2018 Dallas Cowboys season

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2018 Dallas Cowboys season
OwnerJerry Jones
Head coachJason Garrett
General managerJerry Jones
Home fieldAT&T Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place1st NFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 24–22
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Rams) 22–30
Pro BowlersWR Amari Cooper
RB Ezekiel Elliott
CB Byron Jones
DE DeMarcus Lawrence
OG Zack Martin
QB Dak Prescott
OT Tyron Smith
LB Leighton Vander Esch
AP All-ProsOG Zack Martin (1st team)
RB Ezekiel Elliott (2nd team)
LB Leighton Vander Esch (2nd team)
CB Byron Jones
Uniform
Dallas Cowboys Uniforms - 2016 Season.png

The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.

The Cowboys clinched the NFC East division following a Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a week later, improved their 9–7 record from the previous season with a win over the New York Giants.

In the playoffs, the Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks 24–22 in the Wild Card round and advanced to the Divisional round, where they lost to the eventual NFC champion Los Angeles Rams 22–30, suffering both their 6th straight Divisional playoff defeat and 8th straight road playoff loss. The Cowboys would not return to the playoffs until 2021.

Offseason[]

Signings[]

Position Player Age 2017 Team Contract
WR Allen Hurns 26 Jacksonville Jaguars 2 years, $12 Million
WR Deonte Thompson (†) 29 Buffalo Bills 1 year, $1.8 Million
OT Cameron Fleming 25 New England Patriots 1 year, $2.5 Million
OG Marcus Martin 24 Cleveland Browns 1 year, $880,000
ILB Joe Thomas 27 Green Bay Packers 2 years, $3.6 Million

(†) - Later Released

Re-Signings[]

Position Player Age Contract
C Joe Looney 27 2 years, $2.1 Million
LS L. P. Ladouceur 37 1 year, $1.105 Million

Acquisitions[]

Position Player Age 2017 Team Contract Traded away
FB Jamize Olawale 29 Oakland Raiders 1 year, $1.54 Million 2018 5th round pick (Johnny Townsend)
WR Tavon Austin 28 Los Angeles Rams 1 year, $7 Million 2018 6th round pick (Jamil Demby)
WR Amari Cooper 24 Oakland Raiders 2 years, $11 Million 2019 1st round pick (Johnathan Abram)

Departures[]

Position Player Age 2018 Team
QB Zac Dysert 28 Unsigned
QB Kellen Moore 30 Retired
RB Alfred Morris 29 San Francisco 49ers
FB Keith Smith 26 Oakland Raiders
WR Dez Bryant 29 New Orleans Saints
WR Brice Butler 28 Miami Dolphins
WR Ryan Switzer 24 Pittsburgh Steelers (via Oakland Raiders)
TE James Hanna 29 Retired
TE Jason Witten 36 Retired
OT Byron Bell 29 Green Bay Packers
OT Chaz Green 26 Oakland Raiders
OG Jonathan Cooper 28 Washington Redskins
DE Benson Mayowa 27 Arizona Cardinals
MLB Anthony Hitchens 26 Kansas City Chiefs
OLB Kyle Wilber 29 Oakland Raiders
CB Bene Benwikere 26 Oakland Raiders
CB Orlando Scandrick 31 Kansas City Chiefs
K Dan Bailey 30 Minnesota Vikings

Draft[]

2018 Dallas Cowboys Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 19 Leighton Vander Esch LB Boise State
2 50 Connor Williams G Texas
3 81 Michael Gallup WR Colorado St
4 116 Dorance Armstrong Jr. DE Kansas
137 * Dalton Schultz TE Stanford
5 171 * Mike White QB Western Kentucky
6 193 Chris Covington LB Indiana
208 * Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR Boise State
7 236 Bo Scarbrough RB Alabama
* Compensatory selection
Notes
  • The Cowboys were awarded one fourth-round, two fifth-round and one sixth-round compensatory picks (137th, 171st, 173rd and 208th overall).
  • The Cowboys traded their fifth-round selection (157th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets' sixth-round selection in 2017 (191st overall).
  • The Cowboys traded their fifth-round selection (173rd overall) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's sixth-round selection (192nd overall) and fullback Jamize Olawale.
  • The Cowboys traded their sixth-round selection (192nd overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for wide receiver Tavon Austin.

