The Dallas Cowboys haven't advanced past the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs since their last Super Bowl appearance in 1995.
It has become a running joke on social media, with prominent talking heads like Stephen A. Smith leading the charge.
The desperation rises with each passing season that ends in some sort of heartbreak.
There has to be more to it. Could the Cowboys actually be suffering from some sort of curse?
If so, what is the origin of this curse? The easy mark would be the shocking firing Head Coach Jimmy Johnson after consecutive Super Bowl wins.
One could dispel that quickly by pointing out that the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX with Barry Switzer as the leader on the sidelines.
However, many ex-players like 3x Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman have gone on record saying that the team started falling apart immediately after Johnson was relieved of his duties.
I think the curse truly lies in Jerry Jones' refusal to induct Johnson into the famed Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
It's been over 29 years since Jerry and Jimmy sat at the podium together to announce a “mutual” agreement to part ways.
There have been several opportunities since then to make it happen, but Jones chooses to continue putting it off.
I'll just take that as his passive-aggressive way of saying it's just never going to happen.
Today we will discuss heartbreaking moments in Cowboys' history post-Jimmy Johnson that can be proof that a curse on the Dallas Cowboys actually does exist.
Michael Irvin's career ending injury
This event in Cowboys history was heartbreaking for reasons that have nothing to do with football.
Michael Irvin, the Cowboys all-time franchise leader in touchdown receptions at the time of the injury, was in his 12th season wearing the Star and double eights.
It was a routine play by his standards. A five yard slant from the left side of the formation that he had run hundreds of times.
Caught between the cornerback and safety, Irvin appeared to give up his body on the play, and live to play another down.
He fell forward awkwardly with the crown of his helmet striking the cement-like turf at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
It signaled the true beginning of the end for The Triplets (Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin) in Dallas.
Without their vocal leader on the field, the Cowboys finished just 5-8 after a 3-0 start, and were demolished in the Wildcard round by the Minnesota Vikings.
I can still remember the fans in Philadelphia cheering as Irvin was carted off of the field on a stretcher.
Older fans like myself can attribute all of our ire for that classless organization in Philly back to that exact moment.
What are the odds Irvin would injure himself in such a manner?
Romo's Bobbled Snap
The 2006 season was a breath of fresh air for Cowboys fans who had endured more losing seasons in the past seven years than we ever want to see again.
Tony Romo, an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois, brought a spark to the team after replacing Drew Bledsoe at halftime of a Week 6 matchup.
After three years of holding a clipboard, Romo finally got his chance to shine, and he didn't relinquish the QB1 job until 10 seasons later.
Romo had a true gunslinger mentality in his first season starting.
For every highlight reel play, there was another boneheaded one that drew the blank stare from Head Coach Bill Parcells.
Dallas finished the year 9-7, and faced a Wildcard matchup in Seattle.
With 6:42 left in the 4th quarter nursing a 20-13 lead, Romo and the Cowboys started a drive at their own two yard line.
Romo threw a quick screen to WR Terry Glenn. The pass was low, and Glenn couldn't corral it.
The ball flipped into the endzone, and after replay review, was ruled a lateral and a safety. Misfortune number one.
Now a 20-15 game, Seattle quickly scored to bring the score to 21-20.
Romo led a drive into Seattle territory. Facing a 3rd & 7 from the eight yard line, Jason Witten caught a pass that was originally ruled a first down.
Inside of the two minute warning, an automatic replay overturned the ruling.
It was now a 4th & 1 from the two yard line with 1:19 left. Misfortune number two.
Parcells opted to let Martin Gramatica kick the go ahead field goal. All Cowboys fans know what happened next. Misfortune number three.
That series of events prompted legendary coach Bill Parcells to retire from coaching for good.
What were the odds that Dallas, a running and defensive team, squandered a seven point lead with possession of the ball and less than seven minutes left in the game?
Patrick Crayton Gives Up On Route
The 2007 season was a magical one for the Cowboys. They finished 13-3 in the first year under Wade Phillips.
As the number one seed, Dallas earned a first round bye. A bye that was infamously spent by Romo and Witten in Cabo San Lucas.
We will never know if that affected them in the upset loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants.
What we do know is Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo held Dallas and their second ranked offense to only 17 points in Texas Stadium.
Dallas had every opportunity to win this game, including late in the 4th quarter.
Driving for the go-ahead touchdown, Romo and the offense faced a 3rd & 11 from the Giants 23 yard line with 21 seconds left.
Romo looked off the safety, and fired the ball into the back corner of the endzone.
Intended receiver Patrick Crayton inexplicably stopped running his route, and the ball hit the turf.
Had he kept running, that would have been a sure touchdown. Pure misfortune.
What are the odds that the NFL's second highest scoring team scores only 17 points at home, and loses the game on a poorly executed route?
Dez Catches it Before the Rule Change
Out of all the unfortunate events on this list, this one definitely hurts the most.
The 2014 season was a unique one.
For the first time since becoming a starter, Romo had a team that didn't rely solely on his arm for success.
DeMarco Murray led the NFL with 1,845 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
The reincarnation of The Great Wall of Dallas featuring Tyron Smith, Ron Leary, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and Doug Free made them a run-first team.
Leading 14-7 with the first half winding down, Dallas drove down the field with the hopes of leaving no time for Aaron Rodgers to respond.
