2007: Patriots Defeat Cowboys in Battle of Unbeaten Teams

Both the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys sported unblemished 5-0 records as they faced off at Texas Stadium on October 14, 2007. The Patriots had yet to score fewer than 34 points in any of their games, or give up more than 17, while Dallas had been only a bit less dominant.

Under Head Coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots had been molded into perennial contenders, reaching the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons that included three NFL Championships. They were guided on offense by QB Tom Brady (pictured above), who was at the height of his abilities at age 30. There were no stars among the running backs, but WR Randy Moss had been added to the receiving mix with outstanding results thus far, WR Wes Welker was a reliable possession receiver, and there was good depth behind them. The defensive line was excellent and the linebackers an experienced and savvy group.

Dallas, coached by Wade Phillips, also had a talented quarterback in Tony Romo, who had come out of nowhere the previous year to take over the starting job, and excellent receivers in WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten. The running duties were shared by Julius Jones and Marion Barber, with good results. On defense, the corps of linebackers, led by DeMarcus Ware, was effective, but the backs were vulnerable to being spread out – as the Patriots would show.

The Cowboys had first possession and punted. New England went 74 yards in 14 plays in response. After misfiring on his first two passes, Tom Brady connected with Wes Welker for 16 yards on third-and-ten and was successful on his next four throws, three of them to WR Donte’ Stallworth that totaled 25 yards. Facing third-and-seven at the Dallas 26, Brady again completed a pass to Welker for 20 yards and, three plays later, hit Randy Moss for a six-yard touchdown. Stephen Gostkowski added the extra point.

The teams traded punts until the Patriots again put together another scoring drive, this time advancing 69 yards in six plays. Once again Brady made big plays on third down, throwing deep to TE Ben Watson for 28 yards in a third-and-seven situation to reach the Dallas 38 and then, on third-and-seven, to Welker for a 35-yard TD. Gostkowski again successfully converted and New England took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Cowboys moved into New England territory on their next series and Nick Folk got them on the board with a 38-yard field goal. They scored again a short time later when Brady fumbled while being sacked by LB Greg Ellis and DE Jason Hatcher recovered and it returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. Folk’s PAT narrowed the visitors’ lead to 14-10.

The Patriots responded with another long series. Falling quickly into a second-and-20 hole, Brady passed to Stallworth for 17 yards and an offside call on the Cowboys gave New England a first down. Another completion to Stallworth gained 15 yards and, in a third-and-ten situation at the Dallas 42, Brady’s short toss to RB Kevin Faulk picked up 18 yards. The series ended with Brady once again throwing to Welker for a touchdown, this time from 12 yards out. Gostkowski’s extra point extended New England’s lead to 21-10.

Dallas regained possession with 3:28 remaining in the first half. Tony Romo immediately connected with TE Anthony Fasano for 26 yards, the first of seven completions that included three to Jason Witten for 11, 25, and 11 yards. A pass to Terrell Owens that was ruled complete but overturned on review was followed by a 12-yard TD pass to Owens and, with Folk’s extra point, the score stood at 21-17 at halftime.

New England’s first possession of the third quarter ended with a punt and the Cowboys put together a seven-play, 74-yard drive. Julius Jones (pictured above) had back-to-back runs of 25 and 18 yards along the way and Romo was successful on all four of his passes, the last to WR Patrick Crayton for an eight-yard touchdown. Folk added the point after and Dallas was in the lead by 24-21.

The Patriots responded with a scoring drive of their own, covering 77 yards in ten plays. Brady completed six passes, a pair each to Moss and Welker, and when Moss was interfered with by safety Pat Watkins, New England was at the one yard line. Brady tossed to TE Kyle Brady from there for a TD, Gostkowski added the PAT, and the visitors were back in front by 28-24.

The Cowboys were unable to move beyond their 12 yard line on the next possession and Mat McBriar’s punt, which was returned 18 yards by Welker, gave the Patriots good field position at the Dallas 43. An apparent touchdown pass was overturned by review, but a roughing-the-passer penalty advanced New England 15 yards and, while the drive stalled at that point, Gostkowski added a 45 yard field goal to make it a seven-point game.

