It is Day 48 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
Welcome back and to Day 48 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit a classic Landry-era rivalry game from the heart of the Cowboys-Washington fight for NFC East control. Dallas came into Week 13 at 8-4, Washington arrived at 9-3, and the stakes were simple, the Cowboys needed this one to stay alive in the division race and protect their playoff path.
Sunday, December 9, 1973 — 4:00 p.m. ET
Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 27, Washington 7
This was also a revenge spot. Earlier in the season, Washington had beaten Dallas 14-7 at RFK Stadium in a bruising Monday night game that ended with Ken Houston stopping Walt Garrison near the goal line as time expired. That loss left the Cowboys feeling like they were still chasing Washington in the division. Two months later, back in Irving, Dallas finally got its answer.
The first half was pure rivalry football, tight, physical, and low-scoring. Dallas led only 3-0 at halftime, but the Cowboys were controlling the tone more than the scoreboard showed. Washington’s offense could not get comfortable, and the Dallas defense kept the game exactly where Tom Landry wanted it.
The second half is where the Cowboys took over. Roger Staubach spread the ball around and finished for 223 yards, while Calvin Hill powered the offense on the ground and finished with more than 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Dallas turned a narrow halftime lead into a commanding win, outscoring Washington 24-7 after the break.
Washington’s only points came on a blocked punt long after Dallas had taken control. That detail says a lot about the way the Cowboys defense handled the day. Washington finished with only 155 total yards, 96 net passing yards, 59 rushing yards, nine first downs, and three turnovers. Dallas, meanwhile, produced 414 total yards, 22 first downs, 193 rushing yards, and 221 net passing yards.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was the kind of December rivalry win that defined the Landry era. Dallas did not just beat Washington, it dragged the division race back into its own hands. The victory moved both teams to 9-4, split the season series, and set up a final-week race where Dallas still had to finish the job. One week later, the Cowboys beat St. Louis 30-3, won the NFC East at 10-4, and earned home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Interesting Facts About the Game
The victory was part of a strong closing stretch for Dallas. After a 4-3 start, the Cowboys won six of their final seven regular-season games, then beat the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Countdown To Kickoff by day:
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57,56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49
