Team Spirit author Mark Stewart talks about the OVERTIME web page.

Mark picks his favorite Cowboys

What’s new with the Dallas Cowboys? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit OVERTIME website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

That’s because football never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!

Scroll down for team updates, player profiles, and stats you won’t find in the book. Click on the videos to the left to hear me talk about Team Spirit OVERTIME as well as my favorite players. And take a look below at some of the Cowboys collectibles I have in my home—pretty cool, right?

Enjoy this site, check back whenever you like, and contact me with any questions or comments.

Would you like to buy this OVERTIME book?

Updates

2022 Season

2022 Season Roundup: No fewer than seven Cowboys were picked to play in the Pro Bowl during a 12–5 season, including receiver CeeDee Lamb, linebacker Micah Parsons and lineman Zack Martin. Dallas defeated the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay for their first playoff win on the road since the 1990s, but fell in the next round to the 49ers. The offense was powered by running back Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who ran for more than 1,800 yards, caught 78 passes, and scored 24 touchdowns. Lamb caught 107 passes in his third season with the Cowboys, which was four short of Michael Irvin’s team record. The Dallas D starred Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs, Leighton Vander Esch, and DaRon Bland.

2022 Season Preview: Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will lead the Cowboys into battle in 2022, but their success may depend just as much on a group of up-and-coming linemen and receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Dallas D should be solid, with a good pass rush starring Micah Parsons and lots of “big play” talent behind them, including Trevon Diggs, who picked off 11 passes last season. Dallas is picked by most experts to finish atop the NFC East.

2021 Season

2021 Season Roundup: The Cowboys galloped to the top of the NFC East with a 12–5 record and the number-one offense in the NFL. Veterans Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott led the team, while young receiver CeeDee Lamb had a breakout season. The Dallas defense starred Trevon Diggs, who picked off 11 passes. Pass rusher Micah Parson led the club with 13 sacks. Cowboys fans had dreams of reaching the Super Bowl, but the 49ers’ defense shut Dallas down in the playoffs and their season ended with a 23–17 loss.

October 6, 2021: One week after being named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, Trevon Diggs was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in the first week of October. Diggs picked off two passes in a win over the Panthers to give him 5 in 5 games.

September 27, 2021: Trevon Diggs intercepted a pass during a win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He became just the third Cowboy to pick off a pass in each of the season’s first three games and was named Defensive Player of the Month later that week.

2021 Season Preview: All the Cowboys need to do to win the NFC East in 2021 is keep their stars on the field. Dallas has great talent on both sides of the football, starting with quarterback Dak Prescott, who broke his ankle last October but is back at full strength. Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper lead a high-powered offense, while the defense relies on the playmaking of Jaylon Smith and Trevon Diggs.

2020 Season

2020 Season Roundup: An October knee injury ended Dak Prescott’s season and put the pressure on the defense to win games for Dallas. The result was a 6–10 season. Ezekiel Elliott was the team’s top rusher and Amari Cooper and rookie CeeDee Lamb were the leading receivers.

September 20, 2020: Dak Prescott led Dallas to a dramatic comeback 40–39 win over the Falcons. During the game he became the first player to throw for more than 400 yards and run for three touchdowns.

2020 Season Preview: The Cowboys will put a lot of points on the board in 2020. Can their defense keep points off the board? That will be the difference between blowout victories and razor-thin losses like the ones they suffered in 2019. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper will star for the Dallas offense, while the Dallas D is led by a group of excellent linebackers, including Jaylon Smith, Leighton Van Esch, and veteran Sean Lee.

2019 Season

2019 Season Roundup: Dallas fans expected more of the league’s best offensive line than they got in 2019, and that slowed down the team’s running game when the Cowboys needed it most. Dak Prescott took to the air instead and had the best stats of his career. The Dallas D didn’t make its usual big plays in tight games, and the special teams play was terrible at times. What could easily have been a 12-win season ended up 8–8 without a trip to the playoffs.

