Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 98

It is Day 98 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.

It’s Day 98 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, where we revisit a Thanksgiving meeting loaded with Cowboys history, old grudges, and a badly needed Dallas win. Six years after the infamous Leon Lett snow-game loss to Miami, the Dolphins returned to Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving with a very familiar face on their sideline, Jimmy Johnson. This was Johnson’s return to the stadium where he helped build a dynasty, only this time he was trying to beat Dallas. The Cowboys made sure that did not happen.  

The game itself was not a fireworks show early, in fact it was scoreless at halftime, with both offenses struggling to find a rhythm. Troy Aikman had been dealing with concussion issues, while Dan Marino was playing for the first time in six weeks after dealing with a neck issue. The rust showed, and Dallas’ defense eventually turned the entire game. Marino threw five interceptions, tying a career worst, and the Cowboys made him pay.  

The breakthrough came midway through the third quarter when linebacker Dexter Coakley intercepted Marino and returned it 46 yards for the game’s first touchdown. That one play changed everything. Dallas led 7-0, Texas Stadium came alive, and Miami never recovered. The Cowboys then added a Richie Cunningham field goal early in the fourth quarter, then Aikman finally delivered the offensive highlight of the day, a huge 65-yard touchdown strike to Rocket Ismail that pushed the lead to 17-0. Cunningham added another late field goal to seal the 20-0 shutout.  

For Dallas, this was the kind of win that felt bigger than the standings. The Cowboys improved to 6-5, stayed unbeaten at home to that point in the season, and moved closer in the NFC East race. Emmitt Smith powered through for 103 yards on 31 carries despite playing with a broken right hand, while Ismail finished with 125 receiving yards and the game’s only offensive touchdown. Aikman went 16-of-29 for 232 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.  

But the story was the shutout, the interceptions, and Jimmy Johnson leaving Texas Stadium with a loss. Johnson’s return brought plenty of emotion, especially because his Cowboys tenure ended after back-to-back Super Bowl titles and a very public split with Jerry Jones. Before the game, Johnson and Jones shook hands and spoke briefly, but once the ball was kicked, Dallas treated its former coach like any other opponent. The Cowboys defense dominated, Marino melted down, and Thanksgiving belonged to Dallas.  

This was the first time the Dolphins had been shut out in nearly two years, and it came with Jimmy Johnson back at Texas Stadium as Miami’s head coach.  

Countdown To Kickoff by day: 

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