2000s[edit] Dave Campo era (2000β02)[edit] Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach, but he could only post three consecutive 5β11 seasons. Instability plagued the quarterback position after several concussions; the first suffered on opening day against the Eagles (known as the Pickle Juice Game because Eagle players drank pickle juice at halftime Source), finally ended Aikmans career late in the 2000 season; five different quarterbacks started between 2001 and 2002. The lowest point of the Campo era was an embarrassing and humiliating loss on opening night of the 2002 season to the brand-new Houston Texans. Many fans and media blamed Jerry Jones for the teams ills, noting that he refused to hire a strong coach, preferring to hire coaches who did not want to be involved with personnel duties so that Jones himself could manage them. Parcells era[edit] 2003[edit] Main article: 2003 Dallas Cowboys season However, Jones proved them wrong in 2003 by luring Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season, posting a 10β6 record and a playoff berth by leading the NFL in sacks, turnovers and having the best overall defense in the NFL. However, they lost to the eventual conference champion Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round, 29-10. 2004[edit] Main article: 2004 Dallas Cowboys season However, the 2004 season was one of turmoil. Injuries and persistent penalty problems plagued the Cowboys, who were shaken early in training camp when starting quarterback Quincy Carter was suddenly released, allegedly for drug use. 40-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde, recently brought in by former coach Parcells to be the back-up, became the starter. They had only a 3β5 record at midseason, but injured rookie running back Julius Jones returned in late November, and in consecutive games logged two of the best single-game performances in franchise history. Dallas went 1β3 down the stretch, though, finishing the season 6β10. In November 2004, a vote was passed by the City of Arlington in Tarrant County to build a new stadium adjacent to the existing Ameriquest Field in Arlington. The team began playing at the new site in 2009 after thirty-eight years playing in the city of Irving, and forty-nine years in Dallas County. 2005[edit] Main article: 2005 Dallas Cowboys season The Cowboys improved their defense before the 2005 season, adding DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Kevin Burnett, and Chris Canty through the draft. Parcells hoped to jumpstart the teams transition from the traditional 4-3 defense, which had been the Cowboys base defense for the past 20 years, to his preferred 3-4 defense, which he believes favors the talents of the current lineup (speed and athleticism over power). Jerry Jones also added a number of veterans, including nose tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry via free agency. On offense, the Cowboys tried to upgrade their passing game by signing free agent quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe had a solid year and gave the Cowboys stability at the QB position, which had been lacking since Troy Aikmans retirement 5 years earlier. The Cowboys endured an up-and-down 2005 season. Entering Thanksgiving the Cowboys had a 7-3 record, Dallas would go onto to finish the season 2-4 and miss the playoffs. An injury to kicker Billy Cundiff led to inconsistency at that position, and costly misses contributed to close losses against Seattle and Denver. Shortly before the regular season finale, the Cowboys learned that they had been eliminated from the playoff chase, and turned in a listless performances against the St Louis Rams on Sunday Night Football to finish the season 9-7, 3rd place in the NFC East. 2006[edit] Main article: 2006 Dallas Cowboys season The Cowboys entered the season with high hopes but got off to a mediocre 3β2 start before an important Monday Night Football game against division rivals, the New York Giants. The Cowboys suffered a tough 36β22 loss despite a changing of guard at the QB position from Drew Bledsoe to Tony Romo. With the next three games on the road, speculation grew that the Giants would run away with the division for a second straight year. Romo won his first game as a starter the following week against the Carolina Panthers with an outstanding 4th quarter comeback to win (35β14). The Cowboys chance to challenge the Giants seemingly fizzled when they lost to the Washington Redskins at FedExField on a last second field goal (the Hand of God game) However, the Giants entered a slump, and Tony Romo impressed the media as a quarterback, revitalizing the Cowboys with a 27β10 win over the Cardinals, a well-earned (21β14) victory over the previously unbeaten Colts, and a thorough routing of Tampa Bay (38β10) on Thanksgiving Day. During that home game, Romo solidified his position as QB and quieted any remaining skeptics by completing 22-of-29 passes for 306 yards and five touchdowns (tying a franchise record). Furthermore, the Cowboys took a two-game lead of the NFC East by beating the Giants in a Week 13 rematch. The success of the new quarterback surprised much of the nation and helped Romo receive much air-time on sports shows. The Cowboys then self-destructed in the last four games of the season, losing to the Saints in a battle for second-best record in the league, to the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that would have earned them the division championship, and to the 2β13 Detroit Lions in a game where Tony Romos four fumbles cast significant doubt on his ability to successfully lead his team in the playoffs. The Cowboys played a wild card matchup at Seattle to start the playoffs. Leading 20-13 with 6:42 left in the game with the ball at their own 1-yard line, Romo threw a short pass to Terry Glenn where he fumbled it and it went out of bounds in the endzone resulting in a safety. The Seahawks got the ball back and Matt Hasselbeck threw a touchdown to Jerramy Stevens to take a 21-20 lead after missing the two-point conversion. With 1:19 left in the game, the Cowboys had a chance win the game on a 19-yard field goal, but the hold was fumbled by Romo, who continued to serve as field goal holder even after ascending to the starting quarterbacks role (the backup quarterback is traditionally the holder on field goals). He picked up the loose ball and tried to run it to the 1-yard line for a first down, but was tackled at the 2. As the game came to a close, the Cowboys managed to get the ball back with two seconds left, but Romos hail mary pass attempt to the endzone fell incomplete. On January 22, at the conclusion of the Cowboys season, head coach Bill Parcells retired. On February 8, after a replacement search that included Mike Singletary, Jason Garrett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Rivera and Norv Turner, San Diego defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as the new head coach. Jerry Jones eventually hired Garrett as offensive coordinator (even before hiring Phillips). Phillips has since hired his son Wes Phillips, and former linebacker Dat Nguyen to his new list of assistant coaches. [1] Phillips era[edit] 2007[edit] Main article: 2007 Dallas Cowboys season During the 2007 offseason, the Cowboys signed offensive lineman Leonard Davis and quarterback Brad Johnson to back up Tony Romo and have also resigned center Andre Gurode and kicker Martin Gramatica. They have also released two players; quarterback Drew Bledsoe and tight end Ryan Hannam. Tony Romo also received a $67.5 million contract for six years with the Dallas Cowboys on October 30, 2007, making Romo the third highest paid quarterback in the NFL, after Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cowboys tied a franchise record in 2007 with 13 wins, equaling the total from the 1992 squad. Terrell Owens had arguably the most productive year in his career and franchise history, Owens tied the franchise record for most scoring receptions in a single game (Four). When Owens caught a touchdown pass in Week 16 against the Panthers, he set the franchise record for most touchdown receptions in a single season (15). Tony Romo set team records in Touchdowns (36) and Passing Yards (4,211) in one season. After receiving the top NFC playoff seed, and getting a first-round bye, they lost to the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs to end one of the most exciting seasons of the decade. In week 5 against the Buffalo Bills The Cowboys turned the ball over six times, including five interceptions thrown by Romo. With a -5 turnover margin, the Cowboys had no business beating the Bills in Week 5 on Monday Night Football. Trailing 24-22, Dallas sent rookie kicker Nick Folk out to attempt a potential 53-yard game winner. His first kick sailed through the uprights, but didnt count because Buffalo called a timeout immediately before the snap. Folk had to attempt the kick a second time, and hammered it through the goalposts again to finish a dramatic victory. The season would go on to produce some of the teams most memorable games of the decade as well in Week 9 Tight end Jason Witten, who already had a reputation as a tough and intense player, caught a 25-yard pass from Romo. Immediately after the catch, two Eagles delivered a hit that knocked Wittens helmet off. Unfazed by the contact, Witten ran another 30 yards without a helmet. When he was finally dragged down at the Eagles 6, he walked to the sideline with a bloody nose. The team started 5-0 before losing to the undefeated Patriots, Their three losses