2011 Dallas Cowboys season

2011 Dallas Cowboys season
2011 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Jerry Jones
General manager	Jerry Jones
Head coach	Jason Garrett
Home field	Cowboys Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	3rd NFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	DT Jay Ratliff; LB DeMarcus Ware
AP All-Pros	DeMarcus Ware (1st team)
Uniform
	← 2010; Cowboys seasons; 2012 →;

The 2011 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL), the third playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the first full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The team improved on their 6–10 record from 2010, but missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season due to their week 17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.^[1]

2011 draft class

2011 Dallas Cowboys Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	9	Tyron Smith	OT	USC
2	40	Bruce Carter	ILB	North Carolina
3	71	DeMarco Murray	RB	Oklahoma
4	110	David Arkin	G	Missouri State
5	143	Josh Thomas	CB	Buffalo
6	176	Dwayne Harris	WR	East Carolina
7	220 ^[a]	Shaun Chapas	FB	Georgia
7	252	Bill Nagy	C	Wisconsin

	Compensatory selection

Notes ^{^[a]} The Cowboys forfeited its original seventh-round selection after selecting defensive tackle Josh Brent in the 2010 Supplemental Draft.

The Cowboys later acquired a new seventh-round selection in a trade that sent wide receiver Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers.^[2]

Schedule

Preseason

The Cowboys' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 11	Denver Broncos	W 24–23	1–0	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
2	August 21	San Diego Chargers	L 7–20	1–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
3	August 27	at Minnesota Vikings	W 23–17	2–1	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Recap
4	September 1	at Miami Dolphins	L 3–17	2–2	Sun Life Stadium	Recap

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	at New York Jets	L 24–27	0–1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	at San Francisco 49ers	W 27–24 (OT)	1–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
3	September 26	Washington Redskins	W 18–16	2–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
4	October 2	Detroit Lions	L 30–34	2–2	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 16	at New England Patriots	L 16–20	2–3	Gillette Stadium	Recap
7	October 23	St. Louis Rams	W 34–7	3–3	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 7–34	3–4	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
9	November 6	Seattle Seahawks	W 23–13	4–4	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
10	November 13	Buffalo Bills	W 44–7	5–4	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
11	November 20	at Washington Redskins	W 27–24 (OT)	6–4	FedExField	Recap
12	November 24	Miami Dolphins	W 20–19	7–4	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
13	December 4	at Arizona Cardinals	L 13–19 (OT)	7–5	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	New York Giants	L 34–37	7–6	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
15	December 17	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 31–15	8–6	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	Philadelphia Eagles	L 7–20	8–7	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	at New York Giants	L 14–31	8–8	MetLife Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: at New York Jets

Week One: Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	3	7	7	24
Jets	0	7	3	17	27

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 11
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 70° F (Cloudy)
Game attendance: 78,702
Referee: Alberto Riveron
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter

DAL - Dez Bryant 3-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:27. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:33.

Second quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal, 3:16. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:47.
NYJ - Dustin Keller 4-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 0:37. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 2:39.

Third quarter

DAL - Miles Austin 36-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:05. Cowboys 17-7. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:40.
NYJ - Nick Folk 34-yard field goal, 4:01. Cowboys 17-10. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:04.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Felix Jones 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:50. Cowboys 24-10. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:10.
NYJ - Plaxico Burress 26-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 11:56. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:54.
NYJ - Isaiah Trufant 18-yard blocked punt return (Nick Folk kick), 5:00. Tied 24-24.
NYJ - Nick Folk 50-yard field goal, 0:27. Jets 27-24. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:22.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo – 23/36, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT
NYJ – Mark Sanchez – 26/44, 335 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – Felix Jones – 17 rushes, 44 yards
NYJ – Shonn Greene – 10 rushes, 26 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Jason Witten – 6 receptions, 110 yards
NYJ – LaDainian Tomlinson – 6 receptions, 73 yards

Top tacklers

DAL – DeMarcus Ware – 4 tackles, 2 sacks
NYJ – Bart Scott – 8 tackles, 1 sack

Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Two: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	0	7	7	10	3	27
49ers	0	14	7	3	0	24

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: September 18
Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Sunny)
Game attendance: 69,732
Referee: Ron Winter
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

SF - Frank Gore 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 11:54. 49ers 7-0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:40.
SF - Kyle Williams 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 6:23. 49ers 14-0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:23.
DAL - Miles Austin 53-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:48. 49ers 14-7. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:17.

