It is Day 58 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.
It’s Day 58 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the most dominant postseason wins of the Tom Landry era. The Cowboys hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round at Texas Stadium, and what followed was a complete playoff shutout.
Saturday, January 2, 1982 — 1:00 p.m. ET
Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
The first quarter was scoreless, but once Dallas found the breakthrough, Tampa Bay had no real answer. Dennis Thurman helped flip the game by intercepting Doug Williams, and the Cowboys turned the short field into the game’s first touchdown when Danny White hit Tony Hill from nine yards out. Rafael Septién later added a 32-yard field goal, giving Dallas a 10-0 halftime lead.
The third quarter turned the game from a controlled Cowboys lead into a full playoff rout. Ron Springs scored from one yard out, Tony Dorsett followed with a five-yard touchdown run, and James Jones added another five-yard rushing touchdown. In one quarter, Dallas turned a 10-0 game into a 31-0 blowout.
By the fourth quarter, the only real question was whether the shutout would hold. Timmy Newsome capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run, and the Cowboys defense finished the job. Tampa Bay had Doug Williams, Jimmie Giles, and enough talent to win the NFC Central, but Dallas completely overwhelmed the Buccaneers up front. Williams finished 10-of-29 for 187 yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions, and was sacked four times.
This game belongs on the countdown because playoff shutouts are rare, and this one was as complete as it gets. The Cowboys controlled the ball, ran it with power, protected Danny White, intercepted Williams four times, and gave Landry another trip to the NFC Championship Game. It was not a dramatic finish or a last-second classic. It was a postseason demolition, and sometimes dominance is iconic all by itself.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Dallas held Tampa Bay scoreless and allowed only 222 total yards. The Buccaneers rushed for just 74 yards, while the Cowboys ran for 212. That physical gap was the story of the game.
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
