It is Day 92 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.
We’re at Day 92 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, where we revisit one of the most important wins of the Bill Parcells era. The 2005 Cowboys were fighting for a playoff spot entering Christmas Eve, and a road trip to Carolina looked like a major obstacle. The Panthers had reached the Super Bowl just two seasons earlier, were 10-4 entering the game, and were one of the NFC’s most dangerous teams. Dallas responded with one of its toughest performances of the season, leaving Charlotte with a 24-20 victory that kept its postseason hopes alive.
Sunday, December 24, 2005, 1:00 p.m. ET
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 24, Carolina Panthers 20
The game started poorly for Dallas. Carolina jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead behind a John Kasay field goal and a 32-yard Jake Delhomme touchdown pass to Drew Carter. The Cowboys answered with an eight-yard touchdown run from Julius Jones, then tied the game in the second quarter on a Billy Cundiff field goal. Kasay added another field goal before halftime, giving the Panthers a 13-10 lead. But the entertainment was just about to begin.
The second half turned into the kind of physical, low-margin game Parcells teams were built to survive. Dallas grabbed its first lead in the third quarter when Julius Jones broke a massive 43-yard touchdown, putting the Cowboys ahead 17-13. The Panthers, however, answered late. With 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, Delhomme found Ricky Proehl for a 35-yard touchdown, and Carolina went back in front 20-17.
Then came the break Dallas needed. Cundiff had a chance to tie the game with a 33-yard field goal but missed, seemingly leaving the Cowboys in deep trouble. But there was hope thanks to Carolina getting flagged for running into the kicker, giving Dallas a first down and new life. Bledsoe made the Panthers pay. With under 30 seconds left, he found Terry Glenn in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown on the right side of the endzone, giving Dallas a 24-20 lead and one of its biggest wins of the season.
Julius Jones was the offensive engine for Dallas, rushing for 194 yards and a touchdown. Bledsoe finished with one touchdown pass, while Glenn once again delivered in a huge moment. On the other side, Carolina’s afternoon was damaged by Steve Smith’s third-quarter ejection after he made contact with an official, forcing the Panthers to finish a tight game without their most dangerous weapon.
The Cowboys ultimately did not make the playoffs in 2005 losing the final game of the season and finishing 9-7, but this game still belongs on the countdown because of what it represented in the moment, December football, postseason pressure, a hostile road environment, a late deficit, and a game-winning drive. It was not always pretty, but it was exactly the kind of high-leverage win Parcells was brought to Dallas to deliver.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Julius Jones rushed for 194 yards during the game, the fifth-most single-game rushing performances in Cowboys history.
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