text: In week 9, tight end Jason Witten, who already had a reputation as a tough and intense player, caught a 25-yard pass from Romo. Immediately after the catch, two Eagles delivered a hit that knocked Witten's helmet off. Unfazed by the contact, Witten ran another 30 yards without a helmet. When he was finally dragged down at the Eagles' 6, he walked to the sideline with a bloody nose. Thanks to their dramatic victory over the Bills in Week 5, Dallas started with a 5–0 record. They were the last team in the NFC to remain undefeated up to that point heading into their next game against the 5-0 New England Patriots. The Patriots won 48–27, handing the Cowboys their first loss of the season, and remained undefeated until they lost that season's Super Bowl. Besides the loss to the Patriots in Week 6, their only other losses came in Weeks 15 and 17 against their division rivals Philadelphia and Washington. When wide receiver Terrell Owens went down with an ankle injury against the Panthers in Week 16, and missed Week 17 against the Redskins, the offense became stagnant. Another match in the season, the Week 13 game against Green Bay, resulted in a 37–27 Dallas win that was reminiscent of the 1990s Cowboys-Packers duels.
  Like the Cowboys, the Packers finished the regular season 13–3, but Dallas got the #1 seed due to a better conference record and head-to-head win. This gave them both a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. However, they lost their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a team that they had defeated in their two regular-season matchups. Dallas was the first number one seed in the NFC to lose in the divisional round since 1990. Meanwhile, the Giants went on to topple Green Bay in the NFC Championship and upset the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. A record thirteen members of the Cowboys were named to the Pro Bowl, while five were named All-Pro by the Associated Press.
  2008: Last season in Texas Stadium