[1]

Staff[]

2018 Dallas Cowboys staff
Front office

{{{front_office}}}

Head coaches {{{head_coach}}}

Offensive coaches {{{offensive}}}

Defensive coaches

{{{defensive}}}



Rosters[]

Opening preseason roster[]

Dallas Cowboys 2018 opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

90 active, 2 inactive

Week one roster[]

Dallas Cowboys 2018 week one roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 21 Ezekiel Elliott
  • 49 Jamize Olawale FB
  • 45 Rod Smith

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice Squad

53 Active, 8 Inactive, 10 Practice Squad

Final roster[]

2018 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
53 active, 11 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason[]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 9 at San Francisco 49ers L 21–24 0–1 Levi's Stadium Recap
2 August 18 Cincinnati Bengals L 13–21 0–2 AT&T Stadium Recap
3 August 26 Arizona Cardinals L 3–27 0–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
4 August 30 at Houston Texans L 6–14 0–4 NRG Stadium Recap

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

The Cowboys' 2018 schedule was announced on April 19.[2]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 9 at Carolina Panthers L 8–16 0–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
2 September 16 New York Giants W 20–13 1–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
3 September 23 at Seattle Seahawks L 13–24 1–2 CenturyLink Field Recap
4 September 30 Detroit Lions W 26–24 2–2 AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 7 at Houston Texans L 16–19 (OT) 2–3 NRG Stadium Recap
6 October 14 Jacksonville Jaguars W 40–7 3–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
7 October 21 at Washington Redskins L 17–20 3–4 FedExField Recap
8 Bye
9 November 5 Tennessee Titans L 14–28 3–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
10 November 11 at Philadelphia Eagles W 27–20 4–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
11 November 18 at Atlanta Falcons W 22–19 5–5 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
12 November 22 Washington Redskins W 31–23 6–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
13 November 29 New Orleans Saints W 13–10 7–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
14 December 9 Philadelphia Eagles W 29–23 (OT) 8–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
15 December 16 at Indianapolis Colts L 0–23 8–6 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
16 December 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–20 9–6 AT&T Stadium Recap
17 December 30 at New York Giants W 36–35 10–6 MetLife Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries[]

Week 1: at Carolina Panthers[]

Week One: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 088
Panthers 0 10 0616

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: September 9
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 74,532
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Despite a strong showing from the defense, the Cowboys offense only managed to get 8 points and fumbled late in the game, allowing the Panthers to run out the clock. This loss would start the Cowboys season at 0–1.

Week 2: vs. New York Giants[]

Week Two: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Giants 0 0 31013
Cowboys 10 0 3720

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: September 16
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 95,512
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Dak Prescott threw his first touchdown pass of the year to Tavon Austin from 64 yards out on the 3rd play of the game. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for his second touchdown of the year. Brett Maher made his first two field goals as a Cowboy. The defense recorded 6 sacks and a fumble recovery. This win improved the Cowboys to 1-1.

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks[]

Week Three: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 3 3713
Seahawks 0 17 0724

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: September 23
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 69,047
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys struggled in almost all aspects. Dak Prescott threw 2 interceptions and Ezekiel Elliott had a fumble late in the game. The only highlight was a Tavon Austin touchdown. This loss dropped the Cowboys to 1–2 on the season.

Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions[]

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 7 3 01424
Cowboys 3 10 7626

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: September 30
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 90,155
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys bounced back from the previous week. Elliott totaled 240 yards and a touchdown. Prescott had 2 passing touchdowns. Geoff Swaim scored the first touchdown of his career. Maher went 4/4 on field goals, including a 38-yarder that won the game as time expired. This win improved the Cowboys to 2–2 on the season.

Week 5: at Houston Texans[]

Week Five: Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Cowboys 6 0 73016
Texans 0 10 33319

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 7
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 72,008
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys controversially punted in overtime and allowed the Texans to take the ball down the field and win the game. This loss dropped the Cowboys to 2–3.

Week 6: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars[]

Week Six: Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 0 707
Cowboys 10 14 61040

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: October 14
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 90,767
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys found their winning ways and got back on track after losing the previous week. The defense got after Blake Bortles and only yielded 7 points. Cole Beasley put up 101 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The offense dominated the entire game, and scored 40 points off one of the league's best defenses. This win improved the Cowboys to 3–3 on the season.

