Established in 1960, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most successful NFL franchises. With 5 Super Bowl wins registered to their name the Cowboys are a force to be reckoned with. The Cowboys have won 10 Conference Championships and hold 24 Divisional Championship titles.
The best playoff performances of the Cowboys can be traced back to the period 1960s through the 1970s. The Cowboys consecutively featured in the NFL playoffs 9 times between 1965 to1973. The Cowboys secured a place in the 2021-2022 playoffs by winning the NFC East divisional title (which they last won in 2018). With the latest playoff berth secured, the Cowboys will have made it to the playoffs 35 times. This makes the Dallas Cowboys the team with the highest number of playoff appearances in NFL history.
Dallas Cowboys Playoff Appearances by Year
1965 - Lost against the Colts 35-3 in the Playoff Bowl (consolation game between runners up from each Conference)
1966 - Lost against the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship game (34-27)
1967 - Lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship (21-17)
1968- Did not make it to the Conference Championship and played the Playoff Bowl, losing 17-13 to the Minnesota Vikings
1969 - Lost Eastern Conference game against the Cleveland Browns (38-14)
1970 - NFC Champions Dallas Cowboys made it to the first Super Bowl post AFC-NFC merger. They lost the Super Bowl 16-13 against Baltimore Colts (now known as Indianapolis Colts)
1971 - Super Bowl Champions by defeating the Miami Dolphins (24-3)
1972 - Lost the NFC Championship game against Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Football Team). The score was 26-3 in favour of Washington.
1973 - Lost 10-27 against the Vikings in the Conference Championship.
1975- Lost Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers (17-21)
1976- Lost the Divisional Round at the playoffs to the L.A. Rams. (12-14)
1977 - Won the Super Bowl by defeating the Denver Broncos 27-10.
1978- Lost the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a close match (31-35)
1979- Defeated by L.A. Rams in the Divisional round. (19-21)
1980- Made it till the Conference Championship and losing out on the Super Bowl spot with a 7-20 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles
1981- Lost Conference Championship to San Francisco 49ers (27-28)
1982- Lost Conference Championship to Washington Redskins (now known as Washington Football Team). The match ended 17-31 in favour of Washington.
1983- Knocked out of the playoffs in the WildCard round against the L.A. Rams (17-24)
1985- Lost the Divisional round to L.A. Rams (0-20)
1991- Lost Divisional round to the Detroit Lions (6-38)
1992 - Won the Super Bowl by defeating Buffalo Bills (52-17)
1993- Victorious in the Super Bowl defeating the Buffalo Bills in a consecutive year. (30-13)
1994- Lost the Conference Championship 28-38 to the San Francisco 49ers
1995- Won the Super Bowl, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
1996- Lost the Divisional round of the playoffs against the Carolina Panthers (17-26)
1998- Lost the Wildcard round to the Arizona Cardinals (7-20)
1999- Lost the Wildcard round to the Minnesota Vikings (10-27)
2003- Lost the Wildcard round to the Carolina Panthers (10-29)
2006- Lost the Wildcard round to the Seattle Seahwaks in a close match ending 20-21
2007- Lost the Divisional round to the New York Giants (17-21)
2009- Lost the Divisional round to the Minnesota Vikings (3-34)
2014- Lost the Divisional round to the Green Bay Packers (21-26)
2016- Lost the Divisional round to the Green Bay Packers (31-34)
2018 - Lost the Divisional round to the L.A. Rams (22-30)
2021- Lost the Playoff round against the San Francisco 49ers (23-17)
2022- Made it to the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. Match pending.
Playoff Games Won by Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a playoff record of 35 wins and 29 losses.
Wild Card Round wins- 7
Divisional Round Wins- 15
Conference Championship Wins- 8
Super Bowl Wins- 5
How many playoff games has Emmitt Smith played at the Texas Stadium?
The Dallas Cowboys home stadium is the glamorous At & T stadium, where the team has been playing since 2009. However, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith used to wear the Cowboys jersey in the Texas stadium, where the team played from 1971 to 2008. The Cowboys have won all their Super Bowls till now at the Texas Stadium and Emmitt Smith led the Cowboys to Super Bowl victory during his tenure.
Emmitt Smith is regarded as one of the best running backs to have ever played the game and he is the all-time leading rusher. Smith played 17 playoff games (between 1991 and 1999) as a Dallas Cowboys player at the Texas Stadium. The Cowboys won three Super Bowls during this period (1992, 1993, 1995).
How many times have the Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs with Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin (The Triplets)?
