The 2003 Dallas Cowboys season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach Bill Parcells. For the first time since 1989, Emmitt Smith was not on the opening day roster, culminating with for the first time since 1987, neither Michael Irvin (1988–1999), Aikman (1989–2000) on the roster either. Coming off three consecutive 5–11 seasons, Dallas hired former New York Giants, New England Patriots, and New York Jets coach Bill Parcells. In a scheduling coincidence, the Cowboys faced all three said teams in the 2003 regular season. The team was vastly improved and posted a 10–6 record (the best finish in the Parcells era), clinching their first winning season since 1998 and clinching their first playoff berth since 1999. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs the team lost to the eventual NFC champion Carolina Panthers 29–10.
Offseason Additions Subtractions FB Richie Anderson (Jets) RB Emmitt Smith (Cardinals) WR Terry Glenn (Packers) G Ross Tucker (Bills) T Ryan Young (Texans) LB Kevin Hardy (Bengals) TE Dan Campbell (Giants) DT Brandon Noble (Redskins) LB Al Singleton (Buccaneers) T Solomon Page (Chargers) DE Peppi Zellner (Redskins)
Draft class
Notes The Cowboys traded their 2002 seventh-round (No. 237 overall) and 2003 fifth-round (No. 140 overall) selections to the New England Patriots for a 2002 fifth-round (No. 168 overall) selection. The Cowboys traded their 2002 first-round (No. 6 overall) selection to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for 2002 first (No. 8 overall) and third-round (No. 75 overall) selections, and a 2003 sixth-round (No. 186 overall) selection.
Undrafted free agents
+ 2003 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeCharles AlstonWide receiverBowie StateErik BickerstaffRunning backWisconsinAaron BooneWide receiverKentuckyReShard LeeRunning backMiddle Tennessee StateJonathan MartinSafetySouth CarolinaDon McGeeCornerbackNorth TexasKeith O'NeilLinebackerNorthern ArizonaTony RomoQuarterbackEastern IllinoisShaun SmithDefensive TackleSouth CarolinaNoah SwartzTackle/GuardToledoTorrin TuckerTackleSouthern MissDarrell WrightDefensive endOregon
Roster Dallas Cowboys 2003 roster Quarterbacks Quincy Carter Chad Hutchinson Tony Romo
Running backs Richie Anderson FB Michael Bates KR Erik Bickerstaff Troy Hambrick Jamar Martin FB
Wide receivers Antonio Bryant Joey Galloway PR Terry Glenn Zuriel Smith KR/PR Randal Williams
Tight ends Dan Campbell Jeff Robinson LS James Whalen Jason WittenOffensive linemen Flozell Adams T Larry Allen G Javiar Collins T Andre Gurode G Matt Lehr C Torrin Tucker T Kurt Vollers T Tyson Walter C/G Ryan Young G/T
Defensive linemen Willie Blade DT Jermaine Brooks DT Kenyon Coleman DE Ebenezer Ekuban DE Greg Ellis DE La'Roi Glover DT Eric Ogbogu DE Daleroy Stewart DTLinebackers Jamal Brooks MLB Dexter Coakley OLB Bradie James MLB Dat Nguyen MLB Keith O'Neil OLB Scott Shanle OLB Al Singleton OLB Markus Steele OLB
Defensive backs Andrew Davison CB Tony Dixon SS Mario Edwards CB Pete Hunter CB Terence Newman CB Jemeel Powell CB Lynn Scott FS Roy Williams FS Darren Woodson SS
Special teams Billy Cundiff K Toby Gowin PReserve lists Leonardo Carson DT (IR) Aveion Cason RB (IR) Gennaro DiNapoli G/C (IR) Al Johnson C (IR) Donald Mitchell CB (IR) Practice squad Cedric James WR ReShard Lee RB Mat McBriar P Shaun Smith DT Dave Volk T
Rookies in italics 53 active, 5 inactive, 5 practice squad
Regular season Despite the release of team legend Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys' fortunes began to change with the introduction of Parcells as head coach. Parcells began to reshape the team, particularly on offense, with an overhaul of the coaching staff, including former New York Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton. Parcells retained much of the defensive staff, including defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, and maintained the team's basic 4–3 defense instead of immediately installing the 3–4 defense which was a trademark of all Parcells's prior teams. This proved a wise decision, as the Cowboys finished the season with the top-ranked overall defense. As in his previous stops, Parcells started to rebuild his team through the draft. In his first year in Dallas, Parcells picked future Pro Bowl players cornerback Terence Newman, tight end Jason Witten and future Cowboys defensive captain linebacker Bradie James. One of the biggest rookie acquisitions came via free agency when the team signed undrafted rookie and future franchise quarterback Tony Romo (although that move got little attention for a few years). Also typical of his prior teams, Parcells brought in veteran players who had played for him at his previous coaching stops, signing fullback Richie Anderson and speedy wide receiver Terry Glenn with whom Parcells had a checkered history.
