12. December 19: Cowboys 21 Giants 6

The Giants' offense was decimated by injuries when they hosted the Cowboys, and the Dallas defense showed them no mercy. The Cowboys made a statement that they might have the best defense in the NFL by recording four turnovers in their third straight game, and DeMarcus Lawrence, having recovered from a foot injury, made a statement that he might still be the best player on the team's defense. Tank forced a Saquan Barkley fumble and his quarterback pressure contributed to interceptions by Malik Hooker, Jourdan Lewis, and Trevon Diggs.

11. January 8: Cowboys 51 Eagles 26

In the regular season finale, the Eagles decided to rest many of their starters to prepare for the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to get in playoff mode. Dak Prescott threw five touchdowns against his division rival and in the process broke Tony Romo's franchise record of 36 touchdowns in a season. It wasn't the only regular season record the team broke during their demolition of Philadelphia. A fourth quarter touchdown to JaQuan Hardy meant that 22 players had scored touchdowns for the Cowboys in the 2021 season, which is an NFL record. The victory completed a perfect 6-0 record against the NFC East for Dallas.

10. October 10: Cowboys 44 Giants 20

The narrative was set up before the game started. It was the day before the one-year anniversary of Dak Prescott's horrible ankle injury against the same team it had occurred against. The Cowboys' quarterback responded to the narrative with a happy ending. Prescott threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Ezekiel Elliott helped him out with 110 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown.

November 14: Cowboys 43 Falcons 3

A six-game win streak came to an end when the Cowboys suffered a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos, so fans showed up to AT&T Stadium to find out which version of their team was for real. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were simply in the way of a team that wanted to prove their worth and take out their frustrations. It was a demolition from the start, and the Cowboys held a 33-point lead by halftime. It was a spectacular showing from all three phases of the game, including a Dorance Armstrong blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone by Nahshon Wright. Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another. Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, and Trevon Diggs all recorded interceptions

8. October 3: Cowboys 36 Panthers 28

Still undefeated coming into the game, the Panthers never led versus the Cowboys. The Dak/Zeke connection was as strong as it's ever been. Prescott threw four touchdowns to four different receivers, and Elliott rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown. Trevon Diggs made himself one of the biggest stories in the NFL by picking off Sam Darnold, putting him at four interceptions through four games.

7. September 27: Cowboys 41 Eagles 21

The Cowboys began their dominance of the NFC East with their second regular season win. Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns in his first home game since injuring his ankle a year earlier. Dalton Schultz recorded the first two-touchdown game of his career. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown. Trevon Diggs returned a Jalen Hurts interception 59 yards for a touchdown.

6. December 12: Cowboys 27 Washington 20

Mike McCarthy was confident in his team heading into their first matchup with Washington. He went so far as to guarantee a win, a statement that he naively didn't realize would gain plenty of traction. His team backed up his promise, and his first round pick, Micah Parsons, specifically made sure McCarthy didn't look stupid. The linebacker sacked Taylor Heinicke twice and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The game turned stressful when Dallas almost gave up a 24-0 lead, but a Randy Gregory sack and forced fumble put an end to the Washington comeback. It was technically a road game, but the Cowboys were comforted by the home benches they brought to their sideline.

5. December 2: Cowboys 27 Saints 17

Coming off of their only back-to-back losses of the season, it seemed things were unraveling for the Cowboys as Mike McCarthy tested positive for COVID-19 before the team headed to New Orleans for their matchup with the Saints. But defensive coordinator Dan Quinn stepped in as acting head coach, and his defense came through for him. The Cowboys intercepted Taysom Hill four times. Damontae Kazee, Trevon Diggs, and Jayron Kearse all recorded interceptions, but it was defensive tackle Carlos Watkins' athletic interception that was returned 29 yards for a touchdown. They were aided by some playmaking from CeeDee Lamb, who totaled 122 yard from scrimmage, and Tony Pollard, who broke off a 58-yard touchdown run.

4. December 26: Cowboys 56 Washington 14

If Washington had felt disrespected by McCarthy's (correct) guaranteed win and the Cowboys' flown-in benches the last time they faced Dallas, then they probably didn't appreciate the blowout their rival handed them the day after Christmas. Having been carried by their defense over the past month, Cowboy fans were a bit worried by the relative slump that Dak Prescott had been in. The quarterback relaxed those fears by throwing four touchdowns to four different players in the first half. DeMarcus Lawrence also made one of the most athletic interceptions in recent memory which he returned 40 yards for a touchdown.

3. September 19: Cowboys 20 Chargers 17

When Dak Prescott got the ball with 3:46 left in a tie game, the Cowboys were facing a potential 0-2 start having lost a nail-biter to the defending champion Buccaneers the week before. He orchestrated an 11-play, 49-yard drive that finished with a 56-yard game-winning field goal from Greg Zuerlein. Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Damontae Kazee and Trevon Diggs each picked off Justin Herbert. Backup tackle Terence Steele not only filled in for La'el Collins, but held his own against Joey Bosa, making him a non-factor. 

The real story of the game – call it a case of foreshadowing – was finding out what kind of pass-rusher Micah Parsons could be. The Cowboys played without both DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, and Parsons helped fill the void, igniting a new role for him that saw him set the Cowboys' rookie sack record.

October 31: Cowboys 20 Vikings 16

Cooper Rush had dreamed about his first NFL start, and after it happened in Minnesota on Halloween, he said it was just as good as he'd imagined. Dak Prescott was a late-week scratch while nursing a calf injury, but Rush filled in just fine for the franchise quarterback. He threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns, including a perfect five-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper to take the lead with 51 seconds left in the game. Cooper and CeeDee Lamb gave the primetime audience a taste of what kind of weapons they are in an offense regardless of quarterback, both recording over 100 yards. Rush also connected with Cedrick Wilson in the third quarter for a 73-yard touchdown.

1. October 17: Cowboys 35 Patriots 29 (OT)

It was perhaps the most exciting game on the Cowboys' schedule and Dak Prescott's best game of the season. Prescott finished with 445 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. CeeDee Lamb was the day's star with 149 yards and two touchdowns, including a 35-yard touchdown in overtime to give Dallas the win in Foxborough. Unfortunately, the game-winning play didn't come without consequence: Prescott hurt his calf while throwing the touchdown, an injury that would nag him at him during the following stretch of games. Trevon Diggs intercepted a Mac Jones pass earlier in the fourth quarter and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown.