, the Cowboys were able to come back and tie it up 20-20 with a last minute touchdown from Brandon Weeden (16/26; 246 yards; 1 TD) to Terrance Williams. However, the Cowboys defense was not able to hold off the Saints during overtime. An 80-yard touchdown was scored within the first 13 seconds of overtime, which handed the Cowboys their second loss of the season. Week 5: vs. New England Patriots Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary October 11 3:25 p.m. CDT Patriots 3 10 7 10 Cowboys 3 0 3 0 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 93,054 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Clete Blakeman CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 49-yard field goal, 8:19. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:04. DAL – Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 1:46. tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 6:33. Second quarter NE – Tom Brady 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:39. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:18. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 57-yard field goal, 0:03. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 0:50. Third quarter NE – Dion Lewis 10-yard pass from Tom Brady, (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:48. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:12. DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 1:17. Patriots 20–6. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:31. Fourth quarter NE – Julian Edelman 59-yard pass from Tom Brady, (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:58. Patriots 27–6. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:19. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 4:41. Patriots 30–6. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:39. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 20/27, 275 yards, 2 TD DAL – Brandon Weeden – 26/39, 188 yards, INT Top rushers NE – LeGarrette Blount – 13 rushes, 74 yards DAL – Joseph Randle – 15 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers NE – Julian Edelman – 4 receptions, 120 yards, TD DAL – Darren McFadden – 9 receptions, 62 yards Top tacklers NE – Jamie Collins – 6 tackles, 4 assists DAL – Barry Church – 5 tackles, 3 assists After back-to-back losses, Dallas returned home to face the then-undefeated defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Stout early defensive efforts kept the game close, including five sacks of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, but Dallas's offense could never produce steady results. Dallas QB Brandon Weeden (1 INT) and the offensive line were ineffectual, gaining only 264 yards total offense and making 18 1st downs. The offense could manage only two Dan Bailey field goals. During the first quarter, the Cowboys held the Patriots to a field goal. However, the Patriots slowly but surely pulled away afterwards for the 30-6 victory, handing Dallas the loss and a 2-3 record entering the bye week - and handing Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett his first career three-game losing streak. Week 7: at New York Giants Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary October 25 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT Cowboys 3 10 0 7 Giants 0 10 10 7 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 80,319 71 F C, mostly cloudy John Parry Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 5:29. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:17. Second quarter NYG – Orleans Darkwa 15-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 11:10. Giants 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:05. DAL – Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 7:36. Giants 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:33. DAL – Darren McFadden 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 2:22. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:19. NYG – Josh Brown 47-yard field goal, 1:08. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:13. Third quarter NYG – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 58-yard interception return (Josh Brown kick), 11:34. Giants 17–13. NYG – Josh Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:23. Giants 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:25. Fourth quarter DAL – Devin Street 25-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Dan Bailey kick), 7:25. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:58. NYG – Dwayne Harris 100-yard kickoff return (Josh Brown kick), 7:14. Giants 27-20. Top passers DAL – Matt Cassel – 17/27, 227 yards, TD, 3 INT NYG – Eli Manning – 13/24, 170 yards Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 29 rushes, 152 yards, TD NYG – Shane Vereen – 4 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers DAL – Jason Witten – 6 receptions, 73 yards NYG – Rueben Randle – 2 receptions, 68 yards Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee – 3 tackles, 6 assists NYG – Jon Beason – 7 tackles, 4 assists Dallas took its perfect record in games against NFC East opponents to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants, and despite limiting a highly efficient Giants offense and Cassel making some clutch throws, The Giants dominance of the turnover margin and special teams spelled doom for the Cowboys as the Giants left with the 27-20 win. Matt Cassel made his starting quarterback debut for Dallas passing for 227 yards and 1 touchdown, but his 3 interceptions - including one returned for a touchdown - led to ten Giants points. On the ground Dallas had consistent success all day with Darren McFadden substituting for mysteriously injured starter Joseph Randle and the offense accumulated 460 total yards vs. the Giants' 289. Despite sloppy, penalty-ridden play helping enable three lead changes Dallas was able to tie the game at 20 when Cassel threw a beauty on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Devin Street who had an even better catch, tapping his feet inches from the end line. However, the Giants returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, immediately regaining the lead. Later, a quick "three and out" by the Giants' offense preceded a Giants punt which was fumbled by Cole Beasley and recovered by the Giants, who then ran out the clock on subsequent "kneel downs" to finish the game. The loss hands Dallas a four-game losing skid heading back home to face the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. Week 8: vs. Seattle Seahawks Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary November 1 3:25 p.m. CST Seahawks 3 7 0 3 Cowboys 3 3 3 3 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 91,486 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Carl Cheffers Fox Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook First quarter SEA – Steven Hauschka 26-yard field goal, 8:51. