2001 Dallas Cowboys season
Encyclopedia
Regular season
An eventful off-season created a lot buzz but little change in the Cowboys' fortunes. Franchise quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, after suffering a pair of concussions the previous season, was released by the team. Unable to sign on with another team — in part due to his long history of concussions — Aikman announced his retirement at an emotional and lengthy press conference later in the off-season. This left running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
as the last of the famed "triplets" from the teams' Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
victories. Veteran quarterback Tony Banks
Tony Banks (quarterback)
Anthony "Tony" Lamar Banks is a former professional American football quarterback.-High school years:...
was signed in the off-season from the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
as an immediate replacement, and owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
hand picked Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
quarterback Quincy Carter
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
with a second round draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
choice as the quarterback of the future. Many saw the Carter pick as quite a reach considering Carter's inconsistent career at Georgia and his low draft rating by several other teams.
Despite what seemed a promising outing in the first pre-season game by starter Tony Banks
Tony Banks (quarterback)
Anthony "Tony" Lamar Banks is a former professional American football quarterback.-High school years:...
, the Cowboys, in a very surprising move, released Banks in the middle of training camp and handed the reins over to their rookie quarterback. Unfortunately, a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness led to the Cowboys starting a total of four different quarterbacks over the course of the season including journeyman Anthony Wright and former Arkansas Razorback
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
Clint Stoerner
Clint Stoerner
Clinton Jacob Stoerner is an American football quarterback. He is currently a free agent.-High school years:...
. In an attempt to provide more depth at the quarterback position, the team signed former second-overall draft pick Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
mid-season, however he provided no improvement in his limited playing time. His only start of the season, a Week 9 loss to the Falcons, was the final start of his career. The game also marked the first start for Falcons QB Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
.
Even with the injection of new blood, the Cowboys suffered through another 5–11 campaign and a last place finish in the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
. The lack of development at quarterback and the offense as a whole would be blamed on offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Jack Reilly
Jack Reilly (football coach)
Jack Reilly is a former college football and National Football League offensive coach. He served as an offensive coordinator with both the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. Reilly's background is in the Don Coryell-Ernie Zampese style West Coast offense.-References:...
who was dismissed after the season. Fans became weary of the Cowboys' performance and blamed owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
, who by now had taken a more hands-on approach to running the team.
One notable game included week 7, where the Cowboys led the Giants 24–7 at halftime, but (thanks in part to Clint Stoerner's throwing 4 interceptions) the Giants rallied to win in overtime. In an unusual move, Stoerner was pulled from the game for Ryan Leaf late in the 4th quarter of a tie game. It was Leaf's debut with the team, but he couldn't lead them to victory.
Another infamous game was on Thanksgiving Day against the Broncos. Dallas trailed 26–10 and scored a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Coach Dave Campo decided against "going for 2" which if successful would have made it an eight point (and one possession game). Campo instead kicked the extra point, keeping the margin at 9. Dallas did score one more late TD but that was not enough to tie the game and they never got the ball back, and lost 26–24.
A second consecutive season sweep of rival Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and a victory over the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
were the only victories of note. Much of the focus turned towards Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
and his pursuit of the all-time career rushing yardage record. During an early season game against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes
Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University...
was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
The Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor was a ring around Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas and currently around Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas which honors former players, coaches and club officials who made outstanding contributions to the Dallas Cowboys football organization. The Ring of Honor began...
.
The defense improved very quickly from the previous year, finishing fourth in the NFL in total defense, third in passing defense and thirteenth against the run. This improvement was achieved with a mainly blue-collar cast of starters that included players like: Brandon Noble
Brandon Noble
Brandon Patrick Noble is a football coach and former National Football League player. He is considered one of NFL Europa's great success stories...
, Michael Myers
Michael Myers (American football)
Michael Myers is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Alabama.-High school years:...
, Peppi Zellner
Peppi Zellner
Hunndens Guiseppi "Peppi" Zellner is a former American football player for the National Football League. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Arizona Cardinals...
, Markus Steele
Markus Steele
Markus Steele is an American football linebacker who played for the National Football League Dallas Cowboys and for the Denver Broncos.-College career:...
, Duane Hawthorne
Duane Hawthorne
Duane Hawthorne is a former professional American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. He now teaches health at Hazelwood West High School in St. Louis, Missouri....
and Mario Edwards
Mario Edwards
Mario L. Edwards is a retired American Football cornerback. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Florida State University. He also has a son Mario Edwards Jr...