Third quarter

DAL - Miles Austin 5-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Dan Bailey kick), 6:50. Tied 14-14. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:09.
SF - Delanie Walker 29-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 0:37. 49ers 21-14. Drive: 1 play, 29 yards, 0:05.

Fourth quarter

SF - David Akers 55-yard field goal, 11:12. 49ers 24-14. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 3:15.
DAL - Miles Austin 25-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:55. 49ers 24-21. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:17.
DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 24-24. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:03.

Overtime

DAL - Dan Bailey 19-yard field goal, 12:07. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:50.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 20/33. 345 yards, 2 TD
SF – Alex Smith - 16/24, 179 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – Felix Jones - 9 carries, 25 yards
SF – Frank Gore - 20 carries, 47 yards, TD

Top receivers

DAL – Miles Austin - 9 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TD
SF – Ted Ginn Jr. - 4 receptions, 38 yards; Delanie Walker - 2 receptions, 38 yards, TD

Top tacklers

DAL – Sean Lee - 10 tackles
SF – NaVorro Bowman - 11 tackles

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Three: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	6	3	7	0	16
Cowboys	3	6	3	6	18

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: September 26
Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C) (retractable roof open)
Game attendance: 91,017
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Ed Werder

Game information

First quarter

WAS – Graham Gano 46-yard field goal, 10:06. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:54.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 5:34. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:32.
WAS – Graham Gano 46-yard field goal, 0:21. Redskins 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:36.

Second quarter

DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 12:20. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:52.
DAL – Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 2:25. Cowboys 9–6. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:57.
WAS – Graham Gano 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 2:25.

Third quarter

WAS – Tim Hightower 1-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 4:00. Redskins 16–9. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:31.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 0:19. Redskins 16–12. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:41.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 6:58. Redskins 16–15. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:28.
DAL – Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal, 1:47. Cowboys 18–16. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.

Top passers

WAS - Rex Grossman - 22/37, 250 yards, TD, INT
DAL - Tony Romo - 22/36, 255 yards, INT

Top rushers

WAS – Tim Hightower – 14 carries, 41 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 14 carries, 115 yards

Top receivers

WAS – Santana Moss – 5 receptions, 70 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant – 4 receptions, 63 yards

Top tacklers

WAS – O.J. Atogwe – 6 tackles; DeAngelo Hall – 6 tackles
DAL – Gerald Sensabaugh – 6 tackles, 1 assist

Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	3	14	17	34
Cowboys	7	13	10	0	30

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: October 2
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 78,122
Referee: John Parry
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Recap
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

DAL – Dez Bryant 25-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 9:28. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:55.

Second quarter

DAL – Dez Bryant 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:58. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:25.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, 6:28. Cowboys 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:48.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, 4:08. Cowboys 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Dan Bailey 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:28.

Third quarter

DAL – Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:23. Cowboys 27–3. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:37.
DET – Bobby Carpenter 34-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 10:12. Cowboys 27–10.
DET – Chris Houston 56-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), 5:34. Cowboys 27–17.
DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 0:37. Cowboys 30–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:57.

Fourth quarter

DET – Calvin Johnson 23-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 13:37. Cowboys 30–24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 51-yard field goal, 4:22. Cowboys 30–27. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 3:14.
DET – Calvin Johnson 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 1:39. Lions 34–30. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:34.

Top passers

DET – Matthew Stafford – 21/43, 240 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo – 34/47, 331 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

DET – Jahvid Best – 11 carries, 47 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 16 carries, 57 yards

Top receivers

DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Laurent Robinson – 7 receptions, 116 yards

Top tacklers

DET – Stephen Tulloch – 10 tackles, 2 assists, INT
DAL – Barry Church – 4 tackles, 1 assist

With their second loss to the Lions at home in five years, the Cowboys fell to 2–2.

Week 6: at New England Patriots

Week Six: Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	7	3	3	16
Patriots	3	10	0	7	20

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: October 16
Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/3:15 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
Game attendance: 68,756
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter

NE - Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 8:41. Patriots 3-0. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:22.
DAL - Dan Bailey 48-yard field goal, 3:16. Tied 3-3. Drive: 4 plays, -7 yards, 1:31.

Second quarter

NE - Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 12:07. Patriots 6-3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:56.
NE - Wes Welker 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:34. Patriots 13-3. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:03.
DAL - Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:33. Patriots 13-10. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:01.