came in Week 6 (a home game with the unstoppable Patriots), and in Weeks 15 and 17 against their division rivals Philadelphia and Washington. When Wide Receiver Terrell Owens went down with an ankle injury against the Panthers in Week 16, and missed Week 17 against the Redskins, the offense became stagnant. Another highlight was the Week 13 match with Green Bay in a 37-27 win that was reminiscent of the 1990s Cowboys-Packers duels. Both teams finished 13-3, but Dallas got the #1 seed due to a better conference record and head to head win. A record thirteen members of the Cowboys were named to the Pro Bowl, while five were named All-Pro by the Associated Press. The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC (13-3), and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, they lost their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a team that they had defeated in their two regular-season matchups. Dallas was the first number one seed in the NFC to lose in the divisional round since 1990. Meanwhile, their division rivals, who had lost both regular-season games with the Cowboys, went on to topple Green Bay in the NFC Championship and New England in the Super Bowl. 2008[edit] Main article: 2008 Dallas Cowboys season The Cowboys began the 2008 season by defeating the Cleveland Browns 28-10, Coming off their commanding road win over the Browns, the Cowboys played their Week 2 home opener under the MNF spotlight. In the last MNF game at Texas Stadium, Dallas would duel with their NFC East foe, the Philadelphia Eagles. In the first quarter, the Cowboys trailed early as Eagles kicker David Akers got a 34-yard field goal. Dallas would answer in their first possession with QB Tony Romo completing a 72-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens In a game that had 9 lead changes, it also set different point records, including most first half points in MNF history (54) and most combined points in the rivalrys history (78). Dallas would hold on to win 41-37. After starting 4-1 the Cowboys flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 6 Sunday Night Football showdown with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals would return the opening kick return for a touchdown but Dallas would tie the game 7-7 at halftime. With only 3:17 left in the 4th quarter Tony Romo would complete a 70-yard pass to Marion Barber III and the kicker Nick Folk hit a 52-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. In overtime the Cowboys punter Mat McBriar had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown also in overtime QB Tony Romo broke his right pinkie finger. In the week following the game Tony Romo was listed as questionable and would go on to miss 3 games. In addition, Matt McBriar and Sam Hurd were placed in injured reserve, and Felix Jones was listed as out for 2β3 weeks with a hamstring injury. Furthermore, Adam (Pacman) Jones was suspended by the NFL for a minimum of 4 weeks after an altercation with his bodyguard. Lastly The Cowboys traded for WR Roy Williams with the Detroit Lions, in exchange for their first, third, and sixth-round picks. After the bye week, they won another four victories, Dallas would finish the season 1-3 losing its final game in Texas Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens 33-24 and a disastrous 44-6 loss to Philadelphia. With a 9-7 record, the team finished third in the division and failed to qualify for the playoffs. After the season ended highly controversial and productive receiver Terrell Owens was released after receiving a $34 million extension the previous June that supposedly would allow the wide receiver to retire a Cowboy. Jones said he released Owens because of production and In this particular case, we have an outstanding player in Roy Williams, and it was a significant factor in the decision I made to release Terrell. In three seasons with the Cowboys, Owens had 235 receptions for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns, but his numbers declined last season, when he had 69 receptions for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. 