Despite the previous two seasons, the Cowboys came into the 2002 season with some hope of turning things around.
They actually had their best draft since the departure of Jimmy Johnson nearly a decade before. The Cowboys drafted safety Roy Williams out of Oklahoma in the first round.
Center Andre Gurode from Colorado was taken in the second round. Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Bryant was selected in the third.
Bryant was given the coveted 88 jersey in expectation of him being the receiver Dallas had lacked since Michael Irvin's retirement.
Bryant would have a solid rookie campaign but his star would quickly fade over the next two years.
Dallas added kicker Billy Cundiff to stabilizing their kicking game for a few years. They also signed a pitcher from the St. Louis Cardinals as their backup quarterback.
Chad Hutchinson had played quarterback at Stanford before taking up a career in Major League Baseball. Jerry Jones paid a hefty signing bonus to land Hutchinson.
That bonus, and the continued struggles of Quincy Carter, may have led Jones to pressure Dave Campo to start the former Cardinal midway through the season.
It may have also derailed the season and doomed Campo's chances of coaching the Cowboys beyond the 2002 season.
Dom Capers – Cowboys Killer
The Cowboys opened the season at the new Reliant Stadium in Houston against the expansion Texans. They should have easily dispatched Houston's new team.
But the Texans were coached by Dom Capers, the same man who'd led the second-year Carolina Panthers to a playoff win over Dallas back in 1996.
Capers' mojo held as the Texans shocked the Cowboys 19-10. Michael Wiley's 46-yard touchdown run was the Cowboys' lone highlight as both Carter and Emmitt Smith struggled.
The Cowboys rebounded the next week behind two Carter touchdown passes for a 21-13 win over the team that used to play in Houston, the Tennessee Titans.
Carter, Cowboys Remain Inconsistent
The Cowboys continued to alternate wins and losses as Carter remained inconsistent. A 44-13 loss to the Eagles was followed by a 13-10 win over the Rams.
The Cowboys fell 21-17 to the Giants before edging Carolina 14-13. But the breaking point came in a 9-6 loss to the Cardinals.
Carter threw four interceptions in the loss. He would not take another snap for the remainder of the year as the Cowboys would turn to Hutchinson.
Emmitt Takes The Crown
Playing at home against Seattle, and with Hutchinson making his first NFL start, Smith needed a 100-yard game to break Walter Payton's record for all-time rushing yards.
He got the record late in the game on an 11-yard run. Smith went on to score the game-tying touchdown later that same drive.
But the Cowboys were denied the fairytale ending as the Seahawks won the game 17-14.
Dismal Second Half
The Cowboys dropped a 9-7 decision to the Lions before the bye week and lost 20-3 at Indianapolis the week after.
Hutchinson threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, both to Joey Galloway, in a 21-19 win over Jacksonville. He threw two more touchdowns in a 27-20 win over the Redskins.
The Cowboys were 5-7 and looked to have an outside chance to make the playoffs, especially with Hutchinson's play.
But losses to the 49ers (31-27), Giants (37-7), Eagles (27-3), and Redskins (20-14) sent Dallas to its third straight 5-11 season. The loss to Washington snapped a nine-game win streak over the Redskins.
The quarterback battle remained uncertain. Carter went 3-4 and threw seven touchdowns against eight interceptions and three lost fumbles.
Hutchinson would go 2-7, also with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions, with only 90 more yards in five more games.
Smith would fail to break 1,000 yards for the first time since his rookie year. Bryant would catch 44 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns. Galloway would have 908 yards on 61 catches and six scores.
Williams would have a solid rookie rear in the defensive backfield. He would start all 16 games and have five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
He would also force and recover three fumbles along with 96 tackles – six for a loss – and two sacks.
Another Coach Bites The DUst
A report surfaced that Jones met former Giants, Jets, and Patriots head coach Bill Parcells on his plane during the 2002 season to discuss taking the Cowboys' job.
How that directly impacted Campo and the team is hard to measure.
But once the 2002 season ended, after three straight years of 5-11 football for a 15-33 record overall and no playoff appearances, Campo was out.
Parcells was named the sixth head coach of the Dallas Cowboys soon after.
Emmitt's Numbers
In 13 seasons in Dallas, Smith played in 201 games, starting 199 of them. He had 4,052 carries for 17,162 yards and 153 touchdowns.
Smith added 486 receptions for 3,012 yards and 11 touchdowns on his way to the Hall of Fame. He was the league MVP in 1993, A Super Bowl MVP and three-time champion.
He would play two more seasons in Arizona, gaining 1,193 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns in 20 games.
He threw his only NFL pass in 2004, a 21-yard touchdown to Obafemi Ayanbadejo that proved to be the game-winning points in a 34-10 win over the Saints.
Smith finished with an NFL record 18,355 yards. Coming into the 2023 season, the current rushing leader among active players is Derrick Henry with 8,335 yards.
Given the emphasis on passing in today's NFL, it seems unlikely anyone will ever break Smith's record.
