National Football League

Cowboys now boast longest NFC Championship Game drought in NFL history

Published Jan. 19, 2025 2:49 p.m. ET

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The longest NFC Championship Game drought in NFL history now belongs to the Dallas Cowboys after the Washington Commanders stunned the top-seeded Detroit Lions at Ford Field, 45-31, to advance in the playoffs.

Washington hasn't appeared in an NFC Championship Game since winning the Super Bowl in the 1991 season. What's more, the Commanders hadn't won a playoff game since the 2005 season prior to this postseason.

Dallas hasn't appeared in the NFC Championship Game since last winning the Super Bowl in the 1995 season; the Cowboys have appeared in 18 playoff games since 1995, none of which came in the conference title round.

To put that into perspective, here's what has happened in the NFL since Dallas' last NFC title game appearance:

• Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won six Super Bowls.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers surpassed the Cowboys for the most Super Bowls in league history, boasting six Lombardi Trophies following their 2005 and 2008 championships (which is now tied with the Patriots).
• Andy Reid took two teams (Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs) to the Super Bowl.
• The Chiefs won the Super Bowl three times in five years (2019, 2022, 2023).
• Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with two teams (Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos).
• The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in franchise history (2017).
• The New York Giants won two Super Bowls (2007 and 2011).
• The Broncos won three Super Bowls (1998, 1999, 2015).
• Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels won as many playoff games in his 2024 rookie season (two) as the Cowboys have all-time with Dak Prescott.
• A 43-year-old Tom Brady won a Super Bowl in his first season (2020) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who previously hadn't won a playoff game in 18 years.
• The Washington franchise changed its name twice (2020 and 2021).
• Jon Gruden coached the Raiders twice (1998-2001 and 2018-21).
• Belichick was the head coach of the New York Jets for one day (2000).
• Brett Favre retired three times and unretired twice.
• The Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and rebranded as the Baltimore Ravens (1996).
• The Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles (2016), and the Chargers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles (2017).
• The Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years (2023).
• The Houston Texans were founded (2002).
• The Cincinnati Bengals won a playoff game for the first time in 31 years and reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 34 years (2021).
• The Browns broke an 18-year playoff drought and won their first playoff game in 26 years (2020).

As for the present, Dallas is coming off a 7-10 season that saw Prescott go down for the year with a hamstring injury after eight games and the franchise parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons.

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