Dallas would lose 14 players in free agency in addition to the retirements of Tony Romo and Doug Free. The Cowboys retained four free agents, including Darren McFadden and Terrance Williams.
Of the five free agents they signed off of other rosters, none really made any long-term impact. Leaving Dallas needing a good draft.
They didn’t get it. Dallas selected Taco Charlton, a defensive end from Michigan in the first round.
Charlton was a bust and off the team after the 2018 season. Two picks later the Steelers selected T.J. Watt who has 77.5 sacks in six NFL seasons.
Of the remaining eight players the Cowboys drafted only Jourdan Lewis, a third round pick, remains on the roster in 2023.
Promising Start
The Cowboys opened the season at home against the Giants with a 19-3 win. Four Dan Bailey field goals and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Jason Witten accounted for the scoring.
Dallas’ running game vanished in Denver as the Broncos rolled to a 42-17 victory. While Prescott tossed two touchdown passes, he also threw two interceptions.
One was returned 103 yards by Aqib Talib for the final score of the game with 53 seconds remaining. Bailey connected on a 56-yard field goal in the loss.
The Cowboys played mistake-free football in Phoenix, handing the Cardinals a 28-17 loss. Prescott threw for two scores, ran for another, and Ezekiel Elliott late score sealed the win.
Streaky Cowboys
Dallas would drop two-straight one possession games at home. A 35-30 loss to the Rams was followed by another heart-breaking loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
Prescott threw a Pick-Six to give Green Bay a 28-24 lead with 10 minutes left in the game. On the next drive he moved the team 79 yards on 18 plays over 8:36.
Prescott capped the drive with an 11-yard run for a 31-28 lead with 1:13 remaining. The Packers had only one time out remaining.
Rodgers needed only 62 seconds to go 75 yards. A 12-yard pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams gave Green Bay a 35-31 win.
After the bye week, Dallas responded with three solid wins to go to 5-3 at the midway point of the season. The 49ers (40-10), Redskins (33-19), and Chiefs (28-17) had no answer for Dallas.
The win streak was snapped in Atlanta in a costly 27-7 loss to the Falcons. Had Dallas won this game they would have finished 10-6 and the Falcons 9-7.
Dallas would have claimed the final wild card spot in the playoffs instead of Atlanta.
A 37-9 loss to the Eagles and a 28-6 loss to the Chargers dropped Dallas to 5-6. The Cowboys rebounded with a 38-14 Thanksgiving Day win over the Redskins.
A 30-10 win over the Giants and a 20-17 win over the Raiders put the Cowboys in prime position to make the playoffs.
Self-Inflicted Wounds
The Cowboys defense would hold the Seahawks to 136 total yards. Seattle would be flagged for 11 penalties for 142 yards and convert only four of 11 third downs.
The offense would go for 282 yards, only have 75 yards in penalties and convert seven of 14 attempts on third and fourth down combined.
It was a recipe that should have resulted in a victory for Dallas. But three turnovers and settling for four Bailey field goals resulted in a 21-12 Seattle victory.
The loss eliminated Dallas and made the season-ending 6-0 win over the Eagles meaningless. The Cowboys finished the season at 9-7, missing the playoffs by just one game.
After a rookie season with a touchdown-to-interception ration of 23-4, Prescott would go 22-13 in his sophomore season.
Part of what ailed the Cowboys during the season was Elliot’s controversial six-game suspension.
Despite the NFL’s own investigator – as well as local police and prosecutor’s – not believing the woman’s story, Roger Goodell still handed down a suspension.
Likely, Goodell’s initial bungling of the Ray Rice domestic violence situation – which he was severely criticized for — led to his overreaction in Elliot’s case.
Elliott would play in 10 games and finished with 983 yards. The Cowboys went 3-3 in the six games Elliott was sidelined – including the critical loss to the Falcons.