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2012 Dallas Cowboys season
Head Coach Jason Garrett
Home Field Cowboys Stadium
Results
Record 8–8
Place 3rd NFC East
Playoff Finish Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware & Anthony Spencer
Timeline
Previous season Next season
2011 2013

The 2012 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 53rd season National Football League, the fourth playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the second full season under head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys matched their win total from 2011, but missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season after losing their final game for the second straight season, this time to the Washington Redskins.

2012 draft class[]

Round Selection Player Position College
1 6 Morris Claiborne CB LSU
3 81 Tyrone Crawford DE Boise State
4 113 Kyle Wilber LB Wake Forest
135[a] Matt Johnson S Eastern Washington
5 152 Danny Coale WR Virginia Tech
6 186 James Hanna TE Oklahoma
7 222 Caleb McSurdy LB Montana
Notes
^[a] Compensatory selection.

Staff[]

2012 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

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line – Bill Callahan
  • Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson
  • Running Backs – Skip Peete
  • Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – Jimmy Robinson
  • Tight Ends – John Garrett
  • Assistant Offensive Line – Wes Phillips
  • Offensive Quality Control/Wide Receivers – Keith O'Quinn
Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning – Mike Woicik
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Walt Williams
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Brett Bech

Rosters[]

Opening preseason roster[]

Dallas Cowboys 2012 opening preseason roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists

90 Active, 0 Inactive

Week 1 roster[]

Dallas Cowboys 2012 week 1 roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists

Practice Squad

53 Active, 3 Inactive, 8 PS


Final roster[]

2012 Dallas Cowboys roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 Active, 13 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

Schedule[]

Preseason[]

The preseason schedule was announced on April 4, 2012. The Cowboys had their lowest preseason, regular or playoff scoring game in franchise history (3–0 vs. Oakland Raiders).[citation needed]

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game site TV NFL.com
recap
Final score Team record
1 August 13 7:00 p.m. CDT at Oakland Raiders W 3–0 1–0 O.co Coliseum ESPN/KTVT Recap
2 August 18 8:00 p.m. CDT at San Diego Chargers L 20–28 1–1 Qualcomm Stadium NFLN/KTVT Recap
3 August 25 7:00 p.m. CDT St. Louis Rams W 20–19 2–1 Cowboys Stadium KXTX Recap
4 August 29 7:30 p.m. CDT Miami Dolphins W 30–13 3–1 Cowboys Stadium KTXA Recap

Regular season[]

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game site TV NFL.com
recap
Final score Team record
1 September 5 7:30 p.m. CDT at New York Giants W 24–17 1–0 MetLife Stadium NBC Recap
2 September 16 3:05 p.m. CDT at Seattle Seahawks L 7–27 1–1 CenturyLink Field Fox Recap
3 September 23 12:00 p.m. CDT Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 16–10 2–1 Cowboys Stadium Fox Recap
4 October 1 7:30 p.m. CDT Chicago Bears L 18–34 2–2 Cowboys Stadium ESPN[a] Recap
5 Bye
6 October 14 12:00 p.m. CDT at Baltimore Ravens L 29–31 2–3 M&T Bank Stadium Fox Recap
7 October 21 12:00 p.m. CDT at Carolina Panthers W 19–14 3–3 Bank of America Stadium Fox Recap
8 October 28 3:25 p.m. CDT New York Giants L 24–29 3–4 Cowboys Stadium Fox Recap
9 November 4 7:20 p.m. CST at Atlanta Falcons L 13–19 3–5 Georgia Dome NBC Recap
10 November 11 3:25 p.m. CST at Philadelphia Eagles W 38–23 4–5 Lincoln Financial Field Fox Recap
11 November 18 12:00 p.m. CST Cleveland Browns W 23–20 (OT) 5–5 Cowboys Stadium CBS Recap
12 November 22 3:25 p.m. CST Washington Redskins L 31–38 5–6 Cowboys Stadium Fox Recap
13 December 2 7:20 p.m. CST Philadelphia Eagles W 38–33 6–6 Cowboys Stadium NBC Recap
14 December 9 12:00 p.m. CST at Cincinnati Bengals W 20–19 7–6 Paul Brown Stadium Fox Recap
15 December 16 3:25 p.m. CST Pittsburgh Steelers W 27–24 (OT) 8–6 Cowboys Stadium CBS Recap
16 December 23 12:00 p.m. CST New Orleans Saints L 31–34 (OT) 8–7 Cowboys Stadium Fox Recap
17 December 30 7:20 p.m. CST at Washington Redskins L 18–28 8–8 FedEx Field NBC[a] Recap
LEGEND
Bold indicates division games.
^[a] Simulcast locally on KTXA.