.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 2001 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 10–6 | |
| 2 | September 23, 2001 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 32–21 | |
| 3 | September 30, 2001 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 40–18 | |
| 4 | October 7, 2001 | at Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–21 | |
| 5 | October 15, 2001 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 9–7 | |
| 6 | Bye | |||
| 7 | October 28, 2001 | Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–3 | |
| 8 | November 4, 2001 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27–24 | |
| 9 | November 11, 2001 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–13 | |
| 10 | November 18, 2001 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 36–3 | |
| 11 | November 22, 2001 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 26–24 | |
| 12 | December 2, 2001 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 20–14 | |
| 13 | December 9, 2001 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20–13 | |
| 14 | December 16, 2001 | at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 29–3 | |
| 15 | December 23, 2001 | at Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–10 | |
| 16 | December 30, 2001 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 27–21 | |
| 17 | January 6, 2002 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 15–10 | |
Standings
| NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
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| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance.-NFL Draft:-Depth chart:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* * *... |
11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 343 | 208 |
| Washington Redskins 2001 Washington Redskins season The 2001 Washington Redskins season began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 2000.-NFL Draft:-Free agents:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 256 | 303 |
| New York Giants 2001 New York Giants season The New York Giants' 2001 season saw them return as Super Bowl runners-up, after losing Super Bowl XXXV to the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants finished with a 7–9 record and failed to qualify for the play-offs.-NFL Draft:-Season:... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 294 | 321 |
| Arizona Cardinals 2001 Arizona Cardinals season -NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 295 | 343 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 11 | 0 | .312 | 246 | 338 |
Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 2001 roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Flozell Adams Flozell "The Hotel" Adams is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.... T Larry Allen Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft... G Char-ron Dorsey Char-ron Dorsey is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. He played college football at Florida State University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft.... T Ben Fricke Benjamin Todd Fricke was an American football player who spent three seasons in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys football franchise.... C Kelvin Garmon Kelvin Garmon is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft... G Aaron Gibson Aaron Gibson is a professional American football offensive tackle. He holds the record for heaviest NFL player ever, at 410 lbs, weighing over 440 lbs in high school.-High school career:... T Alcender Jackson Alcender O'Neal Jackson is a former American football guard in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Jackson played collegiate ball for Louisiana State University before playing professionally for 2 seasons.-References:... G Matt Lehr Matthew Steven Lehr is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.... G Mark Stepnoski Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh.... C Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Keith Adams (American football) Keith A. Adams is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft... MLB Jamal Brooks Jamal Benjamin Brooks is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Hampton.... MLB Dexter Coakley William Dexter Coakley is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He was a third round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1997 NFL Draft, out of Division I-AA school Appalachian State... OLB Orantes Grant Orantes Laquay Grant is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft.... OLB Dat Nguyen Dat Tan Nguyen is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League . He was the first Vietnamese American to play in the NFL. He played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2005. He played college football at Texas A&M. He was the Cowboys' assistant linebackers coach and... MLB Markus Steele Markus Steele is an American football linebacker who played for the National Football League Dallas Cowboys and for the Denver Broncos.-College career:... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Willie Blade Willie Blade is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Texans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars during his career.... DT (IR)  Ebenezer Ekuban Ebenezer Ekuban, Jr. is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys 20th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft... DE (IR) Dwayne Goodrich Dwayne Lewis Goodrich is a former American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League... CB (IR) Louis Mackey Louis A. Mackey is a former American football Linebacker who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. Mackey's career was ended when the Cowboys released him on August 17, 2003.... OLB (IR) Solomon Page Solomon Page is a former American football guard and tackle of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft... OT (IR) Tim Seder Timothy R. Seder is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Ashland University. He now teaches and coaches at Wills Point Highschool... K (IR) Daleroy Stewart Daleroy Andrew Stewart is a professional American football player. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, for whom he played in the defensive line before being released early in 2004. He was picked up by the New York Jets, for whom he saw action in 1 game... DT (NF-Inj) Robert Thomas (fullback) Robert Lee Thomas, IV is a former professional American football player who played fullback for five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:... FB (IR) Dimitrius Underwood Dimitrius Paul Underwood is a former professional American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys... DT (NF-Ill) James Whalen (American football) James Patrick Whalen, Jr. is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League.... TE (IR) Rookies in italics 53 Active, 13 Inactive |
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Coaching staff
| Dallas Cowboys 2001 coaching staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Source: |
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