October 20, 2019: Kicker Brett Maher booted a 63-yard field goal against the Eagles. He became the first player in history with three field goals of 60 yards or more in his career.

2019 Season Preview: The Cowboys traded for receiver Amari Cooper in 2018 and it saved their season. Along with quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, it gave Dallas three all-star offensive weapons. The team will be counting on this trio in 2019, along with a young, fast defense that cold be the key to a second NFC East title in a row.

2018 Season

2018 Season Roundup: Dallas survived its first season since 2009 without receivers Jason Witten and Dez Bryant to win the NFC East with a 10–6 record. Dak Prescott played well, throwing 22 touchdown passes with just 8 interceptions. Ezekiel Elliot led the league with 1,434 rushing yards and also caught 77 passes. Byron Jones, DeMarcus Lawrence, and rookie Leighton Vander Esche led the NFL’s sixth-best defense. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks 24–22 in the opening round of the playoffs but lost to the Super Bowl-bound Rams a week later, 30–22.

December 6, 2018: Amari Cooper was named NFC Player of the Week for the second time since joining Dallas in an October trade with the Raiders. Cooper had 217 receiving yard and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Eagles.

November 25, 2018: Amari Cooper caught 8 passes for 180 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 31–23 win over the Redskins. It was the most yards by a Cowboy receiver since 2012.

2018 Season Preview: Dallas will definitely be putting points on the board in 2018, thanks to quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and a monstrous offensive line. Any help they get from the receivers will be a bonus. As usual, the defense will be full of surprises, thanks to a versatile group of linebackers led by Sean Lee.

2017 Season

2017 Season Roundup: The Cowboys had a tough schedule in 2017 and their nine wins were just one short of what they needed to make the playoffs. Dak Prescott had a good year after his sensational rookie season—and receivers Dez Bryant and Jason Witten were good as usual— but running back Ezekiel Elliott missed six games for disciplinary reasons. DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving led the team’s pass rush with 21.5 sacks.

November 30, 2017: Dez Bryant scored his 72nd career touchdown in a victory over the Redskins. That broke the team record held by Bob Hayes.

2017 Season Preview: Can the young Cowboys repeat their fantastic 2016 season? Most experts say NO. But with a good, young quarterback playing behind a wall of Pro Bowl linemen, anything is possible. Dallas depends on its linebackers to lead the defense, but they will need a better pass rush to become a trye championship contender.

2016 Season

2016 Season Roundup: An offensive line anchored by Tyron Smith, Zack Martin & Travis Frederick gave first-year stars Zak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott the protection they needed to lead Dallas to a 13–3 record. Elliott led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and Prescott threw for 3,667 yards and 23 TDs and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Linebacker Sean Lee was the star of the defense, but the Dallas D could not stop the Packers in the playoffs. The Cowboys’ season ended with a 34–31 loss on their own home field.

2016 Season Preview: Dallas has one of the best group of blockers in the NFL and they will need it. The team is starting two rookies in key positions: quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. If the defense can improve over 2015, the Cowboys could challenge for the top spot in the NFC East.

2015 Season

2015 Season Preview: With DeMarco Murray now playing for the Eagles, the offense will lean heavily on Tony Romo and his receivers. The Cowboys have a solid offensive line, but their defense has several weak spots.

2014 Season

October 19, 2014: Running back DeMarco Murray set a new record by gaining 100 yards or more in the season’s first seven games. The old record was held by Hall of Famer Jim Brown.

September 1, 2014: The Dallas offense seems to have all the pieces it needs for Tony Romo to put points on the scoreboard. The question is whether the Dallas defensive keep them off? Payroll problems led to the loss of Jason Hatcher and DaMarcus Ware, and Sean Lee—a star in 2013—will miss 2014 with an injured knee.