The Dallas Cowboys triplets Emmitt Smith (running back), Troy Aikman (quarterback), and Michael Irvin (wide receiver) were essential offensive players in the lineup. They formed one of the best offensive trios in the league and led the Cowboys to one of their most successful run of forms during the 1990s. The three Hall of Famers have a combined total of 63,201 yards and 414 touchdowns. Aikman’s precise passing, Smith’s consistency on the ground and Irvin’s coverage made many of the Cowboy’s playoff games memorable. Here are the playoff games where ‘The Triplets’ featured:
Week | Date | Opponent | Points Scored | Points Allowed | Stadium |
1999 Playoffs - Wild Card Round | Jan 9, 2000 | Minnesota Vikings | 10 | 27 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis |
1998 Playoffs- Wild Card Round | Jan 2, 1999 | Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 20 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1996 Playoffs-Wild Card Round | Dec 28, 1996 | Minnesota Vikings | 40 | 15 | Texas Stadium.,Texas |
1996 Playoffs- Divisional Round | Jan 5, 1997 | Carolina Panthers | 17 | 26 | Ericsson Stadium, North Carolina |
1995 Playoffs-Divisional Round | Jan 7, 1996 | Philadelphia Eagles | 30 | 11 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1995 Playoffs-Conference Championship | Jan 14, 1996 | Green Bay Packers | 38 | 27 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1995 Playoffs-Super Bowl | Jan 28, 1996 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | 17 | Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona |
1994 Playoffs-Divisional Round | Jan 8, 1995 | Green Bay Packers | 35 | 9 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1994 Playoffs-Conference Championship Round | Jan 15, 1995 | San Francisco 49ers | 28 | 38 | Candlestick Park, San Francisco |
1993 Playoffs-Divisional Round | Jan 6, 1994 | Green Bay Packers | 27 | 17 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1993 Playoffs-Conference Championship | Jan 23, 1996 | San Francisco 49ers | 38 | 21 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1993 Playoffs- Super Bowl | Jan 30, 1994 | Buffalo Bills | 30 | 13 | Georgina Dome, Atlanta |
1992 Playoffs-Divisional Round | Jan 10, 1993 | Philadelphia Eagles | 34 | 10 | Texas Stadium, Texas |
1992 Playoffs- Conference Championship | Jan 17, 1993 | San Francisco 49ers | 30 | 20 | Candlestick Park, San Francisco |
1992 Playoffs-Super Bowl | Jan 31, 1993 | Buffalo Bills | 52 | 17 | Rose Bowl, Los Angeles |
1991 Playoffs- Wild Card Round | Dec 29, 1991 | Chicago Bears | 17 | 13 | Soldier Field, Chicago |
1991 Playoffs-Divisional Round | Jan 5, 1992 | Detroit Lions | 6 | 38 | Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan |
Dallas Cowboys Championships and Rings Won
The Cowboys have won 5 Rings with 5 Super Bowl Wins.
1971 (Super Bowl VI)
1977 (Super Bowl XII)
1992 (Super Bowl XXVII)
1993 (Super Bowl XXVIII)
1995 (Super Bowl XXX)
Dallas Cowboys Playoff Stats
Total Playoff Games Played: 63
Overall Playoff Record (Wins-Losses): 35-28
Total Super Bowls Won: 5 (8 Appearances)
All-time Passing Leader: Tony Romo 2,829/4,335, 34,183 yds, 248 TD
All-time Rushing Leader: Emmitt Smith 4,052 att, 17,162 yds, 153 TD
All-time Receiving Leader: Jason Witten 1,215 rec, 12,977 yds, 72 TD
All-time Scoring Leader: Emmitt Smith 986 points
All-time AV Leader: Emmitt Smith 162 AV
Winningest Coach: Tom Landry 250-162-6
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Stats
Total Super Bowl Appearances: 8
Super Bowls Won: 5
Super Bowl Winning Seasons: 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995
Most Scoring Super Bowl Win: 52-17 win against Buffalo Bills in 1992
Lowest Scoring Super Bowl Loss: 17-21 loss to Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976
When did the Dallas Cowboys last win an NFL Playoff match?
The Dallas Cowboys may have the most number of playoff appearances in the history of the league however, the team has failed to register a playoff win since 1995. The Cowboys last won a Playoff match in the 1995 NFL Playoffs when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. It was their fifth Super Bowl victory but the last time the Cowboys won a playoff match since.
Read all about the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl wins and appearances here
Popularly Asked Questions
1. Who is the most popular Dallas Cowboys player?
The most popular Dallas Cowboys player is their legendary quarterback Roger Staubach. The Cowboys legend won 2 Super Bowls with the team and made it to a total of 4 Super Bowls in his career. He played for the Cowboys between 1969 and 1979 earning 6 Pro Bowl honors and one NFL Man of the Year honor. He is part of the 1970s NFL All-Decade team.
2. When did the Cowboys last win a Super Bowl?
The Dallas Cowboys registered their last Super Bowl victory in the 1995 NFL season. The Cowboys emerged victorius over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the match which ended 27-17.
3. Are the Dallas Cowboys the most popular team in the NFL?
Often dubbed as 'America's Team', the Dallas Cowboys are certainly one of the most popular teams in the NFL. With 4 million followers on Instagram the Cowboys rank second in social media following (behind the New England Patriots). However, the Cowboys are often considered the most popular team in the NFL due to their large fan following (apart from social media too).
4. What is the value of the Dallas Cowboys?
The Cowboys are one of the most valuable team in the NFL valued at around $10.1 billion.
Click here to ream more about the Dallas Cowboys' valuation
5. Which division do the Dallas Cowboys play in?
The Dallas Cowboys currently compete in the NFC East division of the NFL. They have been competing in the NFC East division since 1970.
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