Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 56

It is Day 56 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.

Let’s get ready for Day 56 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the wildest, most painful, and most unforgettable games of the Tony Romo era. The Broncos came to Arlington undefeated in 2013, with Peyton Manning playing at an MVP level in one of the greatest offensive seasons a quarterback has ever produced. The Cowboys entered at 2-2 and needed a statement win. What followed was less a football game and more a heavyweight quarterback duel.

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Sunday, October 6, 2013 — 4:25 p.m. ET

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Final Score: Denver Broncos 51, Dallas Cowboys 48

Dallas started fast. Romo led an 11-play, 79-yard opening drive and found Dez Bryant for a two-yard touchdown. The Cowboys then forced a Denver fumble on the Broncos’ first possession, and DeMarco Murray punched in a four-yard touchdown to put Dallas up 14-0. For a moment, it looked like the Cowboys might actually control the game by keeping Manning on the sideline.

That idea did not last. Manning answered with a quick touchdown pass to Julius Thomas, then Denver scored 21 straight points in the second quarter. Eric Decker caught a short touchdown, Thomas added another, and then Manning produced one of the funniest plays of his career, faking the entire defense before bootlegging into the end zone for a rare rushing touchdown. Dallas added a late Dan Bailey field goal, but the Broncos led 28-20 at halftime.

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The third quarter looked like it might get away from Dallas when Manning hit Wes Welker for a two-yard touchdown to make it 35-20. Then Romo went nuclear. He hit rookie Terrance Williams for an 82-yard touchdown. Later, he found Bryant again from two yards out. Morris Claiborne then intercepted Manning, ending Manning’s streak of 227 passes without a pick, and Romo immediately turned that into a 10-yard touchdown to Jason Witten. Dallas had gone from down 35-20 to leading 41-38.

The fourth quarter, however, was when the insanity peaked. Prater tied it at 41 with a 50-yard field goal, then Romo hit Bryant for a 79-yard gain to push him past 500 passing yards on the day. One play later, Romo found Cole Beasley for a four-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 48-41 lead. Denver answered with a long drive of its own, capped by a one-yard Knowshon Moreno touchdown, tying the game at 48 just before the two minute warning.

Then came the play that still hurts. With the game tied and Dallas backed up near its own goal line, Romo tried to fit a pass to Gavin Escobar. Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan made a brilliant diving interception, giving Denver the ball in field-goal range. Manning milked the clock, Prater hit from 28 yards with two seconds left, and the Cowboys lost one of the greatest shootouts in NFL history.

This game belongs on the countdown because some losses are too iconic to ignore. Cowboys fans remember the heartbreak, but they also remember Romo standing toe-to-toe with Peyton Manning at the peak of his powers and nearly beating him in a game where neither defense could breathe. It was spectacular, exhausting, unfair, and forever unforgettable.