If you’re frantically refreshing your feed to find out what’s the score on the Dallas Cowboy game, I’ve got some news that might be a little jarring if you haven't been keeping a close eye on the standings.
Today is Thursday, January 15, 2026. Usually, this is the time of year when the air in North Texas is thick with playoff anxiety and "this is our year" memes. But if you look at the scoreboard right now, you won't find any live numbers.
The Dallas Cowboys aren't playing today. In fact, their season is officially over.
The Final Score That Ended the Season
The last time the Cowboys suited up was Sunday, January 4, 2026. It was a Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, and honestly, it wasn't the heroic finale fans were dreaming of.
The final score was 34-17 in favor of the Giants.
It was a rough one. The Cowboys finished the season with a weird, lackluster record of 7-9-1. That lone tie against the Commanders back in October really stands out now, doesn't it? It’s the kind of record that leaves you in that awkward "no man's land"—not good enough for the playoffs, but not bad enough for a top-three draft pick.
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What Really Happened in the Finale?
The game against the Giants felt sort of like a microcosm of the whole 2025-2026 campaign. Dak Prescott started the game but was pulled after halftime. He finished 7-of-11 for 70 yards and a lost fumble. It wasn't exactly the kind of performance that silences the critics.
Joe Milton III came in for the second half, but the momentum just wasn't there.
- Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah both managed to punch in their first career NFL touchdowns, which was a rare bright spot.
- The defense, under Matt Eberflus, struggled to get off the field on third downs, allowing rookie Jaxson Dart to look like a seasoned vet.
- Brandon Aubrey remained a machine, hitting a 22-yarder in the first, but you can't win games with just field goals and late-game "too little, too late" touchdowns.
Basically, the Giants—who entered the game with only three wins—managed to hand Dallas a double-digit loss to close the curtains on the Brian Schottenheimer era’s first full year.
Why People are Still Searching for the Score
It’s easy to see why you’d think there’s a game today. We are right in the middle of the NFL playoff cycle. Wild Card weekend just wrapped up, and the Divisional Round is about to kick off this coming Sunday, January 18.
If you check Ticketmaster or secondary markets, you might even see "placeholder" events listed for NFC Divisional games at AT&T Stadium. But look closer: they’re all marked as Cancelled.
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The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East, trailing the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6). While the Eagles are moving on to the next round, Dallas is officially in "evaluate everything" mode.
The Tragedy That Defined the Year
You can't talk about the score of the latest games without acknowledging the shadow that hung over the locker room. On November 5, the team lost defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. It was a tragic event that happened just two days after he’d scored a touchdown against Arizona.
For a while there in November, the team really rallied. They went 3-1 that month, including a massive 21-point comeback win against the Eagles. They actually tied a franchise record for the largest comeback in team history during that stretch. But that emotional energy seemed to hit a wall as December rolled around, and the team just couldn't sustain the push needed to secure a Wild Card spot.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Since the "score" for the rest of the month is 0-0, the conversation has already shifted to the 2026 opponents. We already know who they'll be playing because of the NFL’s rotating schedule formula.
Dallas is set to face a gauntlet. Because they finished second in the division, they have to play the second-place finishers from the AFC North (Baltimore Ravens), NFC South (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and NFC North (Green Bay Packers).
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Home Games at AT&T Stadium:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- New York Giants
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- Baltimore Ravens
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Road Games:
- Houston Texans (The Battle of Texas is back!)
- Indianapolis Colts
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Green Bay Packers (Expect more Lambeau drama)
Actionable Steps for Cowboys Fans
Since there's no game to watch this weekend, here’s how to stay productive in your fandom:
- Watch the Divisional Round as a Scout: Keep an eye on the San Francisco 49ers and the Rams. They are on the Cowboys' schedule for next year, and seeing how their schemes evolve now will give you a leg up on the 2026 trash talk.
- Monitor the Coaching Carousel: With the season ending at 7-9-1, rumors are swirling about staff changes. Keep an eye on the defensive coordinator position specifically.
- Draft Prep: Dallas will likely be picking in the middle of the first round. Start looking at interior defensive line help or potentially a long-term successor at QB if the front office decides the Milton/Prescott era needs a fresh spark.
The scoreboard might be dark at AT&T Stadium today, but the offseason in Dallas is usually just as loud as the games themselves.