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As the Cowboys play in the NFC East and the Rams in the NFC West, both teams do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules during which their respective divisions are paired up, sometimes more often if the two teams meet in the playoffs, or have a common position finish in their respective divisions. The rivalry between the two teams peaked during the 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s, during which they met eight times in the playoffs, with each team winning four.
History
The rivalry between the Cowboys and Rams started once Dallas joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. They were one of the first two teams to conduct joint practices during the preseason. Initially, the rivalry became a friendly one owing to the friendship between Rams owner Dan Reeves and Cowboys executive Tex Schramm. However, the feud intensified after Schramm accused Rams head coach George Allen of sending a spy to a Cowboys practice, to which Allen countered by arguing that the Cowboys put a scout atop a tree to spy on the Rams.
As was the case in 1975, the 1978 NFC championship game resulted in a blowout victory for the Cowboys on the road, winning 28–0 and clinched the team's fifth Super Bowl appearance. The Cowboys lost both of those games to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But in a similar fashion to 1976, the Rams bounced back in a chippy low-scoring encounter, winning the 1979 divisional round 21–19 in Dallas. In that game, Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo threw three touchdown passes, the last of which gave the Rams the lead for good. This game was also notable as it marked the final game of Roger Staubach's career. The Rams eventually advance to their first Super Bowl, but lost to the Steelers. The two teams met in the playoffs for a third consecutive time, this time in the 1980 Wild Card round. In that game, the Cowboys routed the Rams at home, winning 34–13.
The 1980s saw a Cowboys team in transition, now featuring Danny White as its starting quarterback. Meanwhile, the Rams drafted running back Eric Dickerson in the 1983 NFL draft and quickly became the face of the franchise. The next two playoff meetings resulted in Rams victories. In the 1983 Wild Card round, the Rams stunned the heavily favored Cowboys 24–17 in Dallas, with White committing three interceptions. Then in the 1985 divisional round, Dickerson rushed for a playoff record 248 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams shut out the Cowboys 20–0 in Anaheim Stadium. The game marked Tom Landry's final playoff game as Cowboys head coach, as well as the final NFL playoff game in Anaheim (the Rams moved there in 1980).
The rivalry became dormant over the next two decades. While the Cowboys became a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1990s and remained a relevant franchise in subsequent years, the Rams struggled with nine consecutive losing seasons, during which the team relocated to St. Louis in 1995. The Rams eventually won Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 behind The Greatest Show on Turf trio of Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce, but it also coincided with the decline of the Cowboys' Super Bowl-winning core featuring Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. In 2002, the Cowboys met the Rams for the first time since the latter's move to St. Louis; it was also their first meeting overall since 1992, a 27–23 Rams win on the road. In Dallas' first visit to Edward Jones Dome, the Cowboys prevailed 13–10. The Cowboys made two more visits to St. Louis in 2008 and 2014, splitting those meetings.
After the 2015 season, the Rams returned to Los Angeles, and gradually reemerged as a Super Bowl contender. In 2018, the Rams and Cowboys met in the playoffs for the first time since 1985. In the divisional round, the Rams prevailed 30–22 and went on to play in Super Bowl LIII in a losing cause to the New England Patriots. The game marked the Cowboys' final visit to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 2020 season saw the Rams move to SoFi Stadium, and on September 13, the stadium hosted its first-ever game with the Cowboys as the visiting team. The Rams won 20–17.
Season-by-season results
Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams season-by-season results
NFC Divisional Round. Final meeting in the series for Rams defensive tackle Merlin Olsen. Final meeting for head coach Chuck Knox during his first stint as Rams head coach.
NFC Divisional Round. Final playoff game at Anaheim Stadium. Final playoff game for Cowboys head coach Tom Landry. Eighth postseason meeting in just a 13-year period.
Tom Landry was escorted off the field in the 3rd quarter following the Anaheim Police Department learning of a threat on Landry's life; with Landry later returning after being fitted for a bulletproof vest.
Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII. Final start in the series for Troy Aikman and final appearance for Jimmy Johnson as Cowboys head coach. Only appearance for Chuck Knox during his second stint as Rams head coach.
NFC Divisional Round. First meeting in Los Angeles since the Rams returned to the city. Final meeting at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Ninth postseason meeting, tying an NFL record (since broken). Rams lose Super Bowl LIII. First postseason meeting since 1985.
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Rams