It is Day 61 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.
Here we go for Day 61 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the defining games of the Amari Cooper era. The Cowboys had traded a first-round pick to Oakland for Cooper in October, a move that was questioned heavily at the time. By early December, nobody in Dallas was questioning it anymore. Against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, Cooper delivered one of the great receiver performances in franchise history and walked off Philadelphia in overtime.
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Sunday, December 9, 2018 — 4:25 p.m. ET
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 29, Philadelphia Eagles 23 — Overtime
For much of the afternoon, this did not look like a shootout. The first half was all field goals, with Brett Maher giving Dallas a 6-0 halftime lead. The Cowboys moved the ball, but penalties, turnovers, and red-zone issues kept the Eagles alive. Maher’s biggest swing came right before halftime, when he drilled a 62-yard field goal, setting a Cowboys franchise record at the time.
The game finally opened up in the second half. Philadelphia tied it at 9-9, but Prescott and Cooper started taking over late. In the fourth quarter, Prescott found Cooper for a 28-yard touchdown to put Dallas ahead 16-9. The Eagles answered to tie it, and then Dallas hit the explosive play that made Cooper look worth every bit of the trade cost. On the first play of the Cowboys’ next possession, Prescott found Cooper down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 23-16 lead.
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Philadelphia still would not go quietly. Carson Wentz answered with a late touchdown drive, eventually tying the game 23-23 and forcing overtime. The Eagles had shown plenty of fight, but the extra period belonged to Dallas. Prescott marched the Cowboys downfield on the opening possession, and on the final play, he threw once more to Cooper. Eagles corner Rasul Douglas tipped the pass, but the ball bounced right into Cooper’s hands near the 7-yard line. Cooper gathered it, walked into the end zone, and AT&T Stadium erupted.
Cooper’s final line was ridiculous with 10 catches, 217 yards, and three touchdowns. He had the 28-yard go-ahead score, the 75-yard lightning strike, and the overtime winner off the deflection. Ezekiel Elliott was just as important to the shape of the game, rushing for 114 yards on 28 carries while adding 79 receiving yards on 12 catches.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was the moment Cooper’s arrival fully transformed the 2018 season. Dallas had started 3-5, then won five straight after the Monday night loss to Tennessee, and this overtime win effectively gave the Cowboys control of the NFC East. It was a rivalry game, a playoff-race game, a revenge game against the defending champions, and a signature moment for one of the best midseason trades in franchise history.
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Interesting Facts About the Game
Amari Cooper’s 217 receiving yards were a career high, and his three touchdowns all came after halftime.
Countdown To Kickoff by day:
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62
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