It is Day 43 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 as we get to Day 43 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit another chapter in what was unquestionably the NFL’s premier rivalry of the 1990s. By the time the Cowboys traveled to Candlestick Park in Week 11 of the 1996 season, Dallas and San Francisco had met in the previous four NFC Championship Games, splitting them two apiece. Even though this was a regular-season matchup, it carried the feel of January football.
Sunday, November 10, 1996 — 4:00 p.m. ET
3Com Park, San Francisco, California
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 20, San Francisco 49ers 17 (Overtime)
San Francisco controlled the first quarter. Jeff Wilkins opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal, then Steve Young found Iheanyi Uwaezuoke for a 29-yard touchdown. The 49ers led 10-0, while Dallas struggled to establish Emmitt Smith or generate any consistent rhythm against one of the league’s strongest defenses.
The Cowboys finally responded late in the second quarter. Troy Aikman finished a lengthy drive by scrambling three yards for a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining before halftime. That cut San Francisco’s lead to 10-7 and gave Dallas something tangible from a first half in which the 49ers had largely dictated the game.
The matchup changed when Young was knocked out after taking multiple sacks from the Dallas defence. He had completed seven of 13 passes for 83 yards and the early touchdown before Elvis Grbac took over. Grbac had tormented Dallas in San Francisco’s 38-20 win at Texas Stadium the previous season, but this time the Cowboys pressured him into mistakes.
Only four seconds had elapsed in the fourth quarter when Chris Boniol made a 26-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 points. But San Francisco immediately answered. Terry Kirby broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run, restoring the 49ers’ seven-point lead with 11:38 remaining. Dallas was back in the same position it had occupied for most of the afternoon, chasing San Francisco in a stadium where the Cowboys’ dynasty had produced some of its greatest moments.
Aikman appeared to be leading the tying drive when Dallas reached the San Francisco red zone, but Marquez Pope intercepted him in the end zone with around six and a half minutes remaining. It could have ended the Cowboys’ comeback. Instead, Dallas’ defense handed the opportunity straight back. On San Francisco’s next offensive play, linebacker Fred Strickland intercepted Grbac near the 49ers’ goal line.
Three plays later, Aikman found Eric Bjornson for a six-yard touchdown. Boniol’s extra point tied the game at 17 with 2:45 left. A drive that had seemingly died with Pope’s interception had been revived by one defensive play and finished by Dallas’ replacement for the injured Jay Novacek.
Dallas won the overtime coin toss and did not give the ball back. Aikman completed all five of his passes on a controlled 12-play, 66-yard possession, while Smith helped grind the Cowboys into scoring range. Boniol then made a 29-yard field goal to end the game, completing a comeback from 10 points down and giving Dallas its first victory over San Francisco since the 1993 NFC Championship Game.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was a major course correction in the Cowboys’ final season as a serious championship-era contender. Dallas had begun the year 1-3 and entered this game fighting to remain relevant in the NFC East. Beating a 7-2 San Francisco team on the road showed that the ageing core could still win a physical, high-pressure game against the rival that had defined its decade. The Cowboys eventually finished 10-6, won their fifth consecutive NFC East title and reached the divisional round.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Young and Grbac combined for only 171 passing yards. Grbac completed 10 of 17 passes for 88 yards but threw interceptions to Strickland and Woodson.
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, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44
