2021 Dallas Cowboys season

The 2021 season is the Dallas Cowboys' 62nd season in the National Football League, the 33rd under the ownership of Jerry Jones, the thirteenth playing home games at AT&T Stadium and the second under head coach Mike McCarthy.

2021 Dallas Cowboys season
OwnerJerry Jones
Head coachMike McCarthy
General managerJerry Jones
Home fieldAT&T Stadium
Results
Record9–4
Division place1st NFC East
Uniform

For the first time since 2004, long-time long snapper L. P. Ladouceur was not on the opening day roster, as he was not re-signed during free agency.[1] This is also the first time since 2010 that long-time punter Chris Jones was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on March 17, 2021.[2] To further add to the notable departures, for the first time since 2011, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on March 25, 2021.[3] Additionally, for the first time since 2009, linebacker Sean Lee was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement on April 26, 2021.[4]

With their Week 10 win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Cowboys are ensured an improvement from the previous season. With their Week 14 win against the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys clinched their first winning season since 2018.

On July 2, 2021, the Cowboys were announced to be featured on HBO's Hard Knocks for the third time in franchise history.[5]

Offseason

Signings
Position Player Age 2020 team Contract
RBCorey Clement27Philadelphia Eagles1 year, $990,000
TEJeremy Sprinkle27Washington Football Team1 year, $987,500
OTTy Nsekhe36Buffalo Bills1 year, $1.75 million
DEBrent Urban30Chicago Bears1 year, $1.75 million
DTCarlos Watkins28Houston Texans1 year, $1.75 million
LBTarell Basham27New York Jets2 years, $6.5 million
FSMalik Hooker25Indianapolis Colts1 year, $920,000
FSDamontae Kazee28Atlanta Falcons1 year, $1.127 million
SSJayron Kearse27Detroit Lions1 year, $1.127 million
SSKeanu Neal26Atlanta Falcons1 year, $5 million
PBryan Anger33Houston Texans1 year, $987,500
LSJacob McQuaide34Los Angeles Rams1 year, $1.2 million

Re-Signings
Position Player Age Contract
QBDak Prescott284 years, $160 million
WRNoah Brown251 year, $1.127 million
WRMalik Turner251 year, $920,000
WRCedrick Wilson Jr.261 year, $2.1 million
CBC. J. Goodwin312 years, $3.5 million
CBJourdan Lewis263 years, $16.5 million

Departures
Position Player Age 2021 team
QBAndy Dalton33Chicago Bears
QBGarrett Gilbert30New England Patriots
FBJamize Olawale32TBD
WRJon'Vea Johnson26TBD
WRChris Lacy25TBD
TEBlake Bell30Kansas City Chiefs
TECole Hikutini27TBD
OTCameron Erving29Carolina Panthers
OTBrandon Knight24Baltimore Ravens
OTGreg Senat27Indianapolis Colts
CMarcus Henry28Arizona Cardinals
CJoe Looney31Retired
CAdam Redmond28Baltimore Ravens
DERon'Dell Carter24Arizona Cardinals
DETyrone Crawford32Retired
DEAldon Smith32TBD
DTEli Ankou27Buffalo Bills
DTAntwaun Woods28Indianapolis Colts
LBSean Lee35Retired
LBJustin March28TBD
LBJaylon Smith26TBD
LBJoe Thomas30Baltimore Ravens
CBChidobe Awuzie26Cincinnati Bengals
FSXavier Woods26Minnesota Vikings
PChris Jones32TBD
LSL. P. Ladouceur40TBD

Draft
Main article: 2021 NFL Draft
2021 Dallas Cowboys Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
112 Micah ParsonsLBPenn State
244 Kelvin JosephCBKentucky
375 Osa OdighizuwaDTUCLA
84 Chauncey GolstonDEIowa
99 * Nahshon WrightCBOregon State
4115 Jabril CoxLBLSU
138 * Josh BallOTMarshall
5178 * Simi FehokoWRStanford
6192 Quinton BohannaDTKentucky
227 * Israel MukuamuCBSouth Carolina
7238 Matt FarniokOGNebraska
* Compensatory selection
Notes
  • The Cowboys were awarded one third-round, one fourth-round, one fifth-round and one sixth-round compensatory picks (99th, 138th, 178th and 225th overall).
  • The Cowboys traded its first-round selection (10th overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for first- and third-round selections (12th and 84th overall).