 As the period came to a close, Dallas had fourth-and-one at its own 47, but an attempt to convert was nullified by a holding penalty and the Cowboys had to punt. Four plays later, Brady went long for Stallworth and the result was a 69-yard touchdown. Gostkowski’s extra point put New England ahead by 38-24.

RB Tyson Thompson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the New England 23, but after Romo threw to Owens for 13 yards, the Cowboys were unable to reach the end zone and had to settle for a 23-yard Folk field goal.

Ahead by 11 points, the Patriots put together a long drive that burned six minutes off the clock. Brady completed four passes, Faulk ran the ball six times, and Gostkowski kicked a 22-yard field goal to extend New England’s lead to 41-27 with just over four minutes remaining on the clock.

On the first play of the next Dallas series, LB Junior Seau intercepted Romo’s pass to effectively extinguish any hopes for the Cowboys. The Patriots added one last touchdown on a one-yard carry by FB Kyle Eckel and came away with a decisive 48-27 win.

New England was statistically dominant, leading in total yards (448 to 285) and first downs (28 to 13). Each team turned the ball over once. The Cowboys recorded three sacks, to two by the Patriots. They also were penalized 12 times, at a cost of 100 yards, compared to five flags thrown on New England.

Tom Brady completed 31 of 46 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Wes Welker (pictured below) had 11 catches for 124 yards and two TDs and Donte’ Stallworth gained 136 yards on 7 receptions that included a score. They benefited from Dallas’ coverage of Randy Moss, who still caught 6 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Kevin Faulk was New England’s leading rusher with 47 yards on 12 attempts.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo was successful on 18 of 29 throws for 199 yards and two TDs with one interception. Terrell Owens topped the receivers with 6 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown and Julius Jones ran for 51 yards on six carries, followed closely by RB Marion Barber who had 49 yards on 9 runs. Mat McBriar averaged 53.8 yards on his five punts.

“The reality is we got a win on the road and we’re 6-0. That’s what is important,” summed up Tom Brady. “Any time you win you’re doing just fine. It’s another step in the process. We have to continue to make improvements.

The Patriots improved all the way to a 16-0 record in the regular season, but came short of ultimate perfection with an upset loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Dallas recovered to win its next seven straight games on the way to a NFC-best 13-3 tally. However, they lost in the Divisional playoff round to the Super Bowl-bound Giants.

Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards (4806), completion percentage (68.9), yards per attempt (8.3), and overall rating (117.2) as well as a then-record 50 touchdown passes and received consensus MVP honors as well as All-NFL and Pro Bowl recognition. Randy Moss caught a record 23 TD passes among his 98 receptions for 1493 yards and Wes Welker tied for the league lead with 112 catches, good for 1175 yards and eight scores.

Tony Romo passed for 4211 yards and a NFC-high 36 touchdowns, although his 19 interceptions ranked among the league leaders as well. 

2006: Eagles Clinch Playoff Berth with Win Over Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles were looking to secure a playoff berth as they took on the division-leading Dallas Cowboys in a Christmas encounter on December 25, 2006. The Eagles, coached for the eighth season by Andy Reid, were stumbling along at 5-6 and appeared to be in more trouble when star QB Donovan McNabb went down with a torn ACL. But with veteran backup QB Jeff Garcia (pictured above) behind center and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg taking over the play-calling duties, Philadelphia won three straight games and was at 8-6 coming into the contest against the Cowboys.

Dallas, which had beaten the Eagles earlier in the season in Philadelphia, also started slowly but was 9-5 and leading the NFC East with six wins in its last eight games following the replacement of veteran QB Drew Bledsoe by unheralded Tony Romo, a 26-year-old backup who had been undrafted as a rookie in 2003. The offense was productive with the two-back tandem of Julius Jones and Marion Barber and an explosive receiving corps with wide receivers Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn plus TE Jamie Witten.

