The top 5 most painful losses in Dallas Cowboys history

Being a Cowboys fan over the last 27 years has certainly been tough. Heartbreaks, injuries, and bad luck have plagued this team into becoming one of the consistently most disappointing franchises in all of sports.

Big names, big money, and big failures have driven the Cowboys faithful insane, and quite frankly, have caused some very painful memories. The devastating Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs was another prime example. The Cowboys were the only team in Week 1 unable to score a touchdown.

So, we figured, to add insult to injury, why not take a look back at some of the most painful memories and relive them?

The top 5 most painful losses in Dallas Cowboys history

5.  2016: Cowboys lose to Packers in Divisional Round – Aaron Strikes Again

The 2016 season was a wild time. It was a year in which the Cowboys saw franchise QB Tony Romo get completely broken in the preseason and his backup (Kellen Moore) broke his tibia.

All hope was lost, as the entire promising season was left in the hands of fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott. Fans were wrong, though. Prescott had a miraculous rookie campaign, leading the team to a 13-3 record, tying the franchise record for wins in a season, a top-of-the-conference finish, and a first-round bye.

Everything was looking up in this miracle run with the rookie QB at the helm. That was until they were poised to meet a familiar foe in Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, after Green Bay dismantled the Giants in the Wild Card round.

In reference to a prior game in 2014 that will most certainly be on this list, Cowboys faithful were certainly not fans of Aaron Rodgers, nor his late-game heroics. The Cowboys, who were favored by many to make a Super Bowl run that season, found themselves in a massive hole in this Divisional Round game.

At one point, Dallas was down 21-3, which turned into being down 21-13 at halftime. After a third quarter that saw Green Bay extend their lead to 28-13, much of Cowboys Nation thought the season was over. Wrong again (for a bit).

Prescott and the Cowboys came roaring back in the fourth, scoring on touchdown passes to Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and a Dan Bailey field goal, to tie the game at 31-31 with only 58 seconds remaining in the game.

However, as we’ve learned the hard way, any time left on the clock is too much time available for Rodgers. The Packers QB charged his team down the field with one of the most memorable plays you could imagine. He rolled to his left and hit Jared Cook for a 35-yard pass on the sideline, setting up the Packers for a chance to win the game with only three seconds left.

The Pack walked off on a game-winning 51-yard field goal by Mason Crosby. This would be the second time since 2007 that the Cowboys would have the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, only to lose in their first playoff game.

The reason this game was so painful wasn’t due to having the No. 1 seed and losing in the first playoff game played. It was painful because Prescott and the Cowboys clawed back into the game with a magnificent effort, only to lose in dramatic fashion.

The second coming of the Rodgers experience wasn’t quite as dramatic as the first; however, it was still a horrifically painful ending to a once hopeful season.