Staff
Dallas Cowboys staff
Front office
  • Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones
  • COO/Executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones
  • Senior director of football operations/football administration – Todd Williams
  • Director of salary cap & player contracts – Adam Prasifka
  • Vice president player personnel – Will McClay
  • Director of college scouting – Lionel Vital
  • Director of pro scouting – Alex Loomis
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Chris Hall
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
  
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
  • Strength and conditioning – Harold Nash
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Kendall Smith

→ Coaching staff and management
→ More NFL staffs

AFC East
BUF
MIA
NE
NYJ
North
BAL
CIN
CLE
PIT
South
HOU
IND
JAX
TEN
West
DEN
KC
LV
LAC
NFC East
DAL
NYG
PHI
WAS
North
CHI
DET
GB
MIN
South
ATL
CAR
NO
TB
West
ARI
LAR
SF
SEA

Current roster
Dallas Cowboys roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists

Practice squad


Rookies in italics

Roster updated December 14, 2021

52 active, 13 inactive, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt)

→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Preseason

On February 15, the NFL announced that the Cowboys would face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 5, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game kicked off at 7:00 p.m. CDT, and was televised by Fox. The Cowboys were represented by head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris. The Cowboys and Steelers were scheduled to play in the 2020 Hall of Fame game; however, the game, the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement, along with the entire 2020 preseason, were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers was rescheduled for 2021.[6][7]

The remainder of the Cowboys' preseason opponents are listed below; the schedule was announced on May 13.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
HOF August 5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–16 0–1 Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Recap
1 August 13 at Arizona Cardinals L 16–19 0–2 State Farm Stadium Recap
2 August 21 Houston Texans L 14–20 0–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
3 August 29 Jacksonville Jaguars L 14–34 0–4 AT&T Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Cowboys' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.

Week Date Time (CT) Opponent Result Record Venue TV Recap
1 September 9 7:20 p.m. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 29–31 0–1 Raymond James Stadium NBC/Peacock Recap
2 September 19 3:25 p.m. at Los Angeles Chargers W 20–17 1–1 SoFi Stadium CBS Recap
3 September 27 7:15 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles W 41–21 2–1 AT&T Stadium ESPN/WFAA Recap
4 October 3 12:00 p.m. Carolina Panthers W 36–28 3–1 AT&T Stadium Fox Recap
5 October 10 3:25 p.m. New York Giants W 44–20 4–1 AT&T Stadium Fox Recap
6 October 17 3:25 p.m. at New England Patriots W 35–29 (OT) 5–1 Gillette Stadium CBS Recap
7 Bye
8 October 31 7:20 p.m. at Minnesota Vikings W 20–16 6–1 U.S. Bank Stadium NBC Recap
9 November 7 12:00 p.m. Denver Broncos L 16–30 6–2 AT&T Stadium Fox Recap
10 November 14 12:00 p.m. Atlanta Falcons W 43–3 7–2 AT&T Stadium Fox Recap
11 November 21 3:25 p.m. at Kansas City Chiefs L 9–19 7–3 Arrowhead Stadium Fox Recap
12 November 25 3:30 p.m. Las Vegas Raiders L 33–36 (OT) 7–4 AT&T Stadium CBS Recap
13 December 2 7:20 p.m. at New Orleans Saints W 27–17 8–4 Caesars Superdome Fox/NFLN/
Prime Video		 Recap
14 December 12 12:00 p.m. at Washington Football Team W 27–20 9–4 FedExField Fox Recap
15 December 19 12:00 p.m. at New York Giants MetLife Stadium Fox
16 December 26 7:20 p.m. Washington Football Team AT&T Stadium NBC
17 January 2 12:00 p.m. Arizona Cardinals AT&T Stadium Fox
18 January 9 12:00 p.m. at Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field Fox

Notes:

  • Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
  • Networks and times from Weeks 16–18 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
  • Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 9 10329
Buccaneers 7 14 7331

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Dak Prescott played his first game since he suffered compound fracture and dislocation injuries to his right ankle during a Week 5 game against the Giants the previous season. The Cowboys defense forced four turnovers but Greg Zuerlein missed crucial field goals, including a 60-yarder and an extra point. The Cowboys would fall to 0–1.

