The Dallas Cowboys are part of an exclusive club after Saturday's divisional game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions. Jerry Jones' team is the only NFC team to not play in the conference championship this century.
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The last time the Cowboys reached the NFC Championship was in 1995. They defeated the Packers 38-27 to secure a trip to the Super Bowl. They then defeated the Steelers 27-17 to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin were the big playmakers for the Cowboys during the 1995 season. They delivered during the conference championship.
Aikman threw for 380 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Smith rushed for 74 yards and two scores. Irvin caught 12 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys have reached the playoffs 13 times since 1995. They have not advanced beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.
The reason Saturday's divisional game matters to this statistic is that the Commanders were the only other NFC team without an appearance in the conference championship game since 2000.
Last NFC Championship Game appearance:
- Dallas Cowboys, 1995
- Chicago Bears, 2010
- New York Giants, 2011
- Seattle Seahawks, 2014
- Carolina Panthers, 2015
- Arizona Cardinals, 2015
- Atlanta Falcons, 2016
- Minnesota Vikings, 2017
- New Orleans Saints, 2018
- Green Bay…— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) January 19, 2025
Washington's last time reaching this point of the playoffs was in 1991. The Commanders — then the Redskins — defeated the Lions to reach the Super Bowl. They then defeated the Bills to clinch Joe Gibbs' third Super Bowl title as a head coach.
The Commanders had a rematch with the Lions on Saturday night. They capitalized on the opportunity by forcing five turnovers and winning 45-31. This win eliminated the Lions from the playoffs and sent the Commanders back to the NFC Championship.
The Commanders will now have an opportunity to win one more game and reach the Super Bowl. If they can achieve this, Jayden Daniels will be the first rookie in NFL history to reach the Big Game.
The Cowboys, for comparison, embark on an offseason of change. The team will not have Mike McCarthy back as head coach in 2025, so someone new will step into this role. The Cowboys also have 22 players set to become unrestricted free agents, many of which will not return.
