Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 95
(Original Caption) Craig Morton, far right, looks over his receivers (left to right) Reggie Rucker, Dennis Homan, Bob Hayes, Mike Ditka and Pettis Norman. The Cowboys are preparing to meet the Detroit Lions in Dallas 12/26 in an NFL playoff game.It is Day 95 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.
On Day 95 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff we revisit one of the weirdest, grittiest, and most historically unique games the Cowboys have ever played. The 1970 NFC Divisional Playoff between the Cowboys and Lions. Dallas beat Detroit 5-0 at the Cotton Bowl in what remains the lowest-scoring playoff game in NFL history.
Saturday, December 26, 1970 - 4:30 p.m. ETCotton Bowl, Dallas, TexasFinal Score: Dallas Cowboys 5, Detroit Lions 0
This was the Cowboys' first playoff game after the AFL-NFL merger, and it came during the season that finally sent Tom Landry's team to its first Super Bowl. But before Dallas could get there, it had to survive a brutal defensive fight against a very good Lions team that had gone 10-4 and reached the postseason as the NFC's first wild-card qualifier.
The scoring was almost absurdly simple. Mike Clark gave Dallas a 3-0 lead in the first quarter with a 26-yard field goal, and that score somehow held deep into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys moved the ball on the ground, finishing with 209 rushing yards, but repeatedly failed to turn drives into touchdowns. Detroit, meanwhile, could not solve the Dallas defense at all.
The defining sequence came late. Dallas marched 76 yards in 15 plays and reached the Detroit one-yard line, but instead of kicking another field goal, the Cowboys went for it. Duane Thomas was stopped short, giving the Lions the ball back. Three plays later, George Andrie and Jethro Pugh sacked Greg Landry in the end zone for a safety, giving Dallas the strangest-looking 5-0 lead imaginable.
Detroit still had one final chance. Backup quarterback Bill Munson replaced Landry and moved the Lions into Dallas territory in the closing moments. But Mel Renfro ended it with an interception at the Cowboys' 11-yard line, sealing both the shutout and one of the most unusual postseason wins in league history.
This game belongs on the countdown because it is iconic in a way very few games are. There were no touchdown celebrations, no offensive fireworks, and no signature quarterback duel. It was five points, a defensive masterpiece, and survival. In a franchise built on postseason moments, the 5-0 win over Detroit stands alone because there has simply never been another Cowboys playoff game like it.
Interesting Facts About the GameDecember 26, 1970
- Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) December 27, 2025
1970 NFC DIVISIONAL
Lowest-Scoring Postseason Game in NFL History
In the first #NFL postseason game played on artificial turf and the first-ever NFC Divisional Playoff, the #Cowboys sink the #Lions by an oddball score of 5-0 in a defensive grind at the... pic.twitter.com/xn6M2aM3KK
This remains the lowest-scoring playoff game in NFL history. It is also the only postseason game in league history to finish 5-0.
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