Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 72

It is Day 72 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.

We’re now at Day 72 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We revisit the explosive beginning of one of the Cowboys’ best regular seasons of the modern era. Dallas opened 2007 at home against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, with Wade Phillips making his Cowboys head-coaching debut and Tony Romo beginning his first full season as the starter.

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Sunday, September 9, 2007 — 8:15 p.m. ET

Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 45, New York Giants 35

The Giants landed the first punch. Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress for a 60-yard touchdown early in the first quarter, though the extra-point attempt failed. Dallas answered with a Nick Folk field goal, then took control in the second quarter. Marion Barber converted a fourth-and-1 into an 18-yard touchdown run, and Romo later found Jason Witten for a 12-yard score to put the Cowboys up 17-6.

New York refused to go away. Manning and Burress connected again before halftime, and Lawrence Tynes added a late field goal to cut Dallas’ lead to 17-16 at the break. The third quarter, though, belonged to Romo. He hit Terrell Owens for a 22-yard touchdown, then later ran one in himself from nine yards out to stretch the Cowboys’ lead to 31-19.

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The fourth quarter turned into a fantastic battle. Tynes hit another field goal, Romo answered with a 47-yard touchdown to Owens, and then the Giants stormed back with touchdown passes to Derrick Ward and Burress. Suddenly, a 38-22 Dallas lead had been cut to 38-35 with just over four minutes left. For a season opener, this had already become a full-blown NFC East shootout.

But it was Romo who delivered the final answer. Romo found Sam Hurd for a 51-yard touchdown with 3:11 remaining, pushing Dallas ahead by 10 points and effectively sealing the game. It was Romo’s fourth touchdown pass of the night, and it gave the Cowboys the closing statement they needed in a 45-35 win.

Romo threw for 345 yards, four touchdowns, and a 128.5 passer rating. Witten caught all six of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. Owens caught only three passes, but two went for touchdowns. On the other side, Manning threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns, while Burress torched Dallas for eight catches, 144 yards, and three scores. It was not a defensive masterpiece, but it was high-level rivalry entertainment.

This game belongs on the countdown because it set the tone for the 2007 Cowboys. Dallas would finish 13-3, win the NFC East, and earn the top seed in the NFC. The Giants, of course, would eventually get revenge in the playoffs and go on to win the Super Bowl, which gives this opener even more historical texture. But on this September night, the Cowboys looked like the division’s measuring stick, and Romo looked ready to lead one of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses.