It is Day 87 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 87 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, where we revisit one of the most complete late-season performances of the Jason Garrett era. The Cowboys entered this Week 15 matchup in a strange place where the team looked talented enough to believe, inconsistent enough to frustrate everyone, and coming off another rough December stretch. Across the field were the defending NFC champions Los Angeles Rams, still fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. Dallas needed a statement, and for one afternoon at AT&T Stadium, it absolutely delivered.
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Sunday, December 15, 2019 — 4:25 p.m. ET
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 44, Los Angeles Rams 21
The Cowboys struck first with a long, methodical 15-play, 90-yard drive that ended with Dak Prescott finding Jason Witten for a 19-yard touchdown. The Rams answered early in the second quarter when Jared Goff hit Todd Gurley for a two-yard score, but that only tied the game briefly. Dallas immediately responded with one of the highlights of the day. Prescott escaped pressure and found former Ram Tavon Austin wide open for a 59-yard touchdown to put the Cowboys back ahead 14-7.
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From there, Dallas took over. After a Rams punt pinned the Cowboys at their own three-yard line, Dallas marched 97 yards in eight plays, burning nearly eight minutes off the clock before Ezekiel Elliott finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown. Then Sean Lee intercepted Goff and returned the ball deep into Rams territory, setting up another Elliott touchdown. In a single quarter, a 7-7 game had become a 28-7 Cowboys halftime lead.
The second half was mostly about Dallas refusing to let the Rams back in. Kai Forbath added field goals from 50 and 42 yards to stretch the lead, then added another 42-yarder in the fourth. Los Angeles scored late through Gurley and Cooper Kupp, but Tony Pollard slammed the door with a 44-yard touchdown run, giving Dallas its final points in a 44-21 rout.
The numbers were exactly what Cowboys fans had wanted to see all season. Prescott threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Elliott rushed for 117 yards and two scores. Pollard added 131 rushing yards and the late touchdown. Dallas ran for 263 yards as a team, while the defense held the Rams to just 22 rushing yards. Against a Sean McVay offense that had represented the NFC in the previous Super Bowl, that was domination.
This game belongs on the countdown because it was the 2019 Cowboys at their best. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, the run game punished a playoff-caliber opponent, Prescott made explosive plays, Witten delivered a vintage moment, and the defense created a key turnover. The season ultimately did not become what it should have, but this win showed why so many people kept believing the roster was capable of more.
Interesting Facts About the Game
The game began with a bizarre coin-toss controversy. Prescott’s wording initially created confusion over whether Dallas had chosen to kick rather than defer, which could have allowed the Rams to receive both halves. The issue was corrected, and Dallas received the second-half kickoff.
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Countdown To Kickoff by day:
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88
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