Third quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 22-yard field goal, 5:50. Tied 13-13. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:58.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 26-yard field goal, 5:13. Cowboys 16-13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:55.
NE - Aaron Hernandez 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:22. Patriots 20-16. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:02.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 27/41, 317 yards, TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady - 27/41, 289 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

DAL – DeMarco Murray - 11 carries, 34 yards
NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 14 carries, 58 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Dez Bryant - 4 receptions, 78 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski - 7 receptions, 74 yards

Top tacklers

DAL – Sean Lee - 12 tackles
NE – Kyle Arrington - 11 tackles

The Cowboys' blue uniforms returned after a 1-year hiatus, and they blew a 3-point fourth quarter lead, and lost to the 2011 AFC champion New England Patriots.

Week 7: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Seven: St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	7	0	0	7
Cowboys	7	10	3	14	34

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: October 23
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 80,086
Referee: Alberto Riveron
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch

Game information

First quarter

DAL - DeMarco Murray 91-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:33. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 3 plays, 98 yards, 2:08.

Second quarter

DAL - Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:25. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:14.
STL - Steven Jackson 6-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 7:58. Cowboys 14-7. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:27.
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 0:15. Cowboys 17-7. Drive: 8 plays, 18 yards, 3:19.

Third quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 5:32. Cowboys 20-7. Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 6:50.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Phillip Tanner 6-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 9:22. Cowboys 27-7. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 4:31.
DAL - Dez Bryant 20-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:07. Cowboys 34-7. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 3:17.

Top passers

STL – AJ Feeley - 20/33, 196 yards, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 14/24, 166 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

STL – Steven Jackson - 18 carries, 70 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 25 carries, 253 yards, TD

Top receivers

STL – Brandon Lloyd - 6 receptions, 74 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD

Top tacklers

STL – Quintin Mikell - 10 tackles
DAL – Abram Elam - 8 tackles

This game is notable for DeMarco Murray, in his first NFL start, setting the Cowboys single game rushing record.

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Eight: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	0	0	7	7
Eagles	14	10	3	7	34

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Date: October 30
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C) (Clear)
Game attendance: 69,144
Referee: Gene Steratore
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter

PHI - Jeremy Maclin 12-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 10:41. Eagles 7-0. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:19.
PHI - LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 2:40. Eagles 14-0. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 4:21.

Second quarter

PHI - Brent Celek 9-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 10:13. Eagles 21-0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:00.
PHI - Alex Henery 23-yard field goal, 1:46. Eagles 24-0. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 6:08.

Third quarter

PHI - Alex Henery 26-yard field goal, 5:55. Eagles 27-0. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:28.

Fourth quarter

PHI - LeSean McCoy 13-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 13:21. Eagles 34-0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 6:42.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 70-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:44. Eagles 34-7. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:37.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 18/35, 203 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Michael Vick - 21/28, 279 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

DAL – DeMarco Murray - 8 carries, 74 yards
PHI – LeSean McCoy - 30 carries, 185 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

DAL – Laurent Robinson - 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD
PHI – Brent Celek - 7 receptions, 94 yards, TD

Top tacklers

DAL – DeMarcus Ware - 11 tackles, 4 sacks
PHI – Jamar Chaney - 7 tackles

Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	3	0	7	13
Cowboys	3	3	7	10	23

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: November 6
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 81,510
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio

Game information

First quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 4:25. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 11 plays, 96 yards, 6:02.
SEA - Steven Hauschka 45-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 3-3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:21.

Second quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 20-yard field goal, 10:23. Cowboys 6-3. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 4:41.
SEA - Steven Hauschka 32-yard field goal, 1:03. Tied 6-6. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 5:25.

Third quarter

DAL - Jason Witten 33-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:39. Cowboys 13-6. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:17.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Laurent Robinson 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:10. Cowboys 20-6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:24.
DAL - Dan Bailey 42-yard field goal, 11:23. Cowboys 23-6. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 1:58.
SEA - Marshawn Lynch 4-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:12. Cowboys 23-13. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:10.

Top passers

SEA – Tarvaris Jackson - 17/30, 221 yards, 3 INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 19/31, 279 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

SEA – Marshawn Lynch - 23 rushes, 135 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 22 rushes, 139 yards

Top receivers

SEA – Sidney Rice - 3 receptions, 69 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 4 receptions, 76 yards

Top tacklers

SEA – Earl Thomas - 8 tackles
DAL – Orlando Scandrick - 7 tackles

Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Ten: Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	7	0	0	7
Cowboys	14	14	6	10	44

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: November 13
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 85,157
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Game information

First quarter

DAL - Dez Bryant 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:12. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:48.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:35.