2013 Season

October 6, 2013: Tony Romo became the 15th quarterback in league history to throw for more than 500 yards in a game. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 506 yards and 5 touchdowns, but Dallas lost to the Denver Broncos 51–48.

September 4, 2013: Tony Romo leads the Dallas offense into the 2013 season with several question marks to address. Receiver Dez Bryant and running back DeMarco Murray need to stay healthy, and the offensive line has to improve. If the pass defense can also stay healthy, the Cowboys should win 10 games easily.

2012 Roundup

February 2, 2013: A good season was ruined with a loss to the arch-rival Redskins in the final week. It cost Dallas a division title and trip to the playoffs. The Cowboys’ pass rush was awesome all year. DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and Jason Hatcher combined for 26.5 sacks.

December 23, 2012: Jason Witten broke the record for pass receptions by a tight end during a game against the New Orleans Saints. Witten’s 103rd catch of the year set a new mark. One week later, he added to his record with seven more to make it 110.

October 28, 2012: Jason Witten caught 18 passes in a game against the New York Giants. That set a new league record for tight ends—and was the third-most catches ever in an NFL game.

Summer, 2012: The Cowboys were good all year in 2011, except at the end of a handful of games. That was enough to knock them out of the playoffs. In 2012, Tony Romo returns to lead the team, and Dallas has a new featured runner in DeMarco Murray. The pair will be the keys to the offense.

More Go-To Guys

When I was little, I saw a scary movie starring an actor named Cornell Wilde. From that day on, I always mixed up Cornell Wilde and Cornell Green. (Topps, Inc.)

I hope Roger Staubach bought Rayfield Wright a lot of steak dinners, because Wright was the guy who kept pass-rushers from making hamburger out of Staubach. (Topps, Inc. )

Where would the Cowboys have been without Jason Witten? He was the one guy they could count on year after year for almost a decade. (Black Book Partners)

  • Don Meredith — Quarterback
    Born: 4/10/1938
    Died: 12/5/2010
    Played for Team: 1960 to 1968
    “Dandy Don” Meredith was the player who took the Cowboys from worst to first during his career. He was a tough competitor with a sense of humor and was popular with players and fans. Meredith played in the Pro Bowl after the 1968 season and then unexpectedly retired the following summer. With Roger Staubach and Craig Morton ready to take over, he knew it was time to leave th

  • Cornell Green — Defensive Back
    Born: 2/10/1940
    Played for Team: 1962 to 1974
    Cornell Green was known far and wide as a basketball star in the early 1960s. He accepted an invitation to training camp with the Cowboys in 1962 figuring he would get cut. Then it would be on to the NBA. But he was so good at covering receivers that he made the team—and went on to play in five Pro Bowls. Green’s brother, Pumpsie, was a baseball player with the Boston Red Sox.

  • Rayfield Wright — Offensive Lineman
    Born: 8/23/1945
    Played for Team: 1967 to 1980
    Rayfield Wright towered over opponents at 6′ 7″ and was nicknamed the “Big Cat.” He had many unforgettable battles with Deacon Jones and other top pass-rushers and almost always came out on top. Wright was an All-Pro four times from 1971 to 1975.

  • Chuck Howley — Linebacker
    Born:6/28/1936
    Played for Team: 1961 to 1973
    When Chuck Howley suffered a knee injury with the Chicago Bears in 1959, he thought his career was over. He caught on with the Cowboys and found he was better than ever. Howley was one of the best all-around linebackers in the NFL for more than 10 seasons.

  • Jason Witten — Tight End
    Born: 5/6/1982
    First Year with Team: 2003
    The Cowboys were not a team that relied on its tight ends to catch passes…until Jason Witten came along. Witten used his speed, strength, and coordination to become the key man in Dallas’s passing game. In 2007, he caught 96 passes and tied a record for tight ends with 15 catches in a game.