There were 62,839 fans in attendance for the Monday holiday game at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys had the game’s first possession but, after reaching the Philadelphia 40, had to punt. The Eagles started off with the ball at their own 11 and proceeded to put together a 13-play, 89-yard drive. Philadelphia converted four third downs along the way. Jeff Garcia completed a pass to WR Greg Lewis for 13 yards in a third-and-11 situation and RB Brian Westbrook had three straight runs for a total of 25 yards, the last a 16-yard gain on third-and-one. Garcia connected with TE L.J. Smith for 12 yards to the Dallas 37 on third-and-seven. Finally, after RB Correll Buckhalter converted a third-and-one with a three-yard carry, Garcia fired deep to TE Matt Schobel (pictured below) for a 25-yard touchdown. David Akers added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Eagles immediately got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff when WR Miles Austin, making the return, fumbled and CB Roderick Hood recovered at the Dallas 40. But three plays later CB Anthony Henry intercepted a Garcia pass and ran it back 37 yards to the Philadelphia 32. Tony Romo threw to WR Patrick Crayton for a 17-yard gain on a fourth-and-two play at the end of the period to give the Cowboys first-and-goal at the seven and, on the first play of the second quarter, Romo connected with TE Anthony Fasano for six yards to the one. But two straight plunges into the line by Marion Barber were stopped for no gain, and when Barber took a pitchout and tried to get around end on fourth-and-one, he was stopped for a three-yard loss by safety Quentin Mikell.

The Eagles responded to the successful goal line stand by driving 89 yards in 12 plays. Garcia immediately passed to WR Donte Stallworth for 35 yards and, with Buckhalter and Westbrook running the ball while Garcia completed three more passes, they ended up with an Akers field goal from 25 yards.

Down 10-0 with just over five minutes to play in the first half, the Cowboys put together a long scoring drive of their own that covered 81 yards in 10 plays. Romo completed five passes and scrambled for 16 yards along the way. The last completion was to Terrell Owens for a 14-yard TD. Martin Gramatica’s extra point made it a 10-7 contest with 36 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Eagles weren’t done, however, and following a 25-yard kickoff return by RB Reno Mahe, Westbrook ran for nine yards and Garcia gained an additional nine to the Dallas 47. A Garcia completion to Lewis for 16 yards set up a 45-yard Akers field goal on the last play before halftime and extended Philadelphia’s lead to 13-7.

The Eagles had the first possession in the third quarter and added to their lead, going 77 yards in seven plays. The highlight was a third-and-seven pass from Garcia to L.J. Smith down the middle that gained 65 yards to the Dallas 12. The Cowboys were able to keep the visitors out of the end zone, but Akers kicked another field goal, this time from 21 yards out, to make it 16-7.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period. Early in the fourth quarter, FS Brian Dawkins intercepted a long Romo pass in the end zone to snuff out a potential Dallas threat. The Eagles responded by driving 80 yards in 12 plays. Garcia completed short passes and scrambled twice for 23 yards and Westbrook and Buckhalter ran the ball effectively.  Buckhalter gained the last yard for a touchdown and Akers added the PAT. The Eagles were ahead by 16 points with under seven minutes remaining to play.

The game was effectively over. Romo immediately threw an interception on the Cowboys’ next play from scrimmage, and a last possession ended with Hood sacking Romo on a fourth-and-nine play in Dallas territory. Philadelphia won by a final score of 23-7 to nail down a spot in the postseason and take the lead in the NFC East.

The Eagles easily outdistanced Dallas in total yards (426 to 201) and had the edge in first downs (20 to 16). Philadelphia’s offensive production was well balanced, with 204 yards on the ground and 222 through the air. The Cowboys turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Eagles. The offensive output, both in terms of points and yardage, was the lowest of the season for Dallas.

Jeff Garcia completed 15 of 23 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown with one interception, and also ran for 43 yards on seven carries. Brian Westbrook (pictured at right) gained 122 yards on 26 rushing attempts while Correll Buckhalter added 38 yards and a TD on his 8 carries. Donte Stallworth and WR Reggie Brown each had three catches, for 51 and 27 yards, respectively, while L.J. Smith, with the one long gain, had 77 yards on his two receptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo had a rough outing and was successful on 14 of 29 throws for 142 yards and a TD while tossing two interceptions and was the team’s leading rusher with 43 yards on three carries. TE Jason Witten caught 6 passes for 50 yards and RB Julius Jones ran for 38 yards on 10 attempts.

