Dallas Cowboys

2005 Stats

2005 Season Summary

Bill Parcells first season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys was a success as he led Big D into the playoffs with a 10-6 record and, more importantly, regained the franchise's respect and credibility. 2004, however, was a setback as Dallas fell to 6-10. Entering 2005, the Cowboys were at the proverbial fork in the road and Parcells was determined to set them back on course.

Parcells goes back to his future

The big problem that Dallas has had since the retirement of Troy Aikman has been the quarterback position, where nobody has been able to get a foothold or play with any long-term effectiveness.

In the 2005 offseason Parcells went back to his future by acquiring signal caller Drew Bledsoe from Buffalo . Bledsoe was Parcells quarterback at New England as the two paired up for a 1996 AFC title.

Parcels also emphasized a return to fundamentals and to cut down on the penalties and turnovers that were so costly to the Cowboys in 2004. He was back to his Old School style.

Preseason trendmeisters were delighted

Dallas entered the preseason as a solid 67% play ATS the previous 3 exhibitions. They entered a desert trap, however, in the preseason opener in Arizona against a Cardinal team that always plays its best when the games matter least. Dallas lost 11-13 as a 1-point dog before heading off to Seattle to play one of the worst teams ATS in exhibition action the previous 5 summers in the Seahawks. The trends held firm in an 18-10 Dallas win as 3.5-point pups.

Dallas finished the preseason with back-to-back home games. First, they won and covered as 3-point chalks against another notoriously bad preseason team in the Houston Texas , 21-9. As 4-point chalks the following week they dispatched of another red-ink exhibition club in the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 as preseason trendmeisters were delighted with the Cowboys exhibitions holding form all four weeks.

A tough team to read

Dallas began the 2005 regular season with a tough assignment at San Diego against the defending AFC West champion Chargers. Dallas was installed as a 4.5-point dog and seemed to be the more questionable team in this matchup. The Cowboys pulled off a nice 28-24 upset win and cover and many believed that this would serve as a major springboard for their confidence heading into the home opener against arch-rival Washington on Monday Night Football.

Dallas was a hefty 6-point chalk against a Washington team that had not figured out its offense yet in head coach Joe Gibbs' second season of his second coming. Dallas was posting a shutout and had the game seemingly in a stranglehold before they allowed TD passes of 39 and 70 yards in the final four minutes of play for Parcells' first loss in 78 games after leading by 13+ points entering a 4 th quarter. The “bad beat” for gamblers hurt all the more because of Washington 's seeming inept and punchless offense.

The schedule maker provided a respite for the Cowboys as they traveled to rebuilding San Francisco and were installed as 7-point chalks against the 49ers. The line proved too expensive in a weak 34-31 Dallas win. The Cowboys remained in the Bay Area for their next game at Oakland against the struggling Raiders. Dallas fell 13-19 as 3.5 point dogs as a bail out drive fizzled in the Oakland red zone. Standing with a mark at the quarter pole of 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS, Dallas proved to be a tough team to read.

Emerging as a serious contender

The defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles came calling to Texas Stadium in a game that was to define both teams' paths for the rest of the campaign. Philly was 3-1 SU and coming off a major comeback win at Kansas City . With such momentum coupled with their championship reputation and Dallas ' questionable play, the Eagles were installed as 3.5-road chalks. Dallas took a stunning 33-10 upset win and cover to serve as a real springboard while the Eagles were facing the beginning of their end of dominance in the NFC.

Dallas was installed as 3-point home chalks against another NFC East contender, the New York Giants. Fittingly, with both teams playing similar football, the game was a push on the betting boards as Dallas prevailed 16-13.

Next was a tough road assignment at resurgent Seattle as the Cowboys lost a hard fought 10-13 game as 5-point dogs, getting the cash in posting their 4 th consecutive under. The stumbling Arizona Cardinals visited Texas Stadium next as 9.5-point dogs and Dallas paid off again with a 34-13 win. Dallas was emerging as a serious contender as they entered the bye at 5-3 SU and 4-3-1 ATS with no lost cash in their last 4 games.

Believers about to be burned

A rematch with the desperate Eagles in Philadelphia followed they bye and Dallas took a 21-20 decision as 2.5-point dogs. Struggling Detroit called next at Texas Stadium as 8-point dogs and Dallas again paid off with a 20-7 win to climb to their high point of 2005 at 7-3 SU and 6-3-1 ATS. Dallas has always been a popular “public” team and their hot streak had converted a lot of skeptics while having the true believers “all in.” Those believers were about to be burned.

A classic sucker's bet

Dallas hosted the high-flying Denver Broncos in the Traditional Thanksgiving Day game. Incredibly they were installed as 2-point home dogs, which seemed like a bargain but proved to be a classic sucker's bet as they failed 21-24 in a heartbreaker. Dallas seemed hung over the following week in a rematch with the Giants at the Meadowlands as they fell 10-17 as 3-point dogs to fall back to earth with a mark of 7-5 SU and 6-5-1 ATS heading into the stretch run.

A gift returned

Dallas next hosted Kansas City in a must win game for both teams. KC missed a late field goal as Dallas won 31-28 as gamblers pushed. The win turned out to be a gift returned however, as the Cowboys next traveled to Washington in another must win game. The 1-point home dog Skins stunned all of football with a 35-7 win and cover. Dallas recovered to score an upset win at Carolina 24-20 as 5-point dogs but it proved too late.