Where - Exactly - the Dallas Cowboys Season Went Wrong

Was pondering the disappointing Dallas Cowboys season and I decided to come up with one of my patented Top 10 lists that you guys are so fond of despise. Looking for the season's crossroads plays, I got out my schedule and started thinking about the opener in Washington Sunday night,...

By Richie Whitt

January 19, 2011

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Was pondering the disappointing Dallas Cowboys season and I decided to come up with one of my patented Top 10 lists that you guys ~~are so fond of~~ despise. Looking for the season's crossroads plays, I got out my schedule and started thinking about the opener in Washington Sunday night, September 12 at FedEx Field.

End of search.

In retrospect, the play that ended the first half ended the season.

On 1st and 20 from their own 36 and only :04 remaining in the second quarter, the Cowboys designed, called, approved, ad-libbed and executed -- with an assist from DeAngelo Hall -- the perfect disaster.

We can blame Jason Garrett for calling the play or Wade Phillips for not vetoing the call or Tony Romo for frantically flipping the ball or Tashard Choice for fumbling, but either way there's no denying that the play put Dallas down 10-0 at halftime and injected serious doubts into their season.

There were other defining plays of course -- Alex Barron's holding penalty on the last play of the Redskins game, Romo's injury against the Giants, Marc Colombo's celebration penalty against the Titans, Roy Williams' fumble against the Saints, etc. -- but to me the 2010 season ended soon after it began.

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