Your 3 Toughest Losses

[rcaldw]

The three toughest losses you ever experienced as a Cowboys fan. Ripped your guts out, left you depressed way beyond what any football game should.

What would your three be?

Here are mine.

1. The 1994 NFC Championship game. For a number of reasons.

a. I still believe we were the better team that year
b. We started in such an uncharacteristic fashion
c. Deion Sanders definitely interfered
d. We almost pulled it out

2. The 1978 Super Bowl

a. The interference call on Benny Barnes was a joke
b. The badly thrown/dropped ball on the Jackie Smith play
c. The Randy White fumble
d. I believed we should have won that game

3. The 1982 NFC Championship Game

a. It was the Deadskins
b. Gary Hogeboom played so well to start out when Danny went down and it looked like we were coming back
c. It was the Deadskins

Honorable mention: The 1970 Super Bowl, somewhat vicariously. My dad was so depressed we went out in the backyard to throw the football afterward.... he threw me about 3 passes and just had to go inside.

 

[THUMPER]

The 1968 playoff loss to the Browns was far and away my toughest. I just KNEW we were going all the way that season but we played our worst game of the year that day. Meredith retired after the game. Don Perkins also called it quits. We had such a great team that year and I know we would have beaten the Jets in the SB.

The loss in the Ice Bowl comes next.

The Loss in the 1970 SB comes after that.

 

[rcaldw]

The 1968 playoff loss to the Browns was far and away my toughest. I just KNEW we were going all the way that season but we played our worst game of the year that day. Meredith retired after the game. Don Perkins also called it quits. We had such a great team that year and I know we would have beaten the Jets in the SB.

The loss in the Ice Bowl comes next.

The Loss in the 1970 SB comes after that.

Was it 1969 then, on a Monday night in Dallas, when the fans were asking for Meredith to return from the booth, or was that later?

 

[Big Dakota]

The three toughest losses you ever experienced as a Cowboys fan. Ripped your guts out, left you depressed way beyond what any football game should.

What would your three be?

Here are mine.

1. The 1994 NFC Championship game. For a number of reasons.

a. I still believe we were the better team that year
b. We started in such an uncharacteristic fashion
c. Deion Sanders definitely interfered
d. We almost pulled it out

2. The 1978 Super Bowl

a. The interference call on Benny Barnes was a joke
b. The badly thrown/dropped ball on the Jackie Smith play
c. The Randy White fumble
d. I believed we should have won that game

3. The 1982 NFC Championship Game

a. It was the Deadskins
b. Gary Hogeboom played so well to start out when Danny went down and it looked like we were coming back
c. It was the Deadskins

Honorable mention: The 1970 Super Bowl, somewhat vicariously. My dad was so depressed we went out in the backyard to throw the football afterward.... he threw me about 3 passes and just had to go inside.

I watched all three and those are mine as well. Before 1977 i wasn't a "fan" but i remember watching the 75 SB.

I will say the Giants PO game in 2007 hurt real bad.

 

[DallasEast]

1. Super Bowl XIII
2. 44-0 utter humiliation to the '85 Bears
3. The FIRST NFC championship lost to the 49ers

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

This list will seem weird to some, but thats okay.

The three losses that pissed me off the most?

The 2002 season opening loss to the Texans.
The 2006 loss at Washington.
Last years season ender in Philadelphia.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've been a fan for about 20 years (since I've watched/played football). The 1994 NFC game didn't bother me too much because we won the previous 2 and I didn't think our dynasty would ever end. Most of the 1996-2001 seasons are/were a blur as I was in the military and missed most (if not all) of those seasons. The 2003 Carolina game bothered me, but I knew it would spell the end to Carter as our QB, so I felt relieved. The 2006 Seattle game hurt, but again, I knew it would lead to Parcells retirement and I was excited about it. The 2007 Giants game didn't bother me too much because my son was a newborn, so I gained some perspective.

 

[rcaldw]

This list will seem weird to some, but thats okay.

The three losses that pissed me off the most?

The 2002 season opening loss to the Texans.
The 2006 loss at Washington.
Last years season ender in Philadelphia.

Doesn't seem weird to me at all, especially the Texans loss and last year's loss at Philly. I was absolutely disgusted with the Philly loss. I guess that is the difference for me. Disgust vs. absolute gut wrenching disappointment.