Week 2: at Los Angeles Chargers
Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 14 0 0620
Chargers 3 8 3317

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

The Cowboys started the game with a 14–3 lead. The Chargers would later tie the game. The Cowboys and Chargers would each score a field goal in the next scoring drives. In the last seconds of the game, the Cowboys would march down the field to the Chargers' 38 yard line. Greg Zuerlein would kick a 56-yard field goal to give Dallas a crucial win. The win improved the Cowboys to 1–1. This was the Cowboys' first win over the Chargers since 2005.

Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Eagles 7 0 7721
Cowboys 14 6 71441

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys continued their home streak against the Eagles. Despite Dak Prescott's early hiccup by fumbling to allow the Eagles to score, Prescott would respond by leading his team to running over the Eagles defense. Trevon Diggs would record a pick-six off Jalen Hurts to tighten the Cowboys' lead. It was the first time since Week 8 of 2017 that the Cowboys would record a pick-six. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 2-1.

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 4: Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Panthers 7 7 01428
Cowboys 7 6 20336

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Cowboys continued to roll. The Cowboys trailed 14-13 at halftime, but they exploded in the second half. The third quarter began with Zane Gonzalez missing a field goal, which the Cowboys would take advantage by marching down the field to score a touchdown on the next drive. The Cowboys scored 23 unanswered points to take a 36–14 lead. Trevon Diggs recorded two interceptions off Panthers' Sam Darnold, giving Diggs a recorded 5 interceptions in the first 4 games. The Panthers scored the final 14 points, but the Cowboys would get a first down in the last minutes to run out the clock. This win improved the Cowboys to 3–1. This was the Cowboys' first win over the Panthers since 2012.

Week 5: vs. New York Giants
Week 5: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Giants 0 10 3720
Cowboys 3 14 101744

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys play their second consecutive Week 5 home game against the Giants. Unlike the previous season's matchup, Dak Prescott finished the game without suffering an injury. The game began with Dak Prescott throwing an interception and losing a fumble, neither turnover of which the Cowboys would allow the Giants to score. The Cowboys never once trailed despite allowing New York to tie the game. Afterwards, it was all Dallas the rest of the way. The Cowboys scored two more takeaways, one of which was a pick six collected by Anthony Brown to seal the win for the Cowboys. This win improved the Cowboys to 4–1. This was the first time since 2018 that they would win 4 or more consecutive games.

Week 6: at New England Patriots
Week 6: Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Cowboys 7 3 712635
Patriots 14 0 015029

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: October 17
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys scored the 2,500th touchdown in franchise history with Dak Prescott's 1-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game. With the overtime win not only did the Cowboys improve to 5-1, but they also got their first win over the Patriots since 1996, and their first in New England since 1987.

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 3 10720
Vikings 7 3 3316

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,633
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Dak Prescott was declared inactive before the game due to a calf strain, which meant Cooper Rush would make his first career start. Though the Cowboys' defense would allow an opening-drive touchdown and didn't collect any takeaways, they frustrated the Vikings' offense all game and only allowed three field goals the rest of the game. The Cowboys won the game in the final minute when Rush connected with Amari Cooper for a five-yard touchdown pass. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 6-1. This was the Cowboys' second consecutive win over the Vikings and they are now 3-0 at U.S. Bank Stadium. This was the first time the Cowboys won six games in a row since 2016.

Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 9: Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Broncos 6 10 31130
Cowboys 0 0 01616

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,503
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Cowboys entered the game as 10-point home favorites. In search of their first win against the Broncos since 1995, the Cowboys struggled throughout the game. The Cowboys recorded their second blocked punt of the season, but they would not pick it up as the Broncos would recover. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6–2, and 0–7 in their last 7 matchups against the Broncos.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 0 003
Cowboys 7 29 7043

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 93,436
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book

The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys offense combined for 43 points off of 431 yards. The scoring began with CeeDee Lamb hauling in Dak Prescott's pass for a touchdown to give the Cowboys the early lead. The Falcons would respond with a field goal for their lone scoring play of the game. Afterwards, the Cowboys would put up 36 unanswered points. As the Cowboys led 36–3, the Cowboys would intercept the Falcons three times in three drives. One of those interceptions was by Trevon Diggs, who had not intercepted a pass since Week 6 against the Patriots. With this win, the Cowboys improved to 7–2.

Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 11: Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 0 339
Chiefs 9 7 3019

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 73,494
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Thanksgiving Day games

Week 12: Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Raiders 14 3 106336
Cowboys 6 7 614033

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 93,483
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 6 7727
Saints 0 7 3717

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 69,170
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Prime Video): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: at Washington Football Team
Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 18 6 3027
Washington 0 0 81220

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,308
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at New York Giants
Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 000
Giants 0 0 000

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Division
NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Dallas Cowboys 9 4 0 .692 3–0 7–1 380 287 W2
Washington Football Team 6 7 0 .462 1–1 5–3 266 324 L1
Philadelphia Eagles 6 7 0 .462 0–2 4–4 337 291 W1
New York Giants 4 9 0 .308 1–2 3–5 232 310 L2

Conference
NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1[lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North 10 3 0 .769 3–1 8–2 .479 .462 W2
2[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 10 3 0 .769 2–1 6–3 .503 .492 W4
3[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Arizona Cardinals West 10 3 0 .769 4–1 6–3 .485 .446 L1
4 Dallas Cowboys East 9 4 0 .692 3–0 7–1 .521 .479 W2
Wild cards
5 Los Angeles Rams West 9 4 0 .692 2–2 6–3 .482 .389 W2
6 San Francisco 49ers West 7 6 0 .538 1–4 5–5 .488 .390 W1
7[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] Washington Football Team East 6 7 0 .462 1–1 5–3 .544 .462 L1
In the hunt
8[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 5] Minnesota Vikings North 6 7 0 .462 2–1 4–4 .506 .462 W1
9[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] Philadelphia Eagles East 6 7 0 .462 0–2 4–4 .482 .365 W1
10[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 7] Atlanta Falcons South 6 7 0 .462 2–3 3–6 .479 .333 W1
11[lower-alpha 7] New Orleans Saints South 6 7 0 .462 1–2 4–5 .527 .551 W1
12[lower-alpha 8] Carolina Panthers South 5 8 0 .385 2–1 3–6 .467 .415 L3
13[lower-alpha 8] Seattle Seahawks West 5 8 0 .385 2–2 2–6 .518 .385 W2
14[lower-alpha 9] New York Giants East 4 9 0 .308 1–2 3–5 .550 .442 L2
15[lower-alpha 9] Chicago Bears North 4 9 0 .308 2–2 2–6 .553 .308 L2
Eliminated from postseason contention
16 Detroit Lions North 1 11 1 .115 1–4 1–7 .518 .462 L1
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 10]
  1. Green Bay wins tiebreaker over Tampa Bay and Arizona based on conference record.
  2. Tampa Bay wins tiebreaker over Arizona based on strength of victory.
  3. Washington wins tiebreaker over Atlanta and Minnesota based on conference record. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Philadelphia and New Orleans (see below).
  4. Washington wins tiebreaker over Philadelphia based on division record.
  5. Atlanta drops out of the tiebreak with Philadelphia and Minnesota based on conference record; Minnesota wins tiebreaker over Philadelphia based on common record.
  6. Philadelphia wins tiebreaker over Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate New Orleans (see below).
  7. Atlanta wins tiebreaker over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  8. Carolina wins tiebreaker over Seattle based on conference record.
  9. NY Giants wins tiebreaker over Chicago based on conference records.
  10. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

References
  1. Walker, Patrik (April 1, 2021). "L.P. Ladouceur 'not thinking about retirement' after Cowboys decide to move on from legendary long snapper". CBSsports.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. Phillips, Rob (March 17, 2021). "Cowboys Release Longtime Punter Chris Jones". dallascowboys.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. "Cowboys DL Tyrone Crawford Retiring from NFL after 9 seasons". Dallasnews.com. March 25, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. Archer, Todd (April 26, 2021). "Dallas Cowboys LB Sean Lee retires after 11 seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. "Dallas Cowboys to be featured in HBO's 2021 'Hard Knocks' series". Fox4News.com. July 2, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  6. Schefter, Adam (June 25, 2020). "Cowboys-Steelers Hall of Fall Game called off; enshrinement ceremony postponed". ESPN. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  7. Williams, Chareen (February 15, 2021). "Unprecedented Hall of Fame weekend will kick off with Cowboys-Steelers". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
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