Second quarter

DAL - Laurent Robinson 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:17. Cowboys 21-0. Drive: 1 play, 58 yards, 0:09.
BUF - David Nelson 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick), 8:16. Cowboys 21-7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:01.
DAL - DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:05. Cowboys 28-7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:11.

Third quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 45-yard field goal, 2:25. Cowboys 31-7. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:24.
DAL - Dan Bailey 36-yard field goal, 0:16. Cowboys 34-7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:58.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 31-yard field goal, 5:11. Cowboys 37-7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 7:44.
DAL - Terence Newman 43-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 4:54. Cowboys 44-7.

Top passers

BUF - Ryan Fitzpatrick - 20/31, 146 yards, TD, 3 INT
DAL - Tony Romo - 23/26, 270 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

BUF - Fred Jackson - 13 carries, 144 yards
DAL - DeMarco Murray - 20 carries, 135 yards, TD

Top receivers

BUF - Donald Jones - 6 receptions, 51 yards
DAL - Dez Bryant - 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD

Top tacklers

BUF - Jairus Byrd - 8 tackles, 2 assists; George Wilson - 8 tackles, 2 assists
DAL - Keith Brooking - 5 tackles, 2 assists; Gerald Sensabaugh - 5 tackles, 2 assists
BUF -

Week 11: at Washington Redskins

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	7	3	0	14	3	27
Redskins	0	14	3	7	0	24

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Date: November 20
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Cloudy)
Game attendance: 80,122
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

First quarter

DAL - Dez Bryant 22-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:44. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:55.

Second quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 10:23. Cowboys 10-0. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:14.
WAS - Rex Grossman 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 3:59. Cowboys 10-7. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 3:24.
WAS - Jabar Gaffney 16-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 0:14. Redskins 14-10. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 1:27.

Third quarter

WAS - Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 11:40. Redskins 17-10. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:20.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Laurent Robinson 7-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:43. Tied 17-17. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 6:24.
DAL - Jason Witten 59-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:48. Cowboys 24-17. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 2:22.
WAS - Donte Stallworth 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 0:14. Tied 24-24. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:29.

Overtime

DAL - Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 5:39. Cowboys 27-24. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:41.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 23/37, 292 yards, 3 TD
WAS – Rex Grossman - 25/38, 292 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – DeMarco Murray - 25 carries, 73 yards
WAS – Roy Helu - 8 carries, 35 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Jason Witten - 3 receptions, 85 yards, TD
WAS – Jabar Gaffney - 7 receptions, 115 yards, TD

Top tacklers

DAL – Sean Lee - 10 tackles, 4 assists
WAS – London Fletcher - 16 tackles, 7 assists

Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	3	10	3	19
Cowboys	0	10	0	10	20

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: November 24
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 87,418
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Game information

First quarter

MIA - Shayne Graham 26-yard field goal, 2:42. Dolphins 3-0. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:04.

Second quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 4:38. Tied 3-3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 5:04.
DAL - Laurent Robinson 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:55. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:06.
MIA - Shayne Graham 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 10-6. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 0:55.

Third quarter

MIA - Shayne Graham 27-yard field goal, 8:02. Cowboys 10-9. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 6:58.
MIA - Brandon Marshall 35-yard pass from Matt Moore (Shayne Graham kick), 3:54. Dolphins 16-10. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:20.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Laurent Robinson 18-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 14:31. Cowboys 17-16. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:23.
MIA - Shayne Graham 23-yard field goal, 7:14. Dolphins 19-17. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:17.
DAL - Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 20-19. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:59.

Top passers

MIA – Matt Moore - 19/32, 288 yards, TD
DAL – Tony Romo - 22/34, 226 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

MIA – Reggie Bush - 16 carries, 61 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray - 22 carries, 87 yards

Top receivers

MIA – Brandon Marshall - 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD
DAL – Laurent Robinson - 7 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD

Top tacklers

MIA – Kevin Burnett - 12 tackles, 1 assist
DAL – Anthony Spencer - 9 tackles, 2 assists

Coming off their thrilling overtime road win over the Redskins, the Cowboys went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 12 interconference duel with the Miami Dolphins in the annual Thanksgiving game. Dallas trailed early in the first quarter with Dolphins kicker Shayne Graham getting a 26-yard field goal, yet the Cowboys would answer in the second quarter with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Dan Bailey, followed by quarterback Tony Romo finding wide receiver Laurent Robinson on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Miami would close out the half with Graham making a 28-yard field goal.