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:13. DAL – Dan Bailey 33-yard field goal, 0:48. Tied 3–3. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 8:04. Second quarter SEA – Luke Willson 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 5:33. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:38. DAL – Dan Bailey 35-yard field goal, 1:38. Seahawks 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:55. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 52-yard field goal, 8:56. Seahawks 10–9. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 6:09. Fourth quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 27-yard field goal, 14:32. Cowboys 12-10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:48. SEA – Steven Hauschka 24-yard field goal, 1:10. Seahawks 13–12. Drive: 17 plays, 79 yards, 5:35. Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson – 19/30, 210 yards, TD, INT DAL – Matt Cassel – 13/25, 97 yards Top rushers SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 21 rushes, 71 yards DAL – Darren McFadden – 20 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers SEA – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 75 yards DAL – Darren McFadden – 6 receptions, 49 yards Top tacklers SEA – K. J. Wright - 6 tackles, 3 assists DAL – Sean Lee - 5 tackles, 6 assistsThis game involved a scary moment, after Seattle's Ricardo Lockette was hit by Dallas's Jeff Heath during a kick return. He lied on the ground, motionless, for about 7 minutes before he was taken off the field on a cart. X-rays later revealed that Lockette had a broken neck, which turned out to be a career-ending injury. The Cowboys would only kick field goals in this game, as Dan Bailey was 4 for 4 on field goals. Dallas led 12-10 with under 2 minutes to go. However, the Seahawks would march down the field and take a 13-12 lead after Steven Hauschka drilled a 24-yard field goal of his own. Dallas tried to come back, but Seattle forced a turnover on downs to end the game. With their 5th straight loss, the Cowboys fell to 2-5. Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary November 8 7:30 p.m. CST Eagles 0 7 7 13 6 Cowboys 7 0 7 13 0 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 91,827 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ed Hochuli NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Cole Beasley 5-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Dan Bailey kick), 6:50. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 5:46. Second quarter PHI – DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 9:06. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:17. Third quarter PHI – Ryan Mathews 6-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 8:38. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 95 yards, 2:39. DAL – Cole Beasley 17-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Dan Bailey kick), 2:11. Tied 14–14. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:32. Fourth quarter PHI – Jordan Hicks 67-yard interception return (Caleb Sturgis kick), 12:59. Eagles 21–14. DAL – Dez Bryant 18-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Dan Bailey kick), 11:04. Tied 21–21. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:55. PHI – Caleb Sturgis 31-yard field goal, 7:27. Eagles 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 3:30. DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 2:58. Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:29. PHI – Caleb Sturgis 53-yard field goal, 1:51. Eagles 27–24. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:07. DAL – Dan Bailey 44-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 27–27. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 1:44. Overtime PHI – Jordan Matthews 41-yard pass from Sam Bradford, 11:08. Eagles 33–27. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:01. Top passers PHI – Sam Bradford - 25/36, 295 yards, TD DAL – Matt Cassel - 25/38, 299 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers PHI – DeMarco Murray - 18 rushes, 83 yards, TD DAL – Darren McFadden - 27 rushes, 117 yards Top receivers PHI – Jordan Matthews - 9 receptions, 133 yards, TD DAL – Cole Beasley - 9 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers PHI – Malcolm Jenkins - 8 tackles, 1 assist DAL – Barry Church - 4 tackles, 4 assistsThe Cowboys would rally to tie the game after Dan Bailey converted a 44 yard field goal that caromed off the uprights with 2 seconds left. The Eagles would get the ball first, and would move down the field. During the drive, the Eagles faced a 4th and 1, and decided to go for it. Ryan Mathews would get the ball, but he would fumble on the play, and the Cowboys appeared to recover. However, the play was reviewed, and review showed that Mathews's knee was down prior to the ball coming out. The Eagles got another chance. On the next play, Sam Bradford found Jordan Matthews on a 41-yard touchdown reception to end the game. With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 2-6. Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary November 15 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Cowboys 3 3 0 0 Buccaneers 0 3 0 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 64,133 79 F C, cloudy Bill Vinovich Fox Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 42-yard field goal, 4:00. