Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 36

(Original Caption) DALLAS, TEXAS-01/01/67-: Don Meredith (17) of the Dallas Cowboys, looks downfield for a pass receiver during NFL Pro title game against the Green Bay Packers.

It is Day 36 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.

We're giving you an interesting one for Day 36 on our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit the first great heartbreak in Cowboys history. The Packers came to the Cotton Bowl to face Dallas in the 1966 NFL Championship Game, which was held on New Year's Day 1967. The winner would represent the NFL in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, now known as Super Bowl I.

Sunday, January 1, 1967 - 4:05 p.m. ETCotton Bowl, Dallas, TexasFinal Score: Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 27

Dallas, a seven-season expansion franchise, had never achieved a winning record or postseason appearance. However, under the guidance of Tom Landry, their young team went 10-3-1, clinched the Eastern Conference title, and earned the privilege of hosting Vince Lombardi's defending champions, the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay arrived at 12-2, boasting a roster brimming with championship experience. While Dallas possessed talent, speed, and ambition, this was their first encounter with the immense pressure of contending for a league title.

The difference in experience was immediately apparent. Green Bay opened with a touchdown drive, capped off by Bart Starr's 17-yard pass to Elijah Pitts. On the ensuing kickoff, Packers rookie Jim Grabowski returned a fumble 18 yards for another touchdown, leaving Dallas trailing 14-0 despite not having run a single offensive play.

The Cowboys' resilience would eventually define the franchise, even though it could have overwhelmed a team making its first playoff appearance.After a 13-play possession directed by Don Meredith, Dan Reeves completed a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 before the first quarter ended.Dallas then attacked again, with Don Perkins breaking through for a 23-yard touchdown, erasing the entire deficit.

The comeback showed Dallas belonged on the same field, but Starr kept finding ways to restore Green Bay's advantage. Early in the second quarter, he struck Carroll Dale for a 51-yard touchdown. Meredith responded by moving Dallas deep into Packers territory, helped by a 40-yard completion to Reeves, but the drive stopped near the goal line. Danny Villanueva's short field goal made it 21-17 rather than producing another tie.

Dallas moved even closer in the third quarter. Warren Livingston recovered a fumble, and Meredith led another long possession before Villanueva hit another field goal from 32 yards. The Cowboys were now one point behind at 21-20, and the Cotton Bowl could sense the established champions beginning to feel real pressure from the league's newest contender.

Green Bay's response was immediate. Starr completed a 40-yard pass to Dale and then found Boyd Dowler for a 16-yard touchdown, restoring an eight-point margin. In the fourth quarter, the Packers quarterback survived a fierce Dallas pass rush and converted a third-and-long with a 28-yard touchdown throw to Max McGee. Bob Lilly blocked the extra point, leaving the score at 34-20 and keeping Dallas within two touchdowns.

The blocked kick mattered almost immediately. Facing third-and-20 on the next possession, Meredith went deep to Frank Clarke, who broke free for a 68-yard touchdown. Villanueva's extra point cut the deficit to 34-27. A game that appeared to be slipping away had suddenly become another one-score fight. Dallas' defense then gave the offense one final opportunity. Green Bay tried to run down the clock, but Dave Edwards sacked Starr, Willie Townes disrupted a screen and the Cowboys stopped Jim Taylor behind the line. A hurried Packers punt traveled only 17 yards, allowing Dallas to take possession at the Green Bay 47 with 2:12 remaining.

Meredith found Clarke for 21 yards, Perkins added four more and a pass-interference penalty placed the ball at the Packers' two-yard line. Dallas had four chances to score the touchdown that could have forced overtime. Instead, the opportunity slowly came apart. Reeves gained one yard, a false start pushed Dallas backward and another pass fell incomplete. A third-down completion moved the ball back to the two, leaving the season on one final snap.

Green Bay linebacker Dave Robinson recognized the fourth-down rollout and attacked Meredith from behind. Robinson jammed Bob Hayes at the line, broke into the backfield and wrapped up the quarterback before he could properly deliver the ball. Meredith somehow released a desperate pass, but safety Tom Brown intercepted it in the end zone with 28 seconds remaining. Dallas had reached the doorstep of football history and finished two yards short.

This game belongs on the countdown because it established both the promise and the pain that became intertwined with early Cowboys history. Dallas had gone from expansion irrelevance to within one play of defeating Lombardi's Packers and reaching the first Super Bowl. The Cowboys proved they could compete with the NFL's defining dynasty, but they also began building a reputation as a talented team that could reach the biggest stage without finishing the job.

#Cowboys vs #Packers

1966
NFL Championship Game

Cowboys first postseason game

Final Score: Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 27#DallasCowboys #NFL
(:@nfl) pic.twitter.com/4sjsbWUUtq

- Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) August 8, 2026

Interesting Facts About the Game

This was the first postseason game in Dallas Cowboys history. The franchise had entered the NFL in 1960 and did not record its first winning season until going 10-3-1 in 1966.

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