2010[edit] Main article: 2010 NFL season In May 2009, the new Cowboys Stadium was completed in Arlington, Texas. It was widely criticized for its appearance, cost (over a billion USD) and high energy use. The first game played in the teams new home was a preseason match with the Tennessee Titans on August 21, and the first regular season one was a three-point loss to the Giants on September 20. By Week 9, the Cowboys stood at 6-2 after defeating their arch rival Eagles in Philadelphia. Then followed a loss to the Packers, and victories over Washington and Oakland, the latter being on Thanksgiving. The team then fell to the Giants a second time, and lost at home to the Chargers. By this point, the Cowboys playoff chances were doubtful, and the old talk of the December curse reappeared. The next game was a surprise upset of the 13-0 New Orleans Saints, followed by a shutout of Washington. Combined with Giants defeats, the Cowboys now found themselves guaranteed a wild card spot at the minimum. On January 3, they hosted the Eagles, who had won their last five games. Philadelphias offense completely folded, and the team suffered a 24-0 shutout, which was the first time in the Cowboys 49-year history that they blanked two consecutive opponents. This gave them the division title and the #3 NFC seed, but also gave their opponent a wild card, which meant that they had to play in Dallas again the following week. The rematch saw the Eagles score 17 points, but their defense, which had been considered one of the NFLs best a few weeks earlier, again performed poorly and the Cowboys put up 34 points, to beat them for the third time in one season. Having won their first playoff game since 1996, the Cowboys traveled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to face Brett Favre and the Vikings. Their season quickly ended after Minnesota scored four touchdowns and limited them to a single field goal. Linebacker Keith Brooking criticized the last touchdown pass of the game, arguing that it served no purpose other than to run up the score in a game the Vikings already had won. The Cowboys opened 2010 in Washington against a revitalized Redskins team that now featured Donovan McNabb (traded from the Eagles in April) and former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. Although neither team performed well, Dallas lost unexpectedly when on the last play of the game Tony Romo threw a pass into the end zone that was nullified by a holding penalty. The Redskins thus won 13-10. In Week 2, Dallas fell to the Bears 27-20 in their second straight home opener loss. This was also the teams first 0-2 start since 2001. Desperate to win, they headed to Houston for the third Battle of Texas with the Texans (the first and second were in 2002 and 2006) and beat them 27-13. After coming back from their bye week, the Cowboys suffered another home embarrassment, this time against Tennessee. Dallass fortunes continued to slide in Week 6 as they lost to Minnesota 24-21. Things steadily got worse the next week as Tony Romo was knocked out with a fractured collarbone while playing the Giants on MNF. Filling in for him was 38-year old QB Jon Kitna, who hadnt started in two years. Although rusty, he managed two touchdown passes and the Cowboys scored 35 points. But their division rival edged them out 41-35 to win in Cowboys Stadium for the second straight year. By Week 8, the Cowboys found themselves at 1-6 after losing at home to Jacksonville after six Jon Kitna interceptions. After a disastrous 45-7 loss in Green Bay, Wade Phillips was fired (thus breaking Jerry Joness policy of not changing head coaches during the season) and replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Now largely eliminated from playoff contention, the Cowboys headed to the Meadowlands for a rematch with New York. This time things would be different as Jon Kitna passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns. An all-around better performance by the team allowed them to win 33-20. After beating Detroit at home, the Cowboys lost a close Thanksgiving game to New Orleans. They next defeated the Colts in Indianapolis 38-35 on an OT field goal to retain faint playoff hopes. After losing to Philadelphia at home, the Cowboys were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Week 15 saw them beat the hapless Redskins 33-30 and then lose a meaningless game in Arizona followed by a meaningless win over the Eagles to end their season 6-10. Jason Garrett Era[edit] With Tony Romo back in action, the Cowboys headed to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets for a Sunday Night game commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. An early Dallas lead soon led to a 24-24 tie, but Romo threw an interception in the 4th quarter that allowed New York to get into the red zone and score a game-winning field goal. The next week, the Cowboys headed to San Francisco and won 27-24 after Romo made a valiant overtime comeback effort despite playing through a painful rib injury. Despite this and a punctured lung, Romo started in Week 3 as the Cowboys hosted Washington on MNF. They won 18-16 in a bizarre game with six field goals from rookie kicker Dan Bailey. Dallass offense struggled the entire night with Romo handicapped by pain, multiple dropped passes, and several botched snaps from rookie center Kevin Kowalski.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:03:08 +0000
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