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 28 yards, 6:20. Second quarter TB – Connor Barth 52-yard field goal, 14:56. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:04. DAL – Dan Bailey 53-yard field goal, 10:41. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 4:17. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter TB – Jameis Winston 1-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:59. Buccaneers 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:06. Top passers DAL – Matt Cassel – 19/29, 186 yards, INT TB – Jameis Winston – 22/39, 264 yards, 2 INT Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 17 rushes, 32 yards TB – Doug Martin – 18 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 5 receptions, 45 yards TB – Mike Evans – 8 receptions, 126 yards Top tacklers DAL – Barry Church - 9 tackles, 2 assists TB – Lavonte David - 5 tackles, 7 assists (1 sack)The Cowboys would manage only 2 field goals during this game, as they lost to Tampa Bay 10-6. Jameis Winston would run the ball in from a yard out to give the Buccaneers the lead for good with 54 seconds left. The Cowboys tried to rally, but quarterback Matt Cassel's deep pass into Buccaneers territory would end up getting intercepted, sealing the Cowboys' seventh straight defeat. With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 2-7. They became the first team since the 2013 Texans to lose seven consecutive games after a 2-0 start. Week 11: at Miami Dolphins Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins – Game summary November 22 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Cowboys 0 14 0 10 Dolphins 0 7 7 0 Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 65,115 74 F C, mostly cloudy Jeff Triplette Fox Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DAL – Rolando McClain 12-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 15:00. Cowboys 7–0. DAL – Terrance Williams 31-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:23. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 8:30. MIA – Jordan Cameron 12-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 0:23. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:52. Third quarter MIA – Kenny Stills 29-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:26. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 15:00. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:25. DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:23. Cowboys 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 4:49. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 18/28, 227 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 13/24, 188 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 29 rushes, 129 yards MIA – Lamar Miller – 7 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD MIA – Jarvis Landry – 4 receptions, 66 yards Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee - 4 tackles MIA – Kelvin Sheppard - 10 tackles, 4 assistsDallas would finally break their 7 game losing streak with a 24-14 win over the Dolphins. Tony Romo returned to action after missing 7 weeks with a collarbone injury. He would have a fine return, as he would throw 2 touchdown passes along with 2 interceptions in the win. He would also throw for 227 yards during the game. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 3-7. Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers Thanksgiving Day game Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary November 26 Thursday 3:30 p.m. CST Panthers 10 13 7 3 Cowboys 3 0 3 8 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 90,909 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ron Torbert CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter CAR – Kurt Coleman 36-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 14:15. Panthers 7–0. CAR – Graham Gano 49-yard field goal, 8:14. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:18. DAL – Dan Bailey 21-yard field goal, 1:25. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:47. Second quarter CAR – Graham Gano 43-yard field goal, 3:32. Panthers 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 5:48. CAR – Luke Kuechly 32-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 2:47. Panthers 20–3. CAR – Graham Gano 25-yard field goal, 0:03. Panthers 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 22 yards, 2:23. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 7:53. Panthers 23–6. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 3:35. CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 0:25. Panthers 30–6. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:29. Fourth quarter CAR – Graham Gano 50-yard field goal, 10:27. Panthers 33–6. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 3:50. DAL – Cole Beasley 2-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Matt Cassel-Darren McFadden pass), 4:27. Panthers 33–14. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 6:00. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 16/27, 183 yards DAL – Tony Romo – 11/21, 106 yards, 3 INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 21 rushes, 68 yards DAL – Robert Turbin – 2 rushes, 11 yards Top receivers CAR – Jerricho Cotchery – 5 receptions, 73 yards DAL – Darren McFadden – 4 receptions, 45 yards Top tacklers CAR – Luke Kuechly – 2 tackles, 5 assists, 2 INT, 1 defensive TD DAL – Rolando McClain – 7 tackles, 5 assistsTony Romo would play at quarterback for the second straight week. However, he would get injured again, as he would suffer a clavicle injury at the end of the 3rd quarter while being sacked by Thomas Davis. Romo would throw 3 interceptions and no touchdowns as the Cowboys were rattled at home to the undefeated Panthers, 33-14. It was later revealed that Romo would miss the rest of the season with a broken clavicle. This would be Romo's last NFL game until Week 17 of the 2016 NFL Season, as he would lose his starting job to 2016 rookie Dak Prescott after a pre-season back injury that would sideline him for the first 10 weeks of the season. With the crushing loss, the Cowboys fell to 3-8. Week 13: at Washington Redskins Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary December 7 Monday 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST Cowboys 0 3 3 13 Redskins 0 3 3 10 FedExField, Landover, Maryland 80,444 41 F C, clear Walt Anderson ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 6:36. