Cowboys playoff history

The NFL playoff history for the Dallas Cowboys.

Year Wild card/
First round		 Divisional
playoffs		 NFC
Championship		 Super Bowl
2018 Seattle Seahawks
W, 24-22		 Los Angeles Rams
L, 30-22
2016 Green Bay Packers
L, 31-34
2014 Detroit Lions
W, 24-20		 Green Bay Packers
L, 26-21
2009 Philadelphia Eagles
W, 34-14		 Minnesota Vikings
L, 34-3
2007 New York Giants
L, 21-17
2006 Seattle
L, 23-21
2003 Carolina
L, 29-10
1998 Arizona
L, 20-7
1996 Minnesota
W, 40-15		 Carolina
L, 26-17
1995 Bye Philadelphia
W, 30-11		 Green Bay
W, 38-27		 Pittsburgh
W, 27-17
1994 Bye Green Bay
W, 35-9		 San Francisco
L, 38-28		 �
1993 Bye Green Bay
W, 27-17		 San Francisco
W, 38-21		 Buffalo
W, 30-13
1992 Bye Philadelphia
W, 34-10		 San Francisco
W, 30-20		 Buffalo
W, 52-17
1991 Chicago
W, 17-13		 Detroit
L, 38-6
1985 L.A. Rams
L, 20-0
1983 L.A. Rams
L, 24-17
1982 Tampa Bay
W, 30-17		 Green Bay
W, 37-26		 Washington
L, 31-17
1981 Tampa Bay
W, 38-0		 San Francisco
L, 28-27
1980 Los Angeles
W, 34-13		 Atlanta
W, 30-27		 Philadelphia
L, 20-7
1979 Los Angeles
L, 21-19
1978 Atlanta
W, 27-20		 Los Angeles
W, 28-0		 Pittsburgh
L, 35-31
1977 Chicago
W, 37-7		 Minnesota
W, 23-6		 Denver
W, 27-10
1976 Los Angeles
L, 14-12
1975 Minnesota
W, 17-14		 Los Angeles
W, 37-7		 Pittsburgh
L, 21-17
1973 Los Angeles
W, 27-16		 Minnesota
L, 27-10
1972 San Francisco
W, 30-28		 Washington
L, 26-3
1971 Minnesota
W, 20-12		 San Francisco
W, 14-3		 Miami
W, 24-3
1970 Detroit
W, 5-0		 San Francisco
W, 17-10		 Baltimore
L, 16-13
1969 Cleveland
L, 38-14
1968 Cleveland
L, 31-20
1967 Cleveland
W, 52-14		 Green Bay
L, 21-17
1966 Green Bay
L, 34-27

Note: Dallas played three "Playoff Bowl" games. In 1965, they beat the Baltimore Colts 35-3. In 1968, they beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-13. In 1969, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 31-0.



The Cowboys are synonymous with the postseason. Twenty-eight times they have reached the playoffs. A look at how they've fared:

1966 Playing for the first time in the playoffs, the Cowboys have a chance to play in Super Bowl I, but lose a tough 34-27 decision to the Green Bay Packers.
The hopes end when Don Meredith's pass in the end zone with 28 seconds left is intercepted by Tom Brown.

1967 The Cowboys start fast, routing the Cleveland Browns 52-14 in the Eastern Conference championship game. But with another chance to win the NFL title, Green Bay gets in the way again.
Playing in a minus-46-degree wind chill, the Packers end another dream, winning 21-17 on Bart Starr's touchdown with 13 seconds left.

1968 Cleveland gets revenge from the previous season by winning the Eastern Conference championship game 31-20.

1969 The Browns get another punch in at the Cowboys, dropping them 38-14 in the Eastern Conference championship game at the Cotton Bowl.

1970 The Cowboys extend their playoff run to five consecutive seasons, and almost bring home a Super Bowl trophy.
Dallas' defense plays a nearly perfect game to eliminate the Detroit Lions 5-0 in a divisional game, then the Cowboys drop San Francisco 17-10 to gain a trip to Super Bowl V.
It all ends there, however, as the Baltimore Colts win 16-13 on Jim O'Brien's 32-yard field goal in the final 5 seconds.

1971 At last, the Cowboys can call Dallas "Titletown." The defense leads the way as the Cowboys stop Minnesota 20-12 to start their playoff run, then eliminate the San Francisco 49ers 14-3 in the NFC Championship Game. In Super Bowl VI, the defense sets the pace again, limiting the Miami Dolphins to three points, which is more than enough as Roger Staubach's two scoring passes push the Cowboys to a 24-3 win.

