In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Cowboys have recently struggled in December. This year so far has been so different. Come Sunday we’ll find out if they can totally flip the script on their final act.
The Cowboys are 3-0 this December. They haven’t gone 4-0 in the final month of the season since 1993 on their way to Super Bowl XXVIII.
Dallas is a touchdown favorite against the Redskins in Washington and still has motivation, with the chance to improve its position in the playoffs with a win. But if nothing else, the Cowboys can end their regular season on a high for the first time since the days of Stephen McGee.
The Cowboys have obviously lost their last three finales, all of which were de facto NFC East Championship Games. But the fatal finish trend goes much deeper, with the Cowboys going only 2-12 in the last game of the season since 2000.
Only one of those games was meaningful, the 24-0 victory over the Eagles that clinched the NFC East in 2009. The other: McGee engineering a 14-13 win in Philadelphia in 2010 that capped a 6-10 season.
A look at the Cowboys’ futility in their recent regular-season finales:
- 2000 Loss at Titans 0-31
- 2001 Loss at Lions 10-15
- 2002 Loss at Redskins 14-20
- 2003 Loss at Saints 7-13
- 2004 Loss at Giants 24-28
- 2005 Loss vs. Rams 10-20
- 2006 Loss vs. Lions 31-39
- 2007 Loss at Redskins 6-27
- 2008 Loss at Eagles 6-44
- 2009 Win vs. Eagles 24-0
- 2010 Win at Eagles 14-13
- 2011 Loss at Giants 14-31
- 2012 Loss at Redskins 18-28
- 2013 Loss vs. Eagles 22-24
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
