It is Day 49 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.
Get ready for Day 49 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit a rivalry win that helped push the Cowboys toward one of the most famous postseason runs in franchise history. Dallas hosted Washington in Week 13 of the 1975 season, with both teams fighting in a crowded NFC East playoff picture. The Cowboys entered at 8-4, Washington at 8-4, and this game carried real wild-card weight.
Saturday, December 13, 1975 — 4:30 p.m. ET
Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 31, Washington 10
The start was ugly for Dallas. Washington scored 10 points in just 32 seconds during the first quarter, and Roger Staubach heard boos from the Texas Stadium crowd after an early interception gave Washington a short field. For a team that had already lost the first meeting in overtime at RFK Stadium, this had the feel of a dangerous spiral. Instead, Staubach settled down and turned the game around.
The response came quickly. Staubach hit Golden Richards on a quick sideline throw, and Richards shook off Mike Bass to turn it into a 57-yard touchdown. That play woke up the Cowboys and cut Washington’s lead to 10-7. From there, Dallas began to turn the game from a rivalry scare into a rivalry statement.
Before halftime, special teams created another opening. Randy Hughes recovered a fumbled Washington punt by Larry Jones, giving Dallas a short field. On third down from the four-yard line, Tom Landry called a quarterback draw, and Staubach powered through contact at the goal line for the touchdown. He was taken to the locker room afterward for treatment on injured ribs, but Dallas had the lead, 14-10.
The game stayed tighter than the final score suggests, but the Cowboys eventually put it away late. Staubach led a 75-yard fourth-quarter drive and capped it with a five-yard touchdown pass to Preston Pearson, pushing the lead to 24-10 with just over five minutes left. Then, 18 seconds later, Charlie Waters intercepted backup quarterback Randy Johnson and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. What had been a tense rivalry fight suddenly became a 31-10 Dallas win.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was one of the key late-season steps before the “Hail Mary” postseason. Dallas improved to 9-4, effectively knocked Washington backward in the wild-card race, and clinched at least a wild-card spot. Two weeks later, the Cowboys would beat Minnesota on Staubach’s famous pass to Drew Pearson, then crush the Rams in the NFC Championship Game before heading to Super Bowl X.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Charlie Waters’ 20-yard interception return touchdown came only 18 seconds after Preston Pearson’s touchdown catch. That sequence turned a 17-10 battle into a 31-10 final.
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