Though the Cowboys opened the season with a loss, a dramatic come-from-behind victory the next week against the Giants at New York spurred the team's confidence, particularly in third-year quarterback Quincy Carter. This was followed by a reunion with Emmitt Smith (now with the Arizona Cardinals) in Dallas. Smith injured his shoulder early in the game and did not return. After starting with a 7–2 record, the Cowboys went 3–4 in the second half of the season including a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in Foxboro. The game received a lot of hype due to Bill Parcells's and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's seemingly strained relationship due to the events following their final season coaching together with the New York Jets. Though the Cowboys finished 10–6 and earned a playoff berth, they lost in the first round to the eventual NFC champions, the Carolina Panthers.
The Cowboys ranked first in total defense (253.5 yards per game), third in rushing defense, and second in scoring (16.3 points per game), which helped the team qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four years. In October, the Cowboys snapped a six-game losing streak to the Philadelphia Eagles (at halftime of the Eagles game, Tex Schramm was posthumously inducted into the club's Ring of Honor).
This turned out to be the final season for long-time (and often Pro Bowl) Cowboys safety Darren Woodson. Woodson represented the last player link to the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys (and to all three Super Bowl teams of the 1990s). Woodson was on the roster the following season (2004) but never saw action due to injury.
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 7 Atlanta Falcons L 13–27 0–1 Texas Stadium 64,104 2 at New York Giants W 35–32 1–1 Giants Stadium 78,907 3 Bye 4 September 28 at New York Jets W 17–6 2–1 Giants Stadium 77,863 5 October 5 Arizona Cardinals W 24–7 3–1 Texas Stadium 63,601 6 October 12 Philadelphia Eagles W 23–21 4–1 Texas Stadium 63,648 7 October 19 at Detroit Lions W 38–7 5–1 Ford Field 61,160 8 October 26 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 0–16 5–2 Raymond James Stadium 65,602 9 November 2 Washington Redskins W 21–14 6–2 Texas Stadium 64,002 10 November 9 Buffalo Bills W 10–6 7–2 Texas Stadium 63,770 11 November 16 at New England Patriots L 0–12 7–3 Gillette Stadium 68,436 12 November 23 Carolina Panthers W 24–20 8–3 Texas Stadium 63,871 13 November 27 Miami Dolphins L 21–40 8–4 Texas Stadium 64,110 14 December 7 at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–36 8–5 Lincoln Financial Field 69,773 15 December 14 at Washington Redskins W 27–0 9–5 FedExField 70,284 16 December 21 New York Giants W 19–3 10–5 Texas Stadium 64,118 17 December 28 at New Orleans Saints L 7–13 10–6 Louisiana Superdome 68,451 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1 vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Bill Parcells era of the Cowboys began inauspiciously in a 27–13 loss to the Falcons at Texas Stadium. With Michael Vick out with injury Doug Johnson started for the Falcons and had two passing touchdowns and a rushing score. Quincy Carter had a touchdown to Joey Galloway and an interception.
