Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 55

It is Day 55 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.

Get ready for an emotional entry for Day 55 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the most soul touching nights in Cowboys history. This was the final game ever played at Texas Stadium, the building with the hole in the roof and decades of Cowboys memories attached to it. Dallas had a playoff push, a national stage, and a postgame ceremony ready to honor the old stadium.

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Saturday, December 20, 2008 — 8:15 p.m. ET

Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Final Score: Baltimore Ravens 33, Dallas Cowboys 24

The Cowboys actually started the night the right way. DeMarcus Ware forced a Joe Flacco fumble on Baltimore’s opening possession, and Dallas quickly turned the short field into a two-yard Tashard Choice touchdown. For a moment, it looked like the stadium might get the storybook ending everyone wanted.

But Baltimore slowly took control. Matt Stover kept stacking field goals, hitting four on the night, and the Ravens led 9-7 at halftime despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. In the third quarter, Flacco found Derrick Mason for a 13-yard touchdown, pushing Baltimore ahead 16-7 and putting Dallas in chase mode.

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The fourth quarter is what made the game unforgettable, and painful. Nick Folk cut the deficit to 16-10, then Stover answered to make it 19-10. Tony Romo finally gave Dallas life with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens, trimming Baltimore’s lead to 19-17 with 3:50 left. The Cowboys needed one defensive stop to give Texas Stadium one last chance at a miracle.

Instead, the Ravens delivered one of the cruelest closing stretches Dallas has ever allowed. Willis McGahee broke free for a 77-yard touchdown run to make it 26-17. Romo answered again, finding Jason Witten for a 21-yard touchdown that cut the score to 26-24 with 1:36 left. Then, on Baltimore’s very next offensive snap, Le’Ron McClain ripped off an 82-yard touchdown run, sealing the game and silencing the old stadium for good.

Romo threw for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Choice gave Dallas a tough 90 rushing yards and the opening score. But the Cowboys could not overcome the late defensive collapse. Baltimore ran for 265 yards as a team, with McClain and McGahee both going over 100 yards, and the two backbreaking fourth-quarter runs became the lasting football memory of Texas Stadium’s final night.

This game belongs on the countdown because it was the end of an era. Texas Stadium opened in 1971, hosted championship teams, Hall of Famers, playoff classics, Thanksgiving memories, and some of the most iconic moments in franchise history. The Cowboys did not get the farewell they wanted, but the night still matters because it closed the book on the most famous home the franchise has ever had. And that is always worth remembering, making the game a hugely iconic moment in franchise history. We will never forget you Texas Stadium.