When was the last time the Cowboys made the NFC Championship?

The Dallas Cowboys are America’s Team but playoff success has eluded them often in recent years, so when did the team last make the NFC Championship Game?

Most NFL fans, whether they realize it or not, see the Dallas Cowboys as an odd paradox in the sport and league. They are undoubtedly America’s Team in terms of nationwide popularity and also have enjoyed a great deal of regular-season success. The playoffs, however, have been a different story.

The Cowboys, for lack of a better phrase, have been the butt of the joke for a long time when it comes to the postseason. Whether the Tony Romo fumbled snap, the “Dez Caught It” game, or a number of other instances, it’s been a confluence of errors for Dallas.

After getting past Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the 2022-23 Wild Card Round, though, they are just one game away from the NFC Championship Game. But tortured fans and those wanting to poke fun are asking how long it’s been since the Cowboys made the NFC title game.

When was the last time the Cowboys made the NFC Championship Game?

It’s getting closer to three decades since the Cowboys last saw the NFC Championship Game. It was the 1995 season (the playoffs were played in January 1996) when the team last made it to the conference title game after they beat the rival Eagles 30-11 in the Divisional Round. That brought about a matchup for a Super Bowl berth against the Green Bay Packers. Incidentally, that’s the team that current Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy won a Super Bowl with.

Since their last appearance in the NFC title game, though, the Cowboys have made the playoffs 11 times (prior to this season) and got to the Divisional Round six times but failed to convert.

When was the last time the Cowboys made the Super Bowl?

As it turns out, the last trip to the NFC Championship Game for Dallas also brought about the franchise’s last Super Bowl berth and Super Bowl victory. The ‘Boys defeated the Packers 38-27 in the conference championship tilt and then went on to win the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl title with a 27-17 victory over the Steelers.

The playoff trials have been real since that time, though. In the years since the team’s last Super Bowl victory, they are a meager 5-11 in playoff games and, as mentioned, haven’t been to even the NFC title game in 27 years.