 

[TX_Yid]

Well I've only been a fan since 2001 so my list is slightly different:

Dallas 20 - 21 Seattle (NFC Wild Card 2006)
If only Romo had held on for the extra point. If only she hadn't dropped a pass in our own end zone. If only Martine had thrown a block for Tony. My first taste of a playoff loss, and I don't like 'em.

New York 21 - 17 Dallas (NFC Divisional Playoff 2007)
Don't try and rationalize this game to me. Manning sucks, he flat out sucks, he's below average and we beat the friggin pants off them in this game and somehow came out on the wrong side. Sometimes life just sucks. I was convinced after we beat Green Bay that Romo was taking us to a superbowl and I still think we should have got there.

Philadelphia 49 - 21 Dallas (Regular season 2004)
This one hurt because I was there. Way too much of the stadium was overrun with philthy fans which was a disgrace and the performance on the field was no better. McNabb took the piss, that one play where he ran around for 14 seconds before unloading to Freddie Friggin' Mitchell was embarrassing. Freddie Mitchell??? c'mon

 

[TwoDeep3]

The Ice Bowl - I was a kid and cried after that game.

Monday Night Game against the Skins in 1979.

I believe the score was Skins 7 and Dallas 3. Skins have the ball deep in their territory and I knew Randy White was about to kill Joe Theisman.

But just before Randy got their, Joe steps out of the back of the endzone.

I didn't speak to anyone for over an hour after that loss.

San Francisco NFC Championsip game in 81.

This game caused me to never like Danny White, no matter what. Roger would have led them to a victory in that game. White fumbles away a SB.

Deion Sanders molesting Irvin in 1994.

I think I could have taken the loss better if they had called that penalty. I just wanted to see what the 9ers would have done after being spotted 21 points and Dallas pulling within three at the 6 minute mark of the 4th.

 

[RS12]

No mention of that 1980 playoff loss to the Eagles who went on to get blown out of the Superbowl by a mediocre Raiders team.

What about Staubachs last game in 79 to the Rams. A home playoff loss on a big play by Billy Waddy.

That 1991 playoff loss to a godawful Lions team.

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

All of them since "74". That's when I became a fan. But the worst game in my mind is Super Bowl 13! January 21, 1979, a day that will live in infamy. The Boys lost to the Steelers (that d**n Jackie Smith) in what was "Roger the Dodger's" last game. He played is heart out that game! No matter what happened that day, he went out a true champion!

That d**n "Jackie Smith" :bang2: :bang2: :bang2: :bang2: :bang2: :bang2:

 

[SC Cowboyfan]

it was a regular season game, but the 44-0 shutout to the 86 Bears.
I was in 9th grade and all week long I wz talkin trash to everyone that the undefeated bears would get beat by the Cowboys.

 

[bbgun]

All of them since "74". That's when I became a fan. But the worst game in my mind is Super Bowl 13! January 21, 1979, a day that will live in infamy. The Boys lost to the Steelers (that d**n Jackie Smith) in what was "Roger the Dodger's" last game. He played is heart out that game! No matter what happened that day, he went out a true champion!

It was Jackie's last game, not Roger's.

 

[Joe Realist]

Oh the pain. I am going to be greedy and do this by decade

1980s

1.) 1981 NFC Championship game at 49ers. I was a kid, cried and burned a Joe Montana rookie card after the game. Luckily I still had/have another

2.) 1985 game versus Bears. 44-0 blowout. I still think we won the divison that year but obvioulsy we sucked. We also gave uo over 50 points to the Bengals the same year

3.) 1983 NFC Championship against Commanders. Danny White, Gary Hogeboom, it did not matter. The Dallas Dynasty officially died that day until 1992.


1990's

1.) 1994 NFC Championship game at 49ers. The 3 early turnovers, missed FG and non pass interference on Deon. ugh. Dreams of threepeat gone.