“There’s nothing good to say,” summed up Coach Parcells afterward. “We just didn’t make any plays at all, either side of the ball. Just awful.”

Despite the bad feelings engendered by the loss, followed by a defeat against Detroit in the season finale, the Cowboys still reached the postseason as a Wild Card by placing second in the NFC East with a 9-7 record. They lost to Seattle in the opening round. Philadelphia topped the division at 10-6 and defeated the Giants in the first round, but lost at New Orleans in a close Divisional contest.

Versatile Brian Westbrook gained a total of 1916 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 touchdowns. He rushed for 1217 yards on 240 carries (5.1 avg.) with seven TDs and caught a team-leading 77 passes, for 699 yards and four more scores.

Jeff Garcia completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1309 yards and 10 touchdowns while tossing just two interceptions. His record as the starting quarterback was 5-1 to finish out the regular season, and he was 1-1 in the playoffs. Garcia moved on to Tampa Bay in the offseason.

Tony Romo showed great promise and earned selection to the Pro Bowl, although, as was evident in the game against the Eagles, his inexperience also was apparent as he had difficulties down the stretch. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2903 yards with 19 TDs against 13 interceptions – eight of which came in the last five contests.

2007: Seahawks Edge Cowboys Thanks to Botched FG Attempt

The Dallas Cowboys had lost four straight playoff games – their last win coming a decade earlier in 1996 - as they faced the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card Playoff game on January 6, 2007. In their fourth season under Head Coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys were off to a 3-3 start when they replaced veteran QB Drew Bledsoe with unheralded backup Tony Romo. They went 6-4 the rest of the way to finish second in the NFC East at 9-7 and claim a Wild Card spot. Romo tailed off late in the season but still earned selection to the Pro Bowl. Both wide receivers Terrell Owens, in his first year with the Cowboys, and Terry Glenn gained over a thousand yards, Pro Bowl TE Jason Witten was solid, and the running back tandem of Julius Jones and Marion Barber was productive.

The Seahawks, coached by Mike Holmgren, had won the NFC title in 2005 and, while they struggled at times in ’06, they also went 9-7 to top the NFC West for the third consecutive year. Injuries were an issue as QB Matt Hasselbeck missed four games and RB Shaun Alexander, who set a record for touchdowns scored in ’05, also missed time with a foot injury. Both had subpar years. The defensive secondary was prone to giving up big plays and the pass rush tailed off as the season progressed.

There was a crowd of 68,058 at Seattle’s Qwest Field. The Seahawks had the game’s first possession and drove 55 yards in nine plays. Hasselbeck completed four passes, including one to WR Bobby Engram that gained 36 yards. Josh Brown kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the home team the early lead.

Following a Dallas punt, Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB Anthony Henry to give the Cowboys good field position at the Seattle 43. They made the most of the opportunity as Martin Gramatica booted a 50-yard field goal to tie the score five plays later.

That was the tally heading into the second quarter until the Seahawks put together a 13-play series that covered 54 yards. With Hasselbeck completing short passes and Shaun Alexander running the ball, Seattle reached the Dallas 12 from where Brown kicked his second field goal, from 30 yards.

Both teams had three-and-out possessions before the Cowboys went 76 yards in ten plays. A third-and-six pass by Tony Romo to WR Patrick Crayton for 18 yards kept the drive alive, as did a throw to Jason Witten for 32 yards to the Seattle three in a fourth-and-two situation. An offensive holding penalty moved the ball back ten yards, but Romo connected with Crayton from there for a touchdown and Dallas took a 10-6 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, and following a short Dallas possession that ended with a punt, the Seahawks briefly regained the lead with a 12-play, 62-yard drive. Five runs by Alexander gained 32 yards, including one for three yards that converted a fourth-and-one situation, and Hasselbeck completed three passes, the last to TE Jerramy Stevens for a 15-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, it was 13-10 in favor of Seattle – but the lead didn’t last long. The ensuing kickoff was returned 93 yards for a TD by WR Miles Austin and the Cowboys were back in front at 17-13. It was the first touchdown on a kickoff return in Dallas postseason history.

