After an impressive 2014 campaign – despite the controversial ending – the Cowboys were looking to finally take the next step in 2015.
Unfortunately, they took one giant step backward instead.
The draft went well for the Cowboys though it potentially could have been much better.
Dallas landed cornerback Brandon Jones in the first round. They got five solid seasons from him before he left in free agency.
If the Cowboys knew then what they know now they probably wouldn’t have selected Randy Gregory in the second round.
The troubled player from Nebraska was hampered by injuries and suspensions via failed drug tests. He eventually departed for Denver.
Three picks later, Seattle took defensive end Frank Clark, who has had a much better NFL career.
Dallas did get linebacker Rolando McClain via trade, but lost DeMarco Murray to the Eagles via free agency. That transaction led to Dallas signing Darren McFadden.
Solid 2-0 Start
Hosting the Giants in a Sunday night season opener, the Cowboys trailed 16-6 with just under 10 minutes left. A Cole Beasley fumble had been returned 57 yards for the game’s lone touchdown.
Tony Romo would hit Gavin Escobar for a short touchdown to make it 16-13 going into the final quarter.
A Giants’ touchdown run and a field goal, sandwiched around a short Romo to Jason Witten touchdown pass had Dallas down 26-20 with 94 seconds remaining.
Romo hit four of his next five passes to drive Dallas to the Giants’ 11 with 17 seconds remaining. On third-and-two, Romo hit Witten again for the game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass.
The following week, the Cowboys met Murray and the Eagles in Philadelphia. The former Cowboy was held to two yards on 13 attempts.
Following a blocked punt for a touchdown, Dallas was up 13-0 with just under 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
On second-and-11 from the Eagles’ 33 Romo dropped back to pass and was sacked by Jordan Hicks. He fumbled the ball and Fletcher Cox recovered for Philadelphia.
Romo did not get back up. He had broken his left collar bone. Brandon Weeden would take over and hit all seven of his passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas would go on to win the game 20-10 to go to 2-0 on the season. Romo would miss the next seven games and the Cowboys’ season would go down in flames.
Quarterback Carousel
With Weeden starting the next week, the Cowboys jumped out to a 14-point lead over the Falcons three different times. But Atlanta scored the final 22 points for a 39-28 victory.
Weeden rallied Dallas with a late touchdown pass to tie the Saints at 20. Drew Brees drove New Orleans to the Cowboys’ 12 with 16 seconds left.
But a 30-yard field goal to win the game was missed, sending the team into overtime. On the second play of overtime, Brees hit C.J. Spiller for an 80-yard touchdown to win the game.
A 30-6 loss to the Patriots followed. Weeden’s three-game run as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback was over.
After a bye week, Matt Cassel took over as the starter. But the Cowboys suffered four more close losses.
The Giants (27-20), the Seahawks (13-12), the Eagles (33-27 in OT), and the Buccaneers (10-6) extended Dallas’ losing streak to seven straight.
Romo Returns
At 2-7, Dallas would need to run the table to make the playoffs. They had yet to play the Redskins – who would win the NFC East with a 9-7 record.
With that slim hope in mind, Romo returned from his injury and started against the Dolphins in Miami. Despite tossing two interceptions, Romo guided Dallas to a 24-14 win.
But on Thanksgiving Day, turkeys weren’t the only thing getting cooked. The undefeated Panthers rolled into Arlington and stormed out to a 30-6 lead.
On the final play of the third quarter, trailing by 24 points in a game he’d already thrown three interceptions in, Romo dropped back to pass.
He was sacked for the first time in the game by Thomas Davis. Once again in 2015, Romo did not get up off the turf.
Romo had re-injured his collarbone. He would not take another regular season snap inside AT&T Stadium again.
Cowboys’ Gooses Cooked
Cassel returned to the starting role the following week and kept Dallas’ very slim playoff hopes alive with a 19-16 win over the Redskins.
But that would be Cassel’s lone win of the season. A 28-7 loss at Green Bay and a 19-16 loss at home to the Jets officially ended any postseason hopes.
The Jets’ game was also Cassel’s last start as he was replaced in the second quarter by Kellen Moore.
The soon-to-be offensive coordinator for the Cowboys started the final two games of the season.
Moore, the fourth starting quarterback for the year, was ineffective in a 16-6 loss at Buffalo. But he threw for 435 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-23 loss to the Redskins to end the season.
Dallas finished 4-12 in 2015 and could only look forward to 2016 and the return of a fully-healed Romo.
The Cowboys would get the rebound season they were looking for. Just not quite the way they had imagined it.