2.) 1994 (i think) game versus Browns. Novacek tackled inside 1 yard line as time runs out Cowboys lose 19-14.

tie 3.) 1996? game versus Eagles. Eagles linebacker James Willis picks off Aikman pass when Cowboys going for win and laterals to Troy Vincent who goes distance

tie 3.) 1996 season playoff loss to Panthers - everybody's hurt, Cowboys lose and again Dallas Dynasty is over


2000's

1.) 2000 versus the Eagles - damn pickle juice. Duce Staley runs for career best over 200 yards. The beginning of Dark ages for Cowboys

2.)2005 versus Commanders - Triplets in ring of honor. Brunell to Santana Moss twice in last 4 minutes stuns all

3.) 2006 playoff at Seattle - bobble, enough said

4.) sorry, getting real greedy 2007 playoff versus Giants. Each year that passes we will say how much of a missed opportunity this was.

5.) 2006 verus Eagles that ruined Christmas - Jeff Garcia and ghosts of Decembers past, present and future.

6.) 2008 at Eagles for playoff spot. This board showed more heart than that gutless 44-6 bunch. I think I am permanently scarred.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

2000's

2.)2005 versus Commanders - Triplets in ring of honor. Brunell to Santana Moss twice in last 4 minutes stuns all

3.) 2006 playoff at Seattle - bobble, enough said

4.) sorry, getting real greedy 2007 playoff versus Giants. Each year that passes we will say how much of a missed opportunity this was.

6.) 2008 at Eagles for playoff spot. This board showed more heart than that gutless 44-6 bunch. I think I am permanently scarred.

So many of them were so painful. These stand out most recently. And for some reason the Skins game at FedEX where Drew Bledsoe was sacked a million times. That was the last time i was unable to watch the ending, was just too hard to watch and listen to!

 

[Ultra Warrior]

San Francisco NFC Championsip game in 81.

This game caused me to never like Danny White, no matter what. Roger would have led them to a victory in that game. White fumbles away a SB.

Danny put the Cowboys in position to WIN that game but the defense chose to allow Montana to just stroll on down the field & make a fool out of EVERSON WALLS. Sure Danny fumbled the ball on the next drive but he never SHOULD HAVE had to have another drive. Your hate should have fallen on the guy in the endzone who allowed Dwight Clark to end our season.


With that out of the way.....

Super Bowl X
Super Bowl XIII
'81' NFC Championship game.

 

[MetalHead]

Oh the pain. I am going to be greedy and do this by decade



1990's

1.) 1994 NFC Championship game at 49ers. The 3 early turnovers, missed FG and non pass interference on Deon. ugh. Dreams of threepeat gone.



tie 3.) 1996? game versus Eagles. Eagles linebacker James Willis picks off Aikman pass when Cowboys going for win and laterals to Troy Vincent who goes distance




2000's



2.)2005 versus Commanders - Triplets in ring of honor. Brunell to Santana Moss twice in last 4 minutes stuns all

Those 3 games came to mind immediately...those were painful.

 

[THUMPER]

Was it 1969 then, on a Monday night in Dallas, when the fans were asking for Meredith to return from the booth, or was that later?

It had to be in the early 70s when that happened because MNF didn't start until 1970. It could have been 1970 or 1972 when Morton was the starter (Roger was out almost the entire season with a shoulder injury in 1972).

I just figured out that it was the "Monday Night Massacre" in 1970 when we lost 38-0 to the Cardinals! Craig Morton was terrible that night and the loss dropped us to 5-4 on the season. It did serve to light a fire under the team though and we went on to win the last 6 games of the season and make it to the SB that year... only to lose to the Colts (with help from the refs).

 

[calico]

the 2007 loss to the Giants haunts me the most these days. We had no business losing that game. I still think of "what if"...what if Crayton does not stop on his route on the 2nd to last play of the game. Romo would've been a comeback QB...we would've had Favre and the pack coming back to Texas Stadium....it would have been another super bowl birth. I still can't shake the images of Jacquez Reeves getting torched by the 'tard manning brother...

 

[dbair1967]

The losses to SF in 81 and 94 were tough, I thought we were definitely the better team both times and would have easily won the super bowl both those seasons.

The 78 loss to Pitt, the game was stolen from us IMO.

Worst losses I've seen in person:

1) 1990 at Atlanta...season ending game, playoffs on the line, no Troy...Laufenberg plays horribly

2) 1995 vs SF...we got pummeled by a struggling Niner team with Elvis Grbac at QB. We line up out of shape holdout LB Darrin Smith on Jerry Rice early in the game...he scores an easy long TD

3) 1996 vs Philly...we lost to the Eagles...with Ty Detmer at QB...'nuff said...