It is Day 6 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.
Things really heat up now as we reach Day 6 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit a play so significant that its nickname became permanent football language. With Dallas trailing Minnesota and its season only seconds from ending, Roger Staubach launched a desperate pass toward Drew Pearson. The “Hail Mary” was officially born.
Sunday, December 28, 1975 — 2:00 p.m. ET
Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 17, Minnesota Vikings 14
Dallas, a 10-4 wild-card team, faced one of the league’s strongest opponents, Minnesota. Minnesota had gone 12-2, boasting the NFC’s best record and featuring league MVP Fran Tarkenton. Their defense, which allowed the fewest yards in football, made life extremely difficult for Staubach and the Cowboys throughout the afternoon.
The first half was dominated by defense. Minnesota eventually received a huge break when a punt bounced near Cliff Harris. Dallas lineman Pat Donovan attempted to recover it, but the loose ball escaped him, allowing Minnesota to recover at the Cowboys’ four-yard line. Chuck Foreman scored from one yard out shortly after, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead that held through halftime.
Dallas finally produced a sustained drive after the break. A late-hit penalty following a Preston Pearson reception helped move the Cowboys downfield before Doug Dennison scored on a four-yard run to tie the game. Toni Fritsch then kicked a 24-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, putting Dallas ahead 10-7.
Minnesota responded with its best offensive possession of the game. Tarkenton directed an 11-play, 70-yard drive before Brent McClanahan powered across from one yard with 5:24 remaining. The Vikings had regained a 14-10 lead, and after Dallas went three-and-out on its next possession, Minnesota appeared capable of simply running out the clock.
With the Cowboys defense providing a final chance, Minnesota faced third-and-two before the two-minute warning. They attempted to keep the ball in Tarkenton’s hands, but Charlie Waters broke through Foreman’s block and dropped the quarterback for a three-yard loss. This forced the Vikings to punt, and Dallas took possession at their own 15 with 1:51 remaining and no timeouts.
The final drive nearly ended before the famous play ever happened. After moving the ball to the Dallas 31, Staubach mishandled a low shotgun snap and lost eight yards. The Cowboys eventually faced fourth-and-16, when Staubach found Pearson near the sideline for 25 yards.
After an incompletion, Dallas had time for one desperate shot. Staubach dropped back, pump-faked and launched deep down the right sideline toward Pearson. The pass came down around the Minnesota five as Pearson and Wright made contact. Wright fell, Pearson secured the underthrown football against his body and ran untouched into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown with 24 seconds remaining. No offensive pass interference was called, despite furious protests from the Vikings.
Afterward, Staubach explained that he had closed his eyes and said a “Hail Mary” after releasing the football. Staubach’s description of the play helped transform Hail Mary into the universally understood football term for a last-chance desperation pass.
This game belongs near the very top of the countdown because its influence extends beyond Cowboys history. Dallas did not simply win an extraordinary playoff game, Staubach and Pearson created a moment whose name became shorthand throughout the sport. Every time a quarterback launches one final desperation pass toward the end zone, the connection between number 12 and number 88 lives on.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Pearson entered Dallas’ final possession without a reception and then caught four passes for 91 yards on the winning drive.
Countdown to kickoff
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, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7
