Dallas Cowboys Playoff History

Dallas Cowboys have a record of 36-31 in the postseason as of November 2024.

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 tied with the San Francisco 49ers for having the second most Lombardi trophies in NFL history. 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 and 1973. However, the golden period for "America's Team" came in the 1990s, during which they became a dynasty by winning 3 Lombardi trophies. The Cowboys have once again secured a place in the 2023-2024 playoffs by winning the NFC East divisional title. With the latest playoff berth secured, the Cowboys will have made it to the playoffs 36 times. This makes the Dallas Cowboys the team with the highest number of playoff appearances in NFL history tied with the Green Bay Packers.

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 the 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 Commanders). The score was 26-3 in favor 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 to the Conference Championship and lost 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 Commanders). The match ended 17-31 in favor 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 Seahawks 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- Lost the Divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers (12-19)

2023- Lost the Wild Card round to the Green Bay Packers (32-48)

Playoff Games Won by the Dallas Cowboys

As of November 2024, the Cowboys have a playoff record of 36 wins and 31 losses (via Pro Football Reference).

Wild Card Round wins- 8 (from 15 games)

Divisional Round Wins- 15 (from 28 games)

Conference Championship Wins- 8 (from 16 games)

Super Bowl Wins- 5 (from 8 games)

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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 physical presence at the wideout made many of the Cowboys' playoff games memorable. Here are the playoff games where ‘The Triplets’ featured:

Dallas Cowboys Championships and Rings Won

The Cowboys have won 5 Super Bowl rings. They have appeared in the big game on eight occasions.

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: 67

Overall Playoff Record (Wins-Losses): 36-31

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?

As of November 2024, the Dallas Cowboys last playoff win came in the 2022-23 season when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 in the Wild Card Round. Unfortunately, they could not prosper beyond the Divisional Round as they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 12-19.

Read all about the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl wins and appearances here

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