1972 In a divisional playoff, Roger Staubach passes for two touchdowns in the final 1:30 to give the Cowboys a 30-28 victory over San Francisco, but rival Washington eliminates the Cowboys 26-3 in the NFC Championship Game.

1973 The Cowboys break their own NFL record by making it to the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season. But after eliminating the Los Angeles Rams 27-16 in the first round, the Cowboys lose to the Minnesota Vikings 27-10.

1975Roger Staubach's 50-yard "Hail Mary" pass to Drew Pearson shocks the Vikings 17-14 in a divisional playoff, and the Cowboys follow that by routing the Los Angeles Rams 37-7 in the NFC Championship Game. The Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl X 21-17.

1976The Cowboys don't really get started as the Rams eliminate them 14-12 in a divisional playoff.

1977The Cowboys return to the elite by winning another championship. Dallas is dominant in the postseason, finishing with a 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII behind game MVPs Harvey Martin and Randy White. On the way to the title, the Cowboys slam the Bears 37-7 and have no problems in a 23-6 triumph over the Vikings.

1978 After rallying past the Atlanta Falcons 27-20 in a divisional playoff and overpowering the Rams 28-0 in the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys lose to the Steelers 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII. Rocky Bleier recovers an onside kick to stop a potential Cowboys comeback.

1979 The Rams turn the tables on the Cowboys after their 28-0 loss the previous season by topping host Dallas 21-19 in a divisional playoff in Roger Staubach's last game.

1980 the Cowboys are a wild-card team, and it fits them well. They start by routing the Rams 34-13 and then slip past the Falcons 30-27. But in the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles are too much, winning 20-7.

1981The Cowboys rout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-0 in a divisional game and seem to have a victory over San Francisco wrapped up in the NFC Championship Game. But Dwight Clark makes "The Catch" with 51 seconds left, and San Francisco moves on to the Super Bowl with a 28-27 victory.

1982 In a strike-shortened season, the Cowboys go 6-3 to earn a spot in the postseason. After topping Tampa Bay 30-17 in a wild-card game and dropping Green Bay 37-26 in the divisional playoffs, the Cowboys are eliminated 31-17 by Washington in the NFC Championship Game.

1983 It was an odd season for Dallas as it goes 12-4, but barely got into the playoffs as a wild-card team. Once there, it is eliminated quickly, losing to the Rams 24-17.

1985 Everything seems to be going well for the Cowboys as they start the postseason by playing in their then NFL-record 38th playoff contest. However, they don't play their 39th that season as the Rams eliminate them 20-0.

1991 It takes six seasons, but the Cowboys finally return to the playoffs. They celebrate their return with a 17-13 upset over Chicago in a wild-card game, but come back to earth the following week as Detroit wins the divisional playoff game 38-6.

1992 The Troy Aikman title era officially begins as the quarterback throws four touchdown passes to send Dallas to its third Super Bowl title, a 52-17 rout of Buffalo. Dallas makes it that far by coasting past Philadelphia 34-10 and winning at San Francisco 30-20.

1993 Buffalo returns to the Super Bowl, but unfortunately for the Bills, so do the Cowboys. This time, Emmitt Smith scores two touchdowns in the second half to send his team to a 30-13 triumph. Dallas prepares for the Bills, and their second consecutive title, by thumping the Packers 27-17 in a divisional game and San Francisco 38-21 in the NFC title game.

1994 The Super Bowl run ends as the Cowboys are eliminated by San Francisco 38-28 after recording a 35-9 rout of the Packers in a divisional game.

1995 For the third time in four seasons, the Cowboys win title, beating Pittsburgh 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX. They reach the Super Bowl by dropping the Eagles 30-11 in a divisional game and turning back the Packers 38-27 in the NFC Championship Game.

1996 Dallas opens the playoffs with a 40-15 rout of the Vikings in a wild-card game. But the Carolina Panthers stop the Cowboys 27-16 the next week.

1998 After a year's absence from the postseason, the Cowboys are back after a 10-6 season and an NFC East title. But they never get rolling in the playoffs, losing to the Arizona Cardinals 20-7 in a wild-card game.

1999 The Cowboys aren't exactly a juggernaut, going 8-8, but they are good enough to reach the postseason. They aren't, however, good enough to advance, losing to Minnesota 27-10.

2003 In Bill Parcells' first year as coach, Dallas surprises the league by going 10-6 and reaching the playoffs. It is given a rude awakening, however, as Carolina dominates for a 29-10 victory.

2006 The Cowboys seem to have their first playoff victory in 10 years in their grasp. But Tony Romo, the holder on Martin Gramatica's 19-yard field-goal attempt with 1:19 left, botches the snap in Seattle. The Seahawks win the wild-card game 21-20.