It’s Day 74 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We’re wanting again on the 100 most iconic video games in Dallas Cowboys historical past. The countdown will leads us proper as much as the opening sport of 2026. Our look again doesn’t rely upon only one standards for our rankings. We consider issues like how massive the sport was for the group, how memorable the sport was, video games that had uncommon occasions happen, video games which are part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and video games the place the Cowboys simply plain dominated. Selection is the spice of life and we have now all totally different form of Cowboys video games to evaluation. On the backside, we’ll hyperlink every day of the countdown so you may return and take a look at any you missed.
So let’s get into Day 74 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, the place we revisit the day DeMarco Murray introduced himself to the NFL. The Cowboys entered this Week 7 matchup at 2-3, coming off a painful late loss to the Patriots and nonetheless looking for offensive id. The Rams arrived winless, injured, and weak in opposition to the run. Dallas wanted a convincing win, however what it acquired was one thing way more memorable.
Sunday, October 23, 2011 — 4:15 p.m. ET
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Ultimate Rating: Dallas Cowboys 34, St. Louis Rams 7
Demarco Murray didn’t even begin the sport, however he modified it on his first carry. Backed up close to their very own purpose line, the Cowboys handed the ball to the rookie from Oklahoma, and he exploded by means of an enormous gap for a 91-yard landing. It was the primary landing of his NFL profession, the second-longest run in Cowboys historical past behind solely Tony Dorsett’s 99-yarder, and the beginning of a record-breaking afternoon.
Dallas constructed the complete sport from there. Tony Romo discovered Jason Witten for a one-yard landing early within the second quarter to make it 14-0. St. Louis answered with its solely actual offensive punch of the day, an 80-yard drive capped by Steven Jackson’s six-yard landing run, however the Cowboys added a Dan Bailey area purpose earlier than halftime and went into the locker room up 17-7.
The second half belonged totally to Dallas. Bailey drilled a 51-yard area purpose within the third quarter, then the Cowboys put the sport away within the fourth. Phillip Tanner scored from six yards out, and Romo later hit Dez Bryant for a 20-yard landing to complete the scoring. Dallas gained 34-7, ended its two-game shedding streak, and at last had a sport that didn’t come all the way down to the ultimate possession.
However the sport is remembered for Murray, and rightly so. He completed with 25 carries for 253 yards and a landing, breaking Emmitt Smith’s Cowboys single-game speeding file of 237 yards, set in opposition to the Eagles in 1993. Murray additionally broke the franchise’s single-game rookie speeding file, whereas the crew piled up 445 whole yards total.
The efficiency modified the texture of Murray’s rookie season. Felix Jones was injured, Tashard Alternative technically began, and Murray entered the day nonetheless largely unproven. By the tip of it, there was no thriller about who had earned extra work. He gave Dallas explosive runs, ending energy, and a glimpse of the again who would later change into the NFL’s Offensive Participant of the 12 months in 2014.
This sport belongs on the countdown as a result of franchise data matter, and this one got here in spectacular vogue. It was not only a massive speeding day. It was a 91-yard landing on his first carry, 253 yards on 25 makes an attempt, a damaged Emmitt Smith file, and the delivery of a brand new Cowboys offensive centerpiece.
Attention-grabbing Information In regards to the Sport
Murray’s 253 speeding yards stay the Cowboys’ single-game speeding file. He broke Emmitt Smith’s earlier mark of 237 yards, which had stood for 18 years.
Countdown To Kickoff by day:
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75