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:16. WAS – Dustin Hopkins 45-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:31. Third quarter WAS – Dustin Hopkins 36-yard field goal, 10:37. Redskins 6–3. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 3:07. DAL – Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal, 3:39. Tied 6–6. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:59. Fourth quarter WAS – Dustin Hopkins 46-yard field goal, 14:19. Redskins 9–6. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:19. DAL – Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 4:25. Tied 9–9. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:04. DAL – Darren McFadden 6-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:19. Cowboys 16–9. Drive: 2 plays, 15 yards, 0:12. WAS – DeSean Jackson 28-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:49. Tied 16–16. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 0:30. DAL – Dan Bailey 54-yard field goal, 0:14. Cowboys 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 0:35. Top passers DAL – Matt Cassel – 16/29, 223 yards WAS – Kirk Cousins – 22/31, 219 yards, TD Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 14 rushes, 53 yards, TD WAS – Matt Jones – 18 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 2 receptions, 63 yards WAS – DeSean Jackson – 6 receptions, 80 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee – 6 tackles, 7 assists (1 sack) WAS – Mason Foster – 4 tackles, 3 assists, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recoveryThe Cowboys would get an upset win over the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. The game was mostly contested with field goals, until the end of the 4th quarter. DeSean Jackson would fumble a punt return with 1:31 remaining on the clock, which was recovered by Dallas. The Cowboys would take the lead after Darren McFadden took it in from 6 yards out to give them a 16-9 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Washington got a good return from Rashad Ross that put the Redskins in Dallas territory. Washington would score soon afterwards, with DeSean Jackson catching a 28-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to tie the game at 16. However, the Cowboys would march down the field in response and Dan Bailey would end the game by kicking a 54 yard field goal with 9 seconds left. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 4-8 and remained in the playoff hunt, aided by the fact that all four NFC East teams had losing records. Week 14: at Green Bay Packers Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers – Game summary December 13 3:25 p.m. CST Cowboys 0 0 7 0 Packers 0 14 0 14 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 78,369 53 F C, rain Brad Allen Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter GB – James Starks 13-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:55. Packers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:14. GB – Richard Rodgers 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 2:45. Packers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:14. Third quarter DAL – Robert Turbin 7-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 8:28. Packers 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:07. Fourth quarter GB – James Starks 30-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 4:50. Packers 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:34. GB – Eddie Lacy 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 2:50. Packers 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 0:25. Top passers DAL – Matt Cassel – 13/29, 114 yards, INT GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/35, 218 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 9 rushes, 111 yards GB – Eddie Lacy – 24 rushes, 124 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Jason Witten – 5 receptions, 40 yards GB – Randall Cobb – 8 receptions, 81 yards Top tacklers DAL – Barry Church – 9 tackles, 2 assists GB – Clay Matthews III – 5 tackles, 1 assist (1 sack) The Cowboys traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers in a rematch of last season's Divisional Round, in which Green Bay narrowly won after Dez Bryant's controversial catch was overturned, allowing the Packers to advance to the NFC Championship game. This time, with no Tony Romo leading the Cowboys, Green Bay won handily by 28-7, which dropped the Cowboys' record to 4-9. Week 15: vs. New York Jets Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary December 19 Saturday 7:25 p.m. CST Jets 6 3 0 10 Cowboys 3 7 3 3 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 90,345 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Craig Wrolstad NFLN Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 27-yard field goal, 10:50. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:11. NYJ – Bilal Powell 12-yard run (kick failed), 0:35. Jets 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:48. Second quarter NYJ – Randy Bullock 36-yard field goal, 7:06. Jets 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:44. DAL – Dez Bryant 10-yard pass from Kellen Moore (Dan Bailey kick), 1:25. Cowboys 10–9. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 0:30. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 3:49. Cowboys 13–9. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:42. Fourth quarter NYJ – Eric Decker 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick), 9:01. Jets 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:07. DAL – Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 2:00. Tied 16–16. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 7:03. NYJ – Randy Bullock 40-yard field goal, 0:41. Jets 19–16. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:19. Top passers NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 26/39, 299 yards, TD, INT DAL – Kellen Moore – 15/25, 158 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers NYJ – Chris Ivory – 13 rushes, 37 yards DAL – Darren McFadden – 16 rushes, 100 yards Top receivers NYJ – Brandon Marshall – 4 receptions, 74 yards DAL – Dez Bryant – 4 receptions, 50 yards, TD Top tacklers NYJ – Damon Harrison – 4 tackles, 4 assists DAL – Anthony Hitchens – 5 tackles, 5 assistsThe Cowboys came into this game needing a win to remain in the playoff hunt. However, they had to go through a hot Jets team for it. Towards the end of the game, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would sneak the ball across for a first down deep in his own territory. However, the replay showed that the ball might have come out as he was sneaking over the line. The play was reviewed, but the call stood, and the Jets kept the ball. The Jets would eventually march down the field. Randy Bullock would give the Jets a 19-16 lead with 36 seconds left. The Cowboys would try to go down the field with Kellen Moore at the quarterback spot. However, one of his passes would be intercepted by Darrelle Revis, ending the game. With the loss, Dallas fell to 4-10 and was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Week 16: at Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills – Game summary December 27 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Cowboys 3 3 0 0 Bills 6 0 3 7 Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 70,172 39 F C, rain showers Jeff Triplette Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 46-yard field goal, 9:45. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:19. BUF – Karlos Williams 1-yard run (kick failed), 0:51. Bills 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:57. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 5:29. Tied 6–6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:51. Third quarter BUF – Dan Carpenter 32-yard field goal, 6:21. Bills 9–6. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:37. Fourth quarter BUF – Mike Gillislee 50-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:34. Bills 16–6. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 4:28. Top passers DAL – Kellen Moore – 13/31, 186 yards, INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 13/18, 179 yards, INT Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 19 rushes, 99 yards BUF – Mike Gillislee – 9 rushes, 93 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Brice Butler – 4 receptions, 74 yards BUF – Sammy Watkins – 5 receptions, 84 yards Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee – 11 tackles, 4 assists (0.5 sacks) BUF – Corey Graham – 8 tackles, 3 assistsThe Cowboys managed only 2 field goals from Dan Bailey, as they lost 6-16 to Buffalo. Kellen Moore would start for the Cowboys again, as Matt Cassel was benched. With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 4-11 and secured a fourth place finish in the NFC East for the first time since 2002. Week 17: vs. Washington Redskins Dallas Cowboys 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary January 3, 2016 12:00 p.m. CST Redskins 21 3 3 7 Cowboys 0 14 0 9 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 90,127 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) John Parry Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Holly Sonders Recap, Gamebook First quarter WAS – Ryan Grant 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 9:14. Redskins 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:44. WAS – Pierre Garcon 39-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:28. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:32. WAS – Jamison Crowder 3-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:24. Redskins 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:22. Second quarter WAS – Dustin Hopkins 27-yard field goal, 8:20. Redskins 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:18. DAL – Jason Witten 4-yard pass from Kellen Moore (Dan Bailey kick), 3:39. Redskins 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:41. DAL – Cole Beasley 5-yard pass from Kellen Moore (Dan Bailey kick), 0:26. Redskins 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 1:11. Third quarter WAS – Dustin Hopkins 33-yard field goal, 3:01. Redskins 27–14. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 8:21. Fourth quarter WAS – Rashad Ross 71-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Dustin Hopkins kick), 15:00. Redskins 34–14. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:32. DAL – Alfred Morris tackled in the end zone by J. J. Wilcox and DeMarcus Lawrence for a safety, 12:27. Redskins 34–16. DAL – Cole Beasley 7-yard pass from Kellen Moore (Dan Bailey kick), 4:22. Redskins 34–23. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 3:32. Top passers WAS – Kirk Cousins – 12/15, 176 yards, 3 TD DAL – Kellen Moore – 33/48, 435 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers WAS – Alfred Morris – 19 rushes, 100 yards DAL – Darren McFadden – 12 rushes, 92 yards Top receivers WAS – Jamison Crowder – 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD DAL – Terrance Williams – 8 receptions, 173 yards Top tacklers WAS – Will Blackmon – 7 tackles, INT, 1 forced fumble DAL – Rolando McClain – 6 tackles, 6 assistsThe Cowboys would trail 0-24 by the second quarter, and despite an attempt to come back, they would go on to lose 23-34 to the NFC East Champions Redskins. With the loss, the Cowboys ended their season with a frustrating record of 4-12. They also finished 1-7 at home, their worst home record since 1989. Standings Division DAL Conference DAL References External links https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/2015.htm 2015 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players Pro-Football-Reference.com http://www.dallascowboys.com Dallas Category:Dallas Cowboys seasons Dallas Cowboys Category:2010s in Dallas