More Fun Facts

I looked through my collection for a Charlie Waters card and this one that shows him in college is the only one I could find. (Collegiate Collection)

  • RECORD SETTER
    Charlie Waters was one of the top defensive players of the 1970s. He shares the NFL record for postseason interceptions with nine and set a league record when he blocked four punts in back-to-back games in 1976.

  • THE STREAK
    Every team likes to get its season off to a winning start. From 1965 to 1981, the Cowboys won their opening day game every year. The Pittsburgh Steelers finally beat them in 1982.

  • PLUG & PLAY
    The massive video screens hanging above the field at Cowboys Stadium use more energy in one game than the average American uses in four months.

League Leaders

Who was the brilliant author behind this Emmitt Smith book? (Grolier, Inc.)

After he retired from football, Everson Walls helped save the life of his Dallas teammate, Ron Springs. Springs needed an organ transplant and Walls was a perfect match. He donated one of his kidneys to Springs in 2007. (Author’s Collection)

  • RUSHING YARDS
    1991 — Emmitt Smith — 1,563
    1992 — Emmitt Smith — 1,713
    1993 — Emmitt Smith — 1,486
    1995 — Emmitt Smith — 1,773
    2014 — DeMarco Murray —1,845
    2016 — Ezekiel Elliott — 1,631
    2018 — Ezekiel Elliott—1,434

  • RECEIVING YARDS
    1977 — Drew Pearson — 870
    1991 — Michael Irvin — 1,523

  • PASSING YARDS
    No Cowboy has led the league in passing yards.

  • RUSHING TDs
    1971 — Duane Thomas — 11
    1992 — Emmitt Smith — 18
    1994 — Emmitt Smith — 21
    1995 — Emmitt Smith — 25
    2014 — DeMarco Murray — 13 (tied with nother player)

  • RECEIVING TDs
    1962 — Frank Clarke — 14
    1965 — Bob Hayes — 12 (tied for NFL lead)
    1966 — Bob Hayes — 13
    1969 — Lance Rentzel — 12
    2006 — Terrell Owens — 13
    2014 — Dez Bryant — 16

  • PASSING TDs
    1973 — Roger Staubach — 23 (tied for NFL lead)

  • POINTS
    1981 — Rafael Septien — 121 (tied for NFL lead)
    1995 — Emmitt Smith — 150

  • INTERCEPTIONS
    1969 — Mel Renfro — 10
    1981 — Everson Walls — 11
    1982 — Everson Walls — 7
    1985 — Everson Walls — 9

  • SACKS
    2010 — DeMarcus Ware — 15.5

Playing for the Championship

SEASON GAME OPPONENT SCORE
1966 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers Lost 34–27
1967 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers Lost 21–17
1970 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Won 17–10
1970 Super Bowl V Baltimore Colts Lost 16–13
1971 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Won 14–3
1971 Super Bowl VI Miami Dolphins Won 24–3
1972 NFC Championship Washington Redskins Lost 26–3
1973 NFC Championship Minnesota Vikings Lost 27–10
1975 NFC Championship Los Angeles Rams Won 37–7
1975 Super Bowl X Pittsburgh Steelers Lost 21–17
1977 NFC Championship Minnesota Vikings Won 23–6
1977 Super Bowl XII Denver Broncos Won 27–10
1978 NFC Championship Los Angeles Rams Won 28–0
1978 Super Bowl XIII Pittsburgh Steelers Lost 35–31
1980 NFC Championship Philadelphia Eagles Lost 20–7
1981 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Lost 28–27
1982 NFC Championship Washington Redskins Lost 31–17
1992 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Won 30–20
1992 Super Bowl XXVII Buffalo Bills Won 52–17
1993 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Won 38–21
1993 Super Bowl XXVIII Buffalo Bills Won 30–13
1994 NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Lost 38–28
1995 NFC Championship Green Bay Packers Won 38–27
1995 Super Bowl XXX Pittsburgh Steelers Won 27–17

Would you like to buy this OVERTIME book?