Week 7: at Washington Redskins[]

Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 7 01017
Redskins 7 0 31020

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: October 21
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 66,301
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Brett Maher attempted to kick a 52-yard field goal in the dying seconds to tie the game, but it hit the left upright. This loss dropped them to 3–4.

Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans[]

Week Nine: Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 0 14 7728
Cowboys 7 7 0014

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 5
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 90,466
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

This was Amari Cooper's first game as a Cowboy as he was traded from the Oakland Raiders for a first-round pick, but the Titans pulled away late and won the game. This loss dropped them to 3–5 on the season.

This was also Jason Witten's first return to AT&T Stadium. Witten played as a tight-end for the Dallas Cowboys for some part of the 2000s and much of the 2010s.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles[]

Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 10 01427
Eagles 0 3 10720

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 11
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), clear
  • Game attendance: 69,696
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

In desperate need of a road win to keep their season alive, the game began with Leighton Vander Esch picking off Carson Wentz. The game would be neck-to-neck without the Cowboys trailing. As they led 27–20 on the last play, the ball was lateraled to Golden Tate, but was stopped in progress to allow the Cowboys to win. This win not only improved them to 4–5, but it also improved their chances of being contenders.

Week 11: at Atlanta Falcons[]

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 0 31622
Falcons 0 6 31019

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: November 18
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny — retractable roof open
  • Game attendance: 74,447
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Brett Maher kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. The Cowboys improved to 5–5 with this win. Rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch put up a stellar performance with his 2nd interception in two weeks, which set up a crucial Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run. This was the Cowboys first win over the Falcons since 2009, and first in Atlanta since 2006.

Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins[]

NFL on Thanksgiving Day

Week Twelve: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Redskins 0 7 61023
Cowboys 7 3 14731

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 22
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 92,076
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys got revenge on their division rivals during the game. Dak Prescott connected with Amari Cooper for a 90-yard catch and run touchdown in the third quarter. With the win, the Cowboys moved to 6-5 and gained possession of first place in the NFC East.

Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints[]

Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 0 0 10010
Cowboys 10 3 0013

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), clear — retractable roof open
  • Game attendance: 93,004
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys defense shut down Drew Brees and the Saints red hot offense, limiting their offense to a season low 10 points and upsetting the Saints. Jourdan Lewis made the game-clinching interception with only 2:08 left to play in 4th quarter to seal the victory. This win improved the Cowboys to 7–5 on the season.

Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles[]

Week Fourteen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Eagles 0 0 617023
Cowboys 3 3 314629

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 9
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,127
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

After a grueling back-and-forth match, the Cowboys won in overtime. This was their 1st overtime victory since the 2016 season, which was, coincidentally, also a 29–23 home win against the Eagles. Brett Maher made a successful 62-yard field goal attempt, which was a franchise record for Dallas and tied for the third longest in NFL history. Amari Cooper had his best game as a Cowboy thus far, catching 10 passes for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns.

With the win, the Cowboys improved to 8–5, extended their lead in the NFC East to 2 games, and swept the Eagles for the first time since 2012.

Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts[]

Week Fifteen: Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 000
Colts 7 3 10323

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 66,654
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys were shut out for the first time since 2003, the offense couldn't keep up with the Colts defense. This loss dropped the Cowboys to 8–6 on the season.

Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers[]

Week Sixteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 10 0720
Cowboys 14 3 10027

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 23
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 92,851
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys bounced back at home against the Buccaneers. Jaylon Smith made the highlight play of the game, recovering a fumble from Jameis Winston and returning it 69 yards for a touchdown. With this win, the Cowboys improved to 9–6 on the season and clinched the NFC East for the third time in 5 years.

Week 17: at New York Giants[]

Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 14 71536
Giants 0 7 111735

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 77,750
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys earned a hard-fought win. The defense picked off two passes from Eli Manning while forcing a fumble for a turnover. Blake Jarwin had the best game of his career, accounting for 3 of the Cowboys' touchdowns. The Cowboys won the game after a game-winning touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Cole Beasley along with the ensuing 2-point conversion from Prescott to Michael Gallup. With this win, the Cowboys finished 10–6. This marks the first time the Cowboys have recorded 3 consecutive winning seasons since they did so from 2007 to 2009.