That was the score early in the fourth quarter when Hasselbeck went long for WR D.J. Hackett but was picked off by SS Roy Williams after the ball was tipped by CB Terence Newman. Taking over at their own 43, the Cowboys made the most of the turnover by advancing 46 yards in eight plays. Along the way, Romo completed a pass to Terry Glenn for 16 yards and Julius Jones (pictured at right) had an 18-yard run. Gramatica kicked a 29-yard field goal and Dallas extended its lead to 20-13.

In the ensuing possession, the Seahawks drove from their 27 yard line to the Dallas two, but an incomplete pass on fourth down forced them to give the ball up. However, on the next play Glenn fumbled after catching a short pass from Romo and, initially, the play was ruled a touchdown on a recovery in the end zone by SS Michael Boulware. Upon review, the call was reversed and ruled a safety with the ball having rolled out of bounds in the end zone.

Now down by five points, the Seahawks started off following the free kick with good field position at midfield. Four plays later, Hasselbeck connected with Stevens for a 37-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but Seattle was now in front by a point.

There were still over four minutes remaining on the clock, however – plenty of time for the Cowboys to respond. After Romo completed two passes, with a short run in between, Jones took off for a 35-yard gain to the Seattle 11. They got it down to the two (narrowly missing another first down) and lined up for a potentially game-winning field goal attempt by Gramatica. However, Romo, who had been the holder for placekicks far longer than he had been the starting quarterback, fumbled the snap (pictured at top) and had to pick up the loose ball and run with it. He came up short of either a score or a first down as he was tackled by CB Jordan Babineaux at the line of scrimmage.  With the stunning reprieve, the Seahawks held on for a 21-20 win.

Seattle led in total yards (332 to 284) and first downs (19 to 14). The Seahawks also turned the ball over twice, to one by Dallas. The Cowboys hurt themselves with 8 penalties, at a cost of 74 yards, while Seattle was flagged just three times.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 18 of 36 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Shaun Alexander ran for 69 yards on 24 carries. Jerramy Stevens caught 5 passes for 77 yards and two TDs while Bobby Engram (pictured below) gained 88 yards on his four receptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo was successful on 17 of 29 throws for 189 yards and a touchdown without giving up an interception. Julius Jones had a fine performance running the ball as he gained 112 yards on 22 attempts. Terry Glenn paced the receivers with four pass receptions for 41 yards while Jason Witten contributed 57 yards on three catches.

Of the failed field goal attempt by the Cowboys, Mike Holmgren said, “You coach long enough, you end up seeing just about everything. One more thing for the journal.”

“It’s just one of those things,” said Bill Parcells. “It looked like a good snap. I can’t tell you what happened after that.”

The Seahawks lost another close game, this time in overtime, to the Bears at the Divisional Playoff level. They again topped the NFC West in 2007 while the Cowboys finished first in the NFC East, but both clubs fell in the Divisional round of the postseason.

Bill Parcells was not at the helm for Dallas in ’07 – he stepped down as head coach and the loss to Seattle thus marked his finale. His four-year record with the Cowboys was 34-30 with two playoff losses as well. It was the final stop in a head coaching career with four teams that yielded a 172-130-1 regular season record and 11-8 playoff tally that included three conference titles and two Super Bowl victories.

2007: Cowboys Beat Packers in Battle of 10-1 Teams to Secure Playoff Berth

The matchup on November 29, 2007 at Texas Stadium featured two 10-1 teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, battling for the upper hand in the NFC. Both clubs featured outstanding offenses. The Cowboys, under first-year Head Coach Wade Phillips, had a solid core with QB Tony Romo (pictured at right), brash WR Terrell Owens, TE Jason Witten, and RB Marion Barber. Green Bay, coached by Mike McCarthy, had QB Brett Favre, in his sixteenth year behind center, throwing to wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings and handing off to RB Ryan Grant, who had become the team’s top runner down the stretch. There were injury concerns where the Packers were concerned, but they were a fundamentally sound team heading into the showdown in Irving, Texas.

