The Cowboys have the NFC’s longest title drought after the Commanders win

The Washington Commanders 45-31 win over Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round on Saturday brought an unwanted difference in the Dallas Cowboys. With Washington advancing to its first NFC Championship Game since the 1991 season, the Cowboys now have the longest active NFC conference title drought. The Cowboys last reached the NFC Championship Game during the 1995-96 season, a year they ended up winning Super Bowl XXX. Since then, every other NFC team has made at least one appearance in the conference title game.

Dallas now holds the unfortunate title of longest NFC championship drought, last in 1995. The second longest drought belongs to the Chicago Bears, who last played in 2010, followed by the New York Giants in 2011. The other teams are the Seattle Seahawks (2014), Carolina Panthers (2015). ), and the Arizona Cardinals (2015). The Commanders finally ended their 33-year drought and left Dallas all alone with 29 years of absence.

Rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 51 yards, helping the Commanders reach the NFC Championship by defeating the Lions. This was Daniels’ second playoff win, tying Dak Prescott for all-time playoff wins despite Prescott’s nine seasons in the NFL. Washington head coach Dan Quinn also has ties to the Cowboys, having been the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.

Dallas finished the 2024 season with a 7-10 record, placing third in the NFC East behind Washington and Philadelphia. The team’s season ended with back-to-back losses, continuing a trend of postseason failure. The Cowboys last won a playoff game in 2022 despite playing stars like Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.

The Cowboys parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons and now they are looking for a replacement. Jimmie Johnson, a legend of the franchise, mentioned Brian Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore as the main candidates for the job, indicating their strong ties to Prescott. Maintaining continuity in the offensive system is seen as key, especially with Prescott’s $240 million contract and no-trade clause.

The Commandos now move on to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991, where they will face either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Los Angeles Rams. For the Cowboys, the 29-year drought puts even more pressure on Jones and the front office to finally make changes and end the cycle of postseason failure.