The Dolphins retook the lead in the third quarter with Graham booting a 27-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Matt Moore completing a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Afterwards, Dallas regained the lead in the fourth quarter with Romo connecting with Robinson again on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Miami struck back with Graham making a 23-yard field goal, but Bailey rescued the Cowboys by nailing the winning 28-yard field goal.

With the win, Dallas improved to 7–4.

Bailey (2/2 on field goal, including game-winning 28-yarder) and linebacker DeMarcus Ware (1 assist and a fumble recovery) were named CBS' All-Iron Award winners.

Week 13: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Thirteen: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	0	10	3	0	0	13
Cardinals	3	0	3	7	6	19

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Date: December 4
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof open)
Game attendance: 62,180
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale

Game information

First quarter

ARI - Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 4:13. Cardinals 3-0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 3:03.

Second quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 5:50. Tied 3-3. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:51.
DAL - Dez Bryant 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:09. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:57.

Third quarter

ARI - Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 8:18. Cowboys 10-6. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:42.
DAL - Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 0:34. Cowboys 13-6. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:44.

Fourth quarter

ARI - Beanie Wells 4-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 13:08. Tied 13-13. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:26.

Overtime

ARI - LaRod Stephens-Howling 52-yard pass from Kevin Kolb, 11:43. Cardinals 19-13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:17.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 28/42, 299 yards, TD
ARI – Kevin Kolb 16/25, 247 yards, TD

Top rushers

DAL – DeMarco Murray - 12 carries, 38 yards
ARI – Beanie Wells - 20 carries, 67 yards, TD

Top receivers

DAL – Dez Bryant - 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD
ARI – Andre Roberts - 6 receptions, 111 yards

Top tacklers

DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 2 assists
ARI – Daryl Washington - 9 tackles, assist

With seconds left in regulation with the score at 13-13, Jason Garrett called a time out before Dan Bailey was set to kick a 49-yard field goal that would have ended the game (commonly referred to as "icing the kicker"); Bailey ended up missing the field goal and the Cowboys lost the game in overtime.^[3]^[4]

Week 14: vs. New York Giants

Week Fourteen: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	5	10	7	15	37
Cowboys	7	10	3	14	34

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: December 11
Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 95,952
Referee: Scott Green
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Tony Romo sacked by Jason Pierre-Paul in the endzone for a safety, 9:42. Giants 2–0.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 23-yard field goal, 7:07. Giants 5–0. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:35.
DAL – John Phillips 12-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:49. Cowboys 7–5. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:18.

Second quarter

NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 12:45. Giants 12–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:04.
DAL – Laurent Robinson 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:26. Cowboys 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:19.
NYG - Lawrence Tynes 26-yard field goal, 1:03. Giants 15-14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22.
DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 0:15. Cowboys 17-15. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:48.

Third quarter

DAL - Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 7:42. Cowboys 20-15. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:11.
NYG - Mario Manningham 47-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:30. Giants 22-20. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 3:12.

Fourth quarter

DAL - Miles Austin 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:43. Cowboys 27-22. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:31.
DAL - Dez Bryant 50-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:41. Cowboys 34-22. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:54.
NYG - Jake Ballard 8-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:14. Cowboys 34-29. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:27.
NYG - Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Danny Ware run), 0:46. Giants 37-34. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:26.

Top passers

NYG – Eli Manning - 27/47, 400 yards, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo - 21/31, 321 yards, 4 TD

Top rushers

NYG - Brandon Jacobs - 19 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD
DAL - Felix Jones - 16 carries, 106 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Hakeem Nicks - 8 receptions, 163 yards
DAL – Laurent Robinson - 4 receptions, 137 yards, TD

Top tacklers

NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul - 8 tackles, 2 assists
DAL – Sean Lee - 9 tackles 4 assists; Bradie James - 9 tackles, 5 assists

Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Fifteen: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	14	14	3	0	31
Buccaneers	0	0	15	0	15

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: December 17
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
Game attendance: 65,162
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan

Game information

First quarter

DAL - Miles Austin 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:44. Cowboys 7-0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:52.
DAL - Dez Bryant 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:18. Cowboys 14-0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:17.

Second quarter

DAL - Laurent Robinson 9-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 4:42. Cowboys 21-0. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 3:52.
DAL - Tony Romo 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:20. Cowboys 28-0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:32.