There were 64,167 in attendance for the Thursday night contest and the Cowboys were wearing throwback uniforms harkening back to the ‘60s. The Packers received the opening kickoff and drove 40 yards in eight plays, capped by Mason Crosby’s 47-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead. Following a 35-yard kickoff return by WR Miles Austin, Dallas responded in kind with a seven-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a game-tying 26-yard field goal by Nick Folk.

After a three-and-out Green Bay possession, the Cowboys followed up with another Folk field goal, this time from 51 yards, capping a drive highlighted by Marion Barber’s 16-yard run up the middle. The Packers gave the ball back on the first play following the ensuing kickoff as Favre’s poorly-thrown pass was intercepted by safety Ken Hamlin and Dallas capitalized when Romo immediately threw to Owens for a 34-yard gain to the Green Bay seven yard line and, two snaps later, connected with WR Patrick Crayton for a three-yard touchdown.

There was still just over a minute remaining in the first quarter as the Packers got the ball again. On a third-and-one play at the Green Bay 38, Grant took a handoff and broke away for a 62-yard TD. Dallas had a 13-10 lead after a period of play.

The Cowboys were quick to respond. On the first play of the second quarter, Romo completed a pass to Owens for a 48-yard gain to the Green Bay 28. Two plays later, he hit TE Anthony Fasano for a 26-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, Dallas was ahead by 20-10.

The Packers drove from their 16 to the 43 yard line on their next possession, but on a second-and-12 play Favre was again intercepted, this time by CB Terence Newman, giving the Cowboys the ball in good field position at the Green Bay 45. More significantly, the 38-year-old quarterback suffered a shoulder separation when hit by CB Nate Jones and was done for the day.

Dallas didn’t take long to score as a long Romo pass intended for Austin drew a pass interference penalty that moved the ball to the five yard line and, while a false start moved the ball back five yards, Owens caught a ten-yard pass for a touchdown. It was now a 27-10 game and the Cowboys seemed to be very much in command.


When the Packers went back on offense, it was third-year backup QB Aaron Rodgers behind center (pictured at left). While Favre had not been having a good day prior to his injury, completing just 5 of 14 passes for 56 yards with two of them intercepted, Rodgers was still a largely untested talent.

Rodgers’ first series was uneventful and the teams traded punts before Green Bay got the ball back again with 5:23 remaining in the first half. Following a loss on a busted play, Rodgers threw to Greg Jennings for a 43-yard gain into Dallas territory at the 32. Tossing short passes, Rodgers chipped away at the Cowboys defense and, in the final seconds of the half, hit Jennings again for an 11-yard touchdown. It was a ten-point game at 27-17 at halftime.

Austin returned the second half kickoff 38 yards to the Dallas 44 and the Cowboys quickly drove into Green Bay territory. But on a fourth-and-two play at the 30 yard line, RB Julius Jones was held to a yard and the Packers took over on downs. Rodgers was sacked for an eight-yard loss on the first play, but had back-to-back completions of seven yards to WR James Jones and 17 yards to Donald Driver. Rodgers completed four more passes during the drive, including one to TE Donald Lee that gained 22 yards, and showed off his mobility with a nine-yard run for a first down in a second-and-eight situation. Grant finished off the 12-play series with a one-yard touchdown carry and, with the PAT, the big Dallas lead was down to three points at 27-24.

The Cowboys came back with a long possession of their own, highlighted by a 35-yard completion by Romo to Crayton on a third-and-19 play from the Dallas 11. However, after getting to the Green Bay six yard line, Romo was intercepted in the end zone by CB Al Harris on a pass that was juggled by Owens.

The Packers were forced to punt, and the Cowboys moved the ball with Romo completing four passes to Jason Witten along the way. The seven-play, 75-yard drive ended with Romo tossing a four-yard touchdown pass to Crayton. The Cowboys were once again ahead by ten points with just under eight minutes left to play.

Rodgers completed two passes to Driver that covered 17 yards and, in between, ran for a 13-yard gain out of the shotgun formation. The Green Bay drive stalled at the Dallas 35 and Crosby booted a 52-yard field goal to make it a seven-point game. However, the Cowboys sealed the win by responding with a nine-play possession that ran four minutes off the clock and ended up with Folk kicking a 25-yard field goal. Along the way, Barber carried the ball seven times for 26 yards.