Game summaries[]

Week 1: at New York Giants[]

Week One: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 7 10 7

24

Giants 0 3 7 7

17

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information
First quarter
  • None
Second quarter
  • NYG Tynes 22 yd field goal (4 plays 3 yards 1:20)
  • DAL Ogletree 10 yard pass from Romo Bailey kick (7 plays 78 yards 2:33)
Third quarter
  • DAL Ogletree 40 yard pass from Romo Bailey kick (9 plays 80 yards 4:36)
  • NYG Bradshaw 10 yard run Tynes kick (9 plays 77 yards 5:13)
  • DAL Bailey 33 yd field goal (8 plays 65 yards 4:31)
Fourth quarter
  • DAL Austin 34 yard pass from Romo Bailey kick (8 plays 92 yards 7:06)
  • NYG Bennett 9 yard pass from Manning Tynes kick (12 plays 79 yards 3:21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

The Cowboys opened its 2012 campaign at MetLife Stadium in the Annual Kickoff Game against their NFC East foe, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. After a scoreless first quarter, the Giants picked up the season's first points as kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter. Dallas would close out the half with quarterback Tony Romo finding wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys added onto its lead Romo hooked up with Ogletree again with a 40-yard touchdown pass. New York answered with a 10-yard run from running back Ahmad Bradshaw, yet Dallas responded in kind with a 33-yard field goal from kicker Dan Bailey. The Cowboys pulled away for good in the fourth quarter with Romo connecting with wide receiver Miles Austin on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Giants closed out the game with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to former Dallas tight end Martellus Bennett.

With the win, the Cowboys began the season at 1-0.

Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks[]

Week Two: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 7 0 0

7

Seahawks 10 3 7 7

27

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information
First quarter
  • SEA Hauschka 21 yard field goal. (11:51)
  • SEA Johnson Blocked punt recovered at DAL 3. Touchdown. (10:28)
Second quarter
  • DAL Austin 22 yard pass from Romo. Bailey PAT good. (12:20)
  • SEA Hauschka 25 yard field goal. (2:00)
Third quarter
  • SEA McCoy 22 yard pass from R. Wilson. Hauschka PAT good. (5:12)
Fourth quarter
  • SEA Lynch 3 yard run. Hauschka PAT good. (8:01)
Top passers
Top rushers
  • DAL – Demarco Murray 12 carries for 44 yards.
  • SEA – Marshawn Lynch 26 carries for 122 yards.
Top receivers
Top tacklers
  • DAL –
  • SEA –

With the huge loss, the Cowboys fell to 1-1.

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers[]

Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Buccaneers 7 0 0 3

10

Cowboys 7 3 0 6

16

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: September 23
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 81,984
  • Referee: Robert Dalton
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • TB –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • TB –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • TB –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • TB –
  • DAL –

Hoping to rebound from their tough road loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cowboys returned to Arlington to host their home opener against the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, a team that they had blown out a year before. This game, however, was a close one throughout. In the first quarter, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tossed an interception to Aqib Talib, which set up for a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman to tight end Luke Stocker for Tampa Bay to take the first lead. Dallas would immediately respond after a Sean Lee interception set up Cowboys running back Demarco Murray for an 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Shortly before the half, kicker Dan Bailey booted a 32-yard field goal for Dallas to take the lead, 10-7. After a scoreless third quarter, Dallas pulled away with Dan Bailey knocking in a pair of field goals, one from 26 yards and another from 22 yards to make the game 16-7. Tampa Bay attempted a furious rally to take the game back after a 28-yard field goal by Connor Barth, but Dallas would recover the following onside kick and effectively took a knee to end the game.

With the victory, Dallas improved their season to 2-1.

Week 4: vs. Chicago Bears[]

Week Four: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 10 14 10

34

Cowboys 0 7 3 8

18

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • CHI –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • CHI –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • CHI –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • CHI –
  • DAL –

With the loss, the Cowboys enter their bye week with 2-2.

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens[]

Week Six: Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 7 3 10 9

29

Ravens 3 14 7 7

31

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • DAL –
  • BAL –
Top rushers
  • DAL –
  • BAL –
Top receivers
  • DAL –
  • BAL –
Top tacklers
  • DAL –
  • BAL –

With the loss, the Cowboys fell into 2-3 and dropped to 0-4 all-time against the Ravens.

Week 7: at Carolina Panthers[]

Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 3 10 6

19

Panthers 0 7 0 7

14

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: October 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 73,981
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • DAL –
  • CAR –
Top rushers
  • DAL –
  • CAR –
Top receivers
  • DAL –
  • CAR –
Top tacklers
  • DAL –
  • CAR –

With the win, the Cowboys go to 3-3

Week 8: vs. New York Giants[]

Week Eight: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 13 10 0 6

29

Cowboys 0 10 14 0

24

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: October 28
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny skies
  • Game attendance: 94,067
  • Referee: Scott Green
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • NYG –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • NYG –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • NYG –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • NYG –
  • DAL –

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3-4 on the season and 0-4 at Cowboys Stadium against the Giants.

Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons[]

Week Nine: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 6 0 0 7

13

Falcons 0 6 0 13

19

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: November 4
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 70,840
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • DAL –
  • ATL –
Top rushers
  • DAL –
  • ATL –
Top receivers
  • DAL –
  • ATL –
Top tacklers
  • DAL –
  • ATL –

During this game, Jason Witten's 7 receptions brought him to a franchise record of 754, surpassing Michael Irvin's previous record of 750.[1]

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3-5.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles[]

Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 7 3 7 21

38

Eagles 7 0 10 6

23

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 11
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 69,144
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • DAL- Dan Bailey, 30 yard field goal, 3:50 (DAL 10-7)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • DAL –
  • PHI –
Top rushers
  • DAL –
  • PHI –
Top receivers
  • DAL –
  • PHI –
Top tacklers
  • DAL –
  • PHI –

With the win, the Cowboys improved to 4-5.

Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns[]

Week Eleven: Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Browns 7 6 0 7

20

Cowboys 0 0 3 17

23

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 18
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 81,936
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • CLE –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • CLE –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • CLE –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • CLE –
  • DAL –

After being down 13-0 against the Browns in the first half, the Cowboys outscored the Browns 20-7 to send the game into overtime. The Cowboys kicked the game-winning field goal and improved to 5-5 on the season and 2nd place in the NFC East.

Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins[]

Thanksgiving Classic

Week Twelve: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 0 28 0 10

38

Cowboys 3 0 10 18

31

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 22
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 90,166
  • Referee: Bill Leavy
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • WAS –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • WAS –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • WAS –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • WAS –
  • DAL –

With the loss to their long-time rival the Washington Redskins during a Thanksgiving Classic showdown, the Cowboys dropped to 5-6 on the season and 6-1 against the Redskins on Thanksgiving. Along with the loss, the Cowboys also lost 2 key defensive players for an extended period of time. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick broke his left hand, but the team was still hopeful that he would be able to return before the end of the season. But of the three injuries suffered during the game, Bruce Carter's was probably the most devastating. Carter dislocated his left elbow during the game and was out for the rest of the season after having surgery. At that point, the Cowboys had lost 4 starters on defense due to injuries, and were on their 3rd and 4th string middle linebackers after losing both Carter and Sean Lee for the season. Also the Cowboys lost starting receiver Miles Austin to a hip strain caused by linebacker London Fletcher in the back of the end zone. Although he did not return to the game, he was cleared to play for the Cowboys' week 13 game.

Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles[]

Week Thirteen: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 7 10 7 9

33

Cowboys 0 10 7 21

38

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 81,851
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals[]

Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 3 7 0 10

20

Bengals 10 3 6 0

19

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: December 9
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 63,590
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • CIN- Josh Brown, 25 yard field goal, 9:26 (CIN 16-10)
  • CIN- Josh Brown, 52 yard field goal, 6:50 (CIN 19-10)
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers[]

Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 10 7 7

24

Cowboys 3 7 7 7

27

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), clear skies
  • Game attendance: 95,595
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • PIT –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • PIT –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • PIT –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • PIT –
  • DAL –

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints[]

Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Saints 7 10 7 7

34

Cowboys 0 14 3 14

31

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: December 23
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 92,570
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
  • NO –
  • DAL –
Top rushers
  • NO –
  • DAL –
Top receivers
  • NO –
  • DAL –
Top tacklers
  • NO –
  • DAL –

The loss dropped Dallas to 8-7 and mathematically eliminated them from gaining a wild card spot. However, if they were to beat the Washington Redskins in week 17, Dallas would win the NFC East.

Week 17: at Washington Redskins[]

Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 7 0 11

18

Redskins 0 7 7 14

28

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 82,845
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information
First quarter
None
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers

With the loss, Dallas ended the season with an 8-8 record, and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Cowboys loss marks their third season finale loss in the last five seasons where they faced a win-or-go-home situation for the playoffs. All those season finale games came against NFC East opponents. In 2008, they lost 44-6 to the Philadelphia Eagles failing to clinch a wild card spot. In 2011, they lost 31-14 to the New York Giants failing to win the NFC East title. The loss also brought their record in Week 17 games to 2-11 since 2000.

Season recap[]

The Cowboys started the season on September 5, playing a Wednesday game for the first time in franchise history.[citation needed]

Against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 11 during the fourth quarter, the Cowboys became the second team in NFL history to score touchdowns via interception, fumble return and punt return in the same quarter.[citation needed] The first one was the San Francisco 49ers in 1966.[citation needed]

Standings[]

NFC East
view · talk · edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Washington Redskins(4) 10 6 0 .625 5–1 8–4 436 388 W7
New York Giants 9 7 0 .563 3–3 8–4 429 344 W1
Dallas Cowboys 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 376 400 L2
Philadelphia Eagles 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 280 444 L3

Footnotes[]

^[a] The Week 17 game was originally going to be aired on Fox which, due to playoff implications, competed with NBC for the slot.[2] The game was ultimately moved to NBC.[3]

References[]

External links[]

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2012 NFL DraftNFL playoffsPro BowlSuper Bowl XLVII
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