Third quarter

TB - Dekoda Watson 7-yard defensive fumble return (Connor Barth kick), 13:39. Cowboys 28-7.
DAL - Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 6:38. Cowboys 31-7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 7:01.
TB - Dezmon Briscoe 13-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Kellen Winslow pass from Josh Freeman), 0:23. Cowboys 31-15. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:15.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo - 23/30, 249 yards, 3 TD
TB – Josh Freeman - 17/27, 148 yards, TD

Top rushers

DAL – Felix Jones - 22 carries, 108 yards
TB – Josh Freeman - 4 carries, 37 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Miles Austin - 5 receptions, 53 yards, TD
TB - Kregg Lumpkin - 5 receptions, 50 yards

Top tacklers

DAL – Orlando Scandrick – 5 tackles, 1 assist
TB – Mason Foster – 5 tackles, 3 assists

Week 16: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Sixteen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	7	7	3	3	20
Cowboys	0	0	0	7	7

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: December 24
Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 84,834
Referee: Bill Leavy
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter

PHI - Brent Celek 13-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 11:30. Eagles 7-0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:30.

Second quarter

PHI - Jeremy Maclin 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 0:05. Eagles 14-0. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 0:50.

Third quarter

PHI - Alex Henery 43-yard field goal, 4:30. Eagles 17-0. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:27.

Fourth quarter

PHI - Alex Henery 51-yard field goal, 13:25. Eagles 20-0. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:28.
DAL - Miles Austin 4-yard pass from Stephen McGee (Dan Bailey kick), 0:07. Eagles 20-7. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:12.

Top passers

PHI – Michael Vick - 18/32, 293 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Stephen McGee - 24/38, 182 yards, TD

Top rushers

PHI – LeSean McCoy - 13 carries, 35 yards
DAL – Sammy Morris - 13 carries, 29 yards

Top receivers

PHI – DeSean Jackson - 5 receptions, 90 yards
DAL – Dez Bryant - 6 receptions, 62 yards

Top tacklers

PHI – Nnamdi Asomugha - 8 tackles
DAL – Anthony Spencer - 6 tackles

Week 17: at New York Giants

Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	0	7	7	14
Giants	7	14	0	10	31

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: January 1
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST^[5]
Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C) (Rain Showers)
Game attendance: 81,077
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Michele Tafoya

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Victor Cruz 74-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:57. Giants 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 2:49.

Second quarter

NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 5-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 13:27. Giants 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:27.
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 10-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 1:09. Giants 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:24.

Third quarter

DAL – Laurent Robinson 34-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 6:54. Giants 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:28.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Laurent Robinson 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 10:15. Giants 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:25.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 28-yard field goal, 5:45. Giants 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:30.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 4-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:41. Giants 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:14.

Top passers

DAL – Tony Romo – 29/37, 289 yards, 2 TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 24/33, 346 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

DAL – Felix Jones – 11 carries, 30 yards
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 16 carries, 57 yards, TD

Top receivers

DAL – Dez Bryant – 6 receptions, 70 yards
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 receptions, 178 yards, TD

Top tacklers

DAL – Sean Lee - 11 tackles, 3 assists
NYG – Michael Boley - 9 tackles, 2 assists

With the loss, the Cowboys finished at 8–8 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽⁴⁾ New York Giants	9	7	0	.563	3–3	5–7	394	400	W2
Philadelphia Eagles	8	8	0	.500	5–1	6–6	396	328	W4
Dallas Cowboys	8	8	0	.500	2–4	6–6	372	347	L2
Washington Redskins	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	288	367	L2

Staff

**2011 Dallas Cowboys staff**
	Front office Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones COO/executive vice president/director of player personnel – Stephen Jones Assistant director of player personnel – Tom Ciskowski Director of football administration – Todd Williams Assistant director of pro scouting – Judd Garrett Head coaches Head coach – Jason Garrett Assistant head coach/wide receivers – Jimmy Robinson Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson Running backs – Skip Peete Tight ends/pass game coordinator – John Garrett Offensive line/run game coordinator – Hudson Houck Assistant offensive line – Wes Phillips Offensive quality control/wide receivers – Keith O'Quinn			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Rob Ryan Defensive line – Brian Baker Linebackers – Matt Eberflus Secondary – Dave Campo Secondary – Brett Maxie Defensive quality control/linebackers – Ben Bloom Defensive assistant- Dave Borgonzi Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Joe DeCamillis Assistant special teams/kickers – Chris Boniol Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Walt Williams