The early indicators pointed toward another playoff run for the Cowboys in 2019. They added two solid veterans to bolster their lineup.
Defensive end Robert Quinn (trade) and wide receiver Randall Cobb (free agency) joined the team. The 15 players that departed did not impact the roster too much.
Despite not having a first round pick due to the Amari Cooper trade, Dallas still added key pieces.
Defensive tackle Trysten Hill (2nd), guard Connor McGovern (3rd), running back Tony Pollard (4th), and safety Donovan Wilson (6th) were all added via the draft.
After one less than stellar year in the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football, Jason Witten returned for one more season in a Cowboys' uniform.
The Cowboys appeared to be ready to go. The first three weeks of the season seemed to support that assumption.
Perfect Start
Dak Prescott shot out of the gate with a four-touchdown, 405-yard performance at home against the Giants. Both Witten and Cobb caught touchdown passes.
Cooper also had a touchdown on 106 yards receiving while Michael Gallup had seven receptions for 158 yards. The Cowboys rolled to a 35-17 victory.
It was the 11th meeting between the teams to open an NFL season dating back to 1965. The victory was Dallas' 10th with the Giants lone win coming in 2016.
Prescott threw three more touchdowns, including one to Witten, in a 31-21 win over the Redskins in D.C.
Dallas made it 3-0 with a 31-6 win at home over the Dolphins. Prescott hit Cooper for two touchdowns and ran for another.
Both Ezekiel Elliott (125 yards) and Pollard (103 yards, one touchdown) found plenty of running room through Miami's defense.
Just three games in, it looked like Dallas was all but a lock for the playoffs.
The Wheels Come off
The Cowboys would win only three of their next 10 games, suffering two separate three-game losing streaks in the process.
Dallas' defense would hold the Saints to just four Will Lutz field goals, but the offense would commit three turnovers in a lackluster 12-10 loss at New Orleans.
The Packers would score the first 24 points enroute to a 34-24 victory at Dallas. Prescott would throw for 463 yards – 226 going to Amari Cooper – but also tossed three interceptions.
Brett Maher would hit field goals of 50, 62 and 32 yards in New York. But a missed 40-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter would loom large in a 24-22 loss to the Jets.
Prescott would score on a four-yard run with 43 seconds remaining in the game, but his two-point pass attempt to tie the game failed.
Dallas got back over the .500 mark with an impressive 37-10 win over the Eagles at home. Following a bye week, the Cowboys beat the Giants in New York, 37-18.
The Vikings edged the Cowboys 28-24 to snap the short winning streak. Prescott threw for 444 yards and three scores the following week in Detroit for a 35-27 win over the Lions.
But losses to the Patriots (12-10), Bills (26-15), and the Bears (31-24) followed, dropping Dallas to 6-7 on the season.
The Cowboys would need to win out to capture the NFC East and make the playoffs.
Two Out Of Three Ain't Good Enough
Playing like a team with their backs against the wall, Dallas literally ran over the Rams in a 44-21 home win. Pollard rushed for 131 yards and a score while Elliott added 117 yards and two touchdowns.
That same effort wasn't there the next week in Philadelphia. With the division title on the line Carson Wentz and the Eagles outplayed Dallas in a 17-9 victory.
That loss, plus the Eagles beating the Giants, rendered the Cowboys' season-ending 47-16 victory over the Redskins at home meaningless. It did keep Dallas from finishing with a losing record.
End Of The Line For Garrett
At 8-8, Dallas had regressed once again. The fan base had long grown weary of seeing head coach Jason Garrett clapping on the sidelines after another failed effort.
Apparently, after the 2019 season, so had owner Jerry Jones.
Garrett's contract expired shortly after the end of the 2019 season and it was not renewed. Dallas would turn to Mike McCarthy as its next head coach.
In a decade as head coach, Garrett would finish 85-67 (.559) and suffer only one losing season during his tenure.
He ranks second in years coached, wins, and losses for the franchise. His playoff record was 2-3, both wins coming in the wild card round.