Getting the ball back with 1:03 on the clock, there just wasn’t enough time for Rodgers and the Packers. They ran out of both time and downs at their own 44. Dallas came away with a 37-27 win.

The Cowboys outgained Green Bay with 414 yards to 357 and also had the edge in first downs, 23 to 20. In addition, they recorded three sacks while surrendering none and had the one turnover, to two suffered by the Packers.

Tony Romo completed 19 of 30 passes for 309 yards with four touchdowns and the one interception. Terrell Owens (pictured below) caught 7 passes for 156 yards and a TD while Jason Whitten added 6 receptions for 67 yards. Marion Barber paced the running attack, carrying the ball 17 times for 81 yards.


In relief of Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers showed off his potential as he was successful on 18 of 26 throws for 201 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Donald Driver caught 7 passes for 66 yards and Greg Jennings accumulated 87 yards on his 5 receptions that included a TD. Ryan Grant, aided by the long touchdown run, gained 94 yards on 14 rushing attempts that included two scores.

The win assured the Cowboys of a playoff spot and put them in prime position for the top seed in the NFC. They lost two meaningless games to end up atop the NFC East with a 13-3 record. Green Bay went on to win the NFC North, also with a 13-3 tally. However, the postseason proved to be anticlimactic for both clubs as they were upset by the fifth-seeded New York Giants. The Cowboys lost to New York in the Divisional round and the Packers, after whipping Seattle in that round, lost the NFC Championship game to the Giants in overtime.

Tony Romo placed second in the league in TD passes (36), yards per attempt (8.1), and yards per completion (12.6). His 4211 passing yards ranked third and his 97.4 passer rating fifth, although he also tied for fourth (with Cleveland’s Derek Anderson) by tossing 19 interceptions. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

Terrell Owens was a consensus first-team All-Pro as well as Pro Bowl selection as he caught 81 passes for 1355 yards (16.7 avg.) and 15 touchdowns. Jason Whitten also was selected to the Pro Bowl, for the fourth straight year, as well as gaining consensus first-team All-Pro honors for the first time (it was the fifth such occasion for Owens) after pulling in 96 receptions for 1145 yards (both career highs) and seven TDs.

The injury to Brett Favre appeared to put his record string of 249 consecutive starts at quarterback in jeopardy, but he was back the next week and finished out the season (his last with the Packers). He finished right behind Romo in fourth place with 4155 passing yards while tossing 28 touchdown passes against 15 interceptions.

Aaron Rodgers played in just one other game in 2007, and after three seasons had a career total of 59 pass attempts and the one TD pass. Things would change dramatically in ’08 as he stepped out from behind Favre’s shadow. The fine relief performance against the Cowboys served as something of a preview of coming attractions.

2008: Cardinals Beat Cowboys with Blocked Punt in Overtime

The matchup at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on October 12, 2008 featured the host Arizona Cardinals (3-2) against the Dallas Cowboys (4-1), the more highly-regarded team.

Arizona was coming off an encouraging 8-8 season in ‘07 under Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Veteran QB Kurt Warner had resurrected his career with the Cardinals and had an outstanding receiving corps to throw to in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. The defense, however, was a source of concern, especially after having surrendered 56 points to the New York Jets two weeks before.

Much more was expected of the Cowboys, under Head Coach Wade Phillips. They had won the NFC East with a 13-3 record in 2007, only to be upset at home in the Divisional round by the Giants. The team had stars in QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber, WR Terrell Owens, and TE Jason Witten on offense and LB DeMarcus Ware on defense. They won their first three games, lost a close contest to Washington, and bounced back to beat the Bengals the previous week.

The home crowd got an immediate treat when RB J.J. Arrington ran the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown and quick 7-0 lead for the Cardinals. That was it for the first quarter scoring, but the Cowboys put together a 91-yard drive in the second quarter, highlighted by two Romo passes to WR Patrick Crayton, one for a 24-yard gain and the other for a 55-yard touchdown. The score remained tied at 7-7 at halftime.