Standings[]

Division[]

NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Dallas Cowboys 10 6 0 .625 5–1 9–3 339 324 W2
(6) Philadelphia Eagles 9 7 0 .563 4–2 6–6 367 348 W3
Washington Redskins 7 9 0 .438 2–4 6–6 281 359 L2
New York Giants 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 369 412 L3

Conference[]

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1[a] New Orleans Saints South 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–3 .482 .488 L1
2[a] Los Angeles Rams West 13 3 0 .813 6–0 9–3 .480 .428 W2
3 Chicago Bears North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 .430 .419 W4
4 Dallas Cowboys East 10 6 0 .625 5–1 9–3 .488 .444 W2
Wild Cards
5 Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 8–4 .484 .400 W2
6 Philadelphia Eagles East 9 7 0 .563 4–2 6–6 .518 .486 W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Minnesota Vikings North 8 7 1 .531 3–2–1 6–5–1 .504 .355 L1
8[b] Atlanta Falcons South 7 9 0 .438 4–2 7–5 .482 .348 W3
9[b] Washington Redskins East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 6–6 .486 .371 L2
10[b] Carolina Panthers South 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .508 .518 W1
11 Green Bay Packers North 6 9 1 .406 1–4–1 3–8–1 .488 .417 L1
12 Detroit Lions North 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .504 .427 W1
13[c] New York Giants East 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .527 .487 L3
14[c] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 11 0 .313 2–4 4–8 .523 .506 L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 .504 .406 L2
16 Arizona Cardinals West 3 13 0 .188 2–4 3–9 .527 .302 L4
Tiebreakers[d]
  1. ^ a b New Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b c Atlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ a b NY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ^ 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[]

Playoff round Date Opponent Final score Record Game site NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 5, 2019 Seattle Seahawks (5) W 24–22 1–0 AT&T Stadium Recap
Divisional January 12, 2019 at Los Angeles Rams (2) L 22–30 1–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Seattle Seahawks[]

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Seattle Seahawks at (4) Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 6 8822
Cowboys 3 7 01424

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: January 5, 2019
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 94,327
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Dallas Cowboys received the ball first after the Seattle Seahawks chose to defer during the coin toss. The resulting drive ended in a Brett Maher 39 yard field goal. The next three drives for both teams ended in punts. However, the Seahawks responded with a 27-yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal, thanks to 66 yards passing by Russell Wilson on the drive. After a missed 57 yard field goal by Maher, Seattle responded by a Janikowski 42 yard field goal. Dallas responded by a 75-yard drive which culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass by Dak Prescott to Michael Gallup to lead 10–6. After both teams exchanged punts twice, Russell Wilson ran 4 yards into the end zone and converted a two-point conversion to lead the Cowboys 14–10. The Cowboys responded with an Ezekiel Elliott 1 yard touchdown run to retake the lead 17–14. After another Dallas touchdown drive, highlighted by a 16-yard Prescott scramble at 3rd-and-14 followed by Prescott scoring on a 1-yard run, Seattle responded with a touchdown and two-point conversion to narrow Dallas's lead to 24–22. The Cowboys sealed the game when Cole Beasley recovered an onside kick attempt of the Seahawks with only 1:17 left in the game. Ezekiel Elliott totaled a combined 169 yards both through the air and on the ground and also scored a touchdown.

With this win, the Cowboys won their first playoff game since 2014 and advanced to the divisional round. This is also the first playoff victory of the Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott era.

The only sour note on a good Dallas win was a serious leg injury to wide receiver Allen Hurns halfway through the first quarter, suffered after a reception when he was tackled by Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald. Hurns was carted off the field and taken straight to a hospital. After the game, general manager Jerry Jones told the media that Hurns had broken his ankle and fibula.

NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Los Angeles Rams[]

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Dallas Cowboys at (2) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 0 8722
Rams 3 17 3730

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: January 12, 2019
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST/5:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 77,187
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Cowboys defense couldn't contain the Rams' offense. Ezekiel Elliott only got 47 rushing yards. With this loss, the Cowboys season ended. This also extended their streak of road playoff losses to 8 in a row.

References[]

  1. ^ "2018 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". ProSportsTransactions.com.
  2. ^ Walker, Patrik (April 19, 2018). "Dallas Cowboys 2018 regular season schedule revealed". 247Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2018.[permanent dead link]

External links[]

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