Week 2 at New York Giants
On Monday Night Football Bill Parcells returned to Giants Stadium for the first time since his final year as New York Jets coach and the ensuing game against the New York Giants became a memorable struggle. The Cowboys raced to a 23–7 lead as kicker Billy Cundiff proceeded through a huge day, but the Giants behind Kerry Collins erupted, outscoring the Cowboys 25–12 in the second half; the go-ahead Giants score (a 30-yard Matt Bryant field goal) came with eleven seconds left. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff gave Dallas the ball at its own 40 and a 26-yard catch by Antonio Bryant set up Cundiff's sixth field goal of the game, a 52-yarder with no time left. In overtime both teams traded punts before Quincy Carter led the Cowboys to the Giants 6-yard line and Cundiff connected on a seventh field goal and 35–32 win; in that process Cundiff tied Chris Boniol's record from Dallas' 1996 win over the Packers.
Week 4 at New York Jets
Following their bye week the Cowboys returned to the Meadowlands, this time to face Bill Parcells' third former team the Jets. The Cowboys rushed for 202 yards and Troy Hambrick and Antonio Bryant touchdowns in the second quarter were enough as the Cowboys won 17–6. This would be the Cowboys last win on the road against the Jets until 2025.
Week 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Cowboys hosted former NFC East foe Arizona; they limited the Cardinals to 151 total yards and sacked Jeff Blake twice in the endzone for a safety, ultimately winning 24–7. Quincy Carter had 277 yards and two touchdowns. Former Cowboy Emmitt Smith was knocked out of the game after failing to record a single yard (he had a net loss of one yard) on six carries and later admitted “i cried for forty five minutes before the game.”
Week 6 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles opened with an onside kick and Randal Williams ran it back for a Dallas touchdown, and became the quickest player to score a touchdown in NFL history, in only 3 seconds. From there the Cowboys raced to a 17–7 lead in the third quarter. But by late in the fourth quarter Duce Staley's 52-yard catch from Donovan McNabb and a Correll Buckhalter score put the Eagles up 21–20. Quincy Carter then completed a 19-yard pass to Joey Galloway; two Troy Hambrick runs set up the go-ahead Cowboys field goal with 1:14 to go; the Cowboys then sacked McNabb and he fumbled to Dallas, ending the game as a 23–21 Dallas win.
Week 7 at Detroit Lions
The Cowboys embarrassed the Lions by scoring the game's final 38 points, with a monster day for Quincy Carter and Terry Glenn, who both hooked up for three touchdowns; Mario Edwards then intercepted Joey Harrington and scored. In the end the Cowboys were 38–7 winners with a 5–1 record; it was also the club's second career win in five tries against Steve Mariucci.
Week 8 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The embattled Buccaneers shut out the Cowboys 16–0 as Keyshawn Johnson caught a touchdown pass while Quincy Carter was intercepted twice.
Week 9 vs. Washington Redskins
The Cowboys ended 3 years of never winning more than 5 games in a season by beating the Redskins, 21–14 at home and improving to 6–2.
Week 10 vs. Buffalo Bills
Bill Parcells faced his once and future quarterback Drew Bledsoe as the 4–4 Bills came to Dallas. Bledsoe managed just two drives ending in field goals while the Cowboys were only slightly better, managing a two-yard Quincy Carter touchdown for the 10–6 Cowboys win.
Week 11 at New England Patriots
Parcells traveled to Foxboro for the first time since the 1999 season and faced his former assistant Bill Belichick on Sunday night. The Patriots had won five straight and made it six as they sacked Quincy Carter once and intercepted three passes. Former Patriot Terry Glenn was held to one catch as the Patriots ground out a 12–0 win.
Week 12 vs. Carolina Panthers