Dallas started off the second half with a long drive that covered 77 yards in 12 plays. Romo completed five passes along the way, including three to Owens that covered 27 yards and one to WR Miles Austin for a 14-yard TD. Arizona came right back with an 11-play possession that was kept alive when, on a third-and-seventeen play, a tipped pass by Warner was still caught by RB Tim Hightower, who gained the necessary 17 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the 50. Another third down was converted thanks to a pass to Breaston that gained 22 yards to the Dallas 24. The drive culminated in a two-yard scoring pass from Warner to Fitzgerald, and the game was once again tied at 14-14.

Following a Dallas punt, the Cardinals put together another scoring drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Warner completed a pass to a leaping Fitzgerald for a 39-yard gain to the Cowboys’ 38 along the way, and an 11-yard touchdown throw to Breaston finished off the 89-yard possession and put Arizona back in front at 21-14.

Dallas went three-and-out and punted, and the Cardinals scored again as they drove 43 yards in nine plays, with Neil Rackers giving them a ten-point lead thanks to a 41-yard field goal. The Cowboys got the ball back with 3:12 remaining in regulation but struck quickly when Romo completed two short passes before connecting with Marion Barber for a 70-yard TD.

Arizona had to punt following a short possession and, down by three, the Cowboys took over at their 32 yard line. A holding penalty set them back further, and following two incomplete passes and a short throw for a four-yard gain, Dallas faced a third-and-16 situation. An offside penalty on the defense gained five yards, and Romo then threw to Crayton for a 30-yard gain and a first down. Another offside call, on an injured Arizona linebacker who couldn’t get down the field quickly enough, proved critical as Folk booted a 52-yard field goal that was just long enough to clear the crossbar with no time left to tie the game at 24-24 and send it into overtime.

Dallas got the ball first in the extra period, but after a sack and two incomplete passes, the Cowboys had a fourth-and-17 situation and were forced to punt from their own 15. WR Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar’s kick (pictured at top) and LB Monty Beisel grabbed the ball for the Cardinals at the three and ran it in for a stunning 30-24 win. It was the first time since the NFL had instituted sudden death play for the regular season in 1974 that a game was decided by a touchdown on a blocked punt.

The Cowboys outgained Arizona (374 yards to 276) and had the edge in first downs (15 to 14). Neither team ran the ball with much effectiveness, with Dallas gaining 73 yards on 22 running plays and the Cardinals just 50 on 19 attempts. Dallas had fewer turnovers, with one to three suffered by the Cardinals. There were plenty of flags flown, as both teams were penalized 12 times, for a total of 163 yards.


Kurt Warner completed 22 of 30 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Steve Breaston (pictured above) led the receivers with 8 catches for 102 yards and a TD while Larry Fitzgerald contributed 5 receptions for 79 yards and a score. 30-year-old veteran RB Edgerrin James was the top rusher with 29 yards on 9 attempts; Tim Hightower gained 20 yards on 7 carries.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo went to the air 38 times and had 24 completions for 321 yards with three touchdowns and none picked off. Marion Barber (pictured below) caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 128 yards and the one long TD, and also was the team’s leading rusher with 45 yards on 17 carries. Patrick Crayton gained 84 yards on his three catches that included a touchdown.


“It didn't seem like the bounces or the calls were going our way and sometimes you have to overcome those things,” said Arizona’s Coach Whisenhunt afterward. “I think our team did that. That's part of growing up and getting mentally tougher.”

“Today I got hit blindside for the first time in awhile,” said Tony Romo, who dealt with a great deal of pressure from the Arizona defense. “But they're good. Their D-line played an outstanding football game. You've got to give them credit. That was, I thought, the difference of the game.”

The Cardinals won three of their next four games before losing four of five (and looking especially bad in losses on the East Coast) to finish at 9-7, which was good enough to win the mediocre NFC West. Lightly regarded going into the postseason, they defeated the Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles on the way to winning the NFC Championship and narrowly lost the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas also ended up with a 9-7 record, but was eliminated from the playoffs in the final week and placed third in the NFC East.