With 48 seconds left in the half, Romo completed a pass to Witten on 2nd & 7 that was ruled a first down. Replay overturned the ruling.
An incomplete pass setup 4th & 1. False start was called on the long snapper.
Now 4th & 6, Dan Bailey's 50 yard attempt is blocked. Misfortune number one.
Rodgers then does Rodgers things and sets up Mason Crosby for a field goal to end the half.
Instead of a 17-7 lead at the half, Dallas only leads 14-10.
In their first possession of the 3rd quarter, DeMarco Murray takes a handoff and has a hole a Brinks truck can drive through.
What would have been a sure touchdown and a 21-10 lead, instead was a strip and recovery by Julius Peppers. Misfortune number two.
Late in the 4th quarter, and down 26-21, Romo leads the offense down the field to face a 4th & 1 from the Packers' 32 yard line.
Here comes a deep pass in man coverage to Dez Bryant. The rest is history. Misfortune number three.
What are the odds Dan Bailey has a kick blocked after not having one blocked all season?
What are the odds that the best running back in the NFL fumbles on a sure touchdown run?
What are the odds one of the best wide receivers in the NFL makes a catch that is overturned because he tried too hard to score?
3rd & 20
Guess who? It's Aaron Rodgers again. This time breaking Cowboys fans hearts in AT&T Stadium.
I can never forget this day. January 15, 2017. I watched this game in the hospital shortly after the birth of my youngest child.
The 2016 season was an incredible one led by rookie tandem Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
They appeared to have rookie jitters in their first playoff game. Rodgers took full advantage and led Green Bay to a quick 21-3 lead.
Prescott and the Cowboys stormed back to tie the game at 28 with 4:08 left in the 4th quarter.
Rodgers and the Packers were moving the ball down the field.
On the first play after the two minute warning, Rodgers threw a pass up the right sideline that was intercepted by Jeff Heath.
It was waved off by a very iffy defensive pass interference call on Anthony Brown. Misfortune number one.
A five yard tackle for loss seemingly pushed the Packers out of field goal range.
They trotted out Mason Crosby anyway, and he hit a 56 yard field goal.
Down 31-28 inside of two minutes, Prescott showed the poise of a veteran to setup Dan Bailey for a game-tying 50 yard field goal.
Knotted up at 31 with just 35 seconds left in regulation, the Packers faced a 3rd & 20 after a huge sack by Jeff Heath.
Any other quarterback would have fumbled, but of course, Aaron Rodgers. Misfortune number two.
Next came the roll out to the left and the 3rd & 20 strike to Jared Cook. Misfortune number three.
Out comes Mason Crosby for a 51 yard game winning field goal attempt. It's good.
What are the odds that an offense notorious for fast starts and ball control score only three points in the first quarter?
What are the odds that a defense averaging 19.1 opponent points per game allows 34 in a home game?
What are the odds that a kicker makes not one, but two 50+ yard field goals after only hitting 1 of 2 from that distance in the regular season?
Dak Slides to 0:00
The most recent heartbreak in Cowboys' fans memories is the Wildcard loss to the 49ers in 2021.
San Francisco controlled the game from the jump. It didn't get exciting until the Cowboys closed the gap to 23-17 in the 4th quarter.
Needing a 3rd down stop to get the ball back, Leighton Vander-Esch made an incredible open field tackle on Deebo Samuel one yard short of the marker.
On the ensuing drive starting from the 16 yard line, Prescott completed a 38 yard pass to Dalton Schultz to the 49ers 46 yard line.
That's where the drive stalled. A sack and two straight incompletions setup a huge 4th & 11 from the 47.
San Francisco brought a blitz right up the middle.
Prescott was forced to shift to his right and throw up a prayer off his back foot downfield to Cedrick Wilson.
The pass was underthrown, and Wilson was mere inches away from securing the catch before the ball hit the ground. Misfortune number one.
With now 1:42 left in regulation, the Cowboys defense needed yet another stop.
On a 2nd & 9 play, Randy Gregory was called for defensive holding when he unnecessarily tackled a 49ers offensive lineman.
Instead of a 3rd & 10 play with two timeouts left, the 49ers got a fresh set of downs.
It was the 14th penalty of the day on the Cowboys. Misfortune number two.
The defense eventually got the stop to force a punt.
However, Dak would have only 32 seconds instead of approximately 1:25, and most importantly, zero timeouts to go 75 yards.
The 49ers played prevent defense.
Prescott moved the ball to the 49ers 40 yard line in just three plays covering 18 seconds.
Next came perhaps the most controversial play call in Cowboys playoff history.
With 14 seconds left, Kellen Moore called a quarterback draw with the middle of the field wide open.
Prescott slid down at the 25 yard line, and attempted to spike the ball for one more play. The clock hit zeroes before the snap.
Many blamed the referee for not spotting the ball quickly enough, but several Cowboys impeded his progress to spot the ball. Season over.
What are the odds a wide receiver would be mere inches away from catching an underthrown, but catchable ball?
What are the odds the Cowboys would have the most penalties in playoff history, with the last coming at the most inopportune time?
What are the odds that the leader on the field would fail to hand the ball to the official in the most crucial moment when each second is precious?
There is only one conclusion to all of this. The Cowboys are cursed until Jimmy Johnson gets the recognition from the franchise that he deserves.
Jerry, do the right thing. Put Jimmy Johnson in the Ring of Honor and end this madness.
