2004 Dallas Cowboys season

2004 Dallas Cowboys season
Head coach	Bill Parcells
General manager	Jerry Jones
Owner	Jerry Jones
Home field	Texas Stadium
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	3rd NFC East
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Flozell Adams T, Larry Allen G, La'Roi Glover DT, Roy Williams S, Jason Witten TE
Uniform

The 2004 Dallas Cowboys season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League. The season began with the team trying to continue on their winning 10–6 record in 2003. However, the failed to improve on that record and finished at 6–10.

Offseason

Even before 2004 season began, the Cowboys would face adversity and be forced to adjust. Coming off their first winning season in 5 years, the team, under Bill Parcells direction, would continue to bring in veteran talent and draft promising prospects. In the off-season, the Cowboys would sign quarterback Vinny Testaverde and trade for disgruntled wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Both Testaverde and Johnson had played for Parcells when he had coached the New York Jets, and both were eager to reunite with Parcells. Johnson was especially happy to be in Dallas, as he had been deactivated for the final six games of the previous season while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for "conduct detrimental to the team". In return for Johnson, the Buccaneers received Joey Galloway. The draft saw the arrival of running back Julius Jones, cornerbacks Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones, and college quarterback turned wide receiver Patrick Crayton. In owner Jerry Jones continuing quest to acquire quarterback talent, the Cowboys would trade for the rights to Drew Henson, another baseball player attempting to return to football. Henson starred at Michigan, even keeping future NFL superstar quarterback Tom Brady from claiming the starting job outright. His struggles in the New York Yankees farm system would lead him to reconsider his career and opt for a return to football, similar to Chad Hutchinson, whom the team had acquired only two years prior. Hutchinson would later be released.

2004 draft class

2004 Dallas Cowboys Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
2	43	Julius Jones	RB	Notre Dame
2	52	Jacob Rogers	OT	Southern Cal
3	83	Stephen Peterman	G	LSU
4	121	Bruce Thornton	CB	Georgia
5	144	Sean Ryan	TE	Boston College
7	205	Nathan Jones	CB	Rutgers
7	216	Patrick Crayton	WR	Northwestern Oklahoma State
7	223	Jacques Reeves	CB	Purdue

Notes

• The Cowboys traded their first-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for second and fifth-round selections and a 2005 first-round selection.
• The Cowboys traded their original fifth-round selection to the New Orleans Saints for in exchange for sixth and seventh-round selections.
• The Cowboys traded their original sixth-round selection to the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver Terry Glenn.
• The Cowboys traded their sixth-round (acquired from New Orleans) to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for two seventh-round selections.
• The Cowboys traded their seventh-round (acquired from New Orleans) selection to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for fullback Darian Barnes and a seventh-round selection.
• The Cowboys traded their original seventh-round selection and a 2005 sixth-round selection to the Oakland Raiders for defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman. The original selection was acquired through trade via Oakland.^[1]

Quarterback controversy

With the opening of training camp, the team seemed poised to take the next step, however this would soon change. Within the first week of camp, the Cowboys would shockingly release starting quarterback Quincy Carter. The move came with no warning; reporters at training camp became aware something had occurred when Carter did not suit up for practice and was later seen being escorted from the Cowboys facility. Though never verified by Carter or the team, it has been speculated that his release was prompted by a failed drug test administered by the Dallas Cowboys, an action prohibited by NFL rules. Rumors began that Carter had already entered the second phase of the NFL's substance abuse program, meaning he had twice failed NFL mandated random drug screenings. Test results are not made public but notices are sent to team officials. A third violation of the substance abuse program results in a mandatory suspension, and the Cowboys, unwilling to risk losing a starting quarterback during the season, began to monitor Carter with its own drug tests. Carter's formal protest of his release through the NFLPA as well as his subsequent troubles with drug addiction appear to lend creadence to this scenario. This move had an ironic long-term effect on the team. Had Carter remained (along with Testaverde and the financially invested Drew Henson), second-year QB Tony Romo would have been fourth on the depth chart and likely cut from the team. When Carter left, Romo moved up to #3, and would eventually be a pro-bowl starting quarterback for the Cowboys.

Regular season

As a result, Vinny Testaverde would be the opening day starter for the Cowboys. His extensive experience and veteran presence was an asset to the team, especially to young undrafted practice squad addition Tony Romo, but failed to produce many points behind an inconsistent offensive line. Dallas' defense would also regress from the previous season, especially the secondary which lost starting cornerback Mario Edwards in free agency and longtime mainstay and team leader safety Darren Woodson to injury. The result was a defense often on the field for long stretches and an offense constantly playing from behind. Following a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in which he played well in mop-up duty, Drew Henson would start the annual Thanksgiving Day game against the Chicago Bears. Though neither team produced much offense, Henson would flounder, and Testaverde would be brought in midway through the third quarter to a chorus of boos. The game still provided excitement for Cowboys fans as rookie running back Julius Jones, who had been injured early in the season and had just returned in the previous game, put on a masterful performance rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns in leading the team to victory. Jones' momentum would carry over to the next game where he would rush for 198 yards and three scores in a dramatic win over the Seattle Seahawks. In only 7 starts(8 games overall) Jones would rush for over 800 yards and seven touchdowns, though not justifying Parcells' decision to pass on running backs Steven Jackson and Kevin Jones in the draft. As the season progressed, Parcells would continue to mold the team steadily implementing his preferred 3-4 defense and allowing his assistant coaches on offense, particularly Maurice Carthon and Sean Payton, to take more control. Despite the individual achievements and development, the end result was a 6–10 season. Other notable additions to the team this year include linebackers Ryan Fowler and Scott Shanle as well as former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George in his final NFL season.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 12, 2004	at Minnesota Vikings	L 35–17	64,105
2	September 19, 2004	Cleveland Browns	W 19–12	63,119
3	September 27, 2004	at Washington Redskins	W 21–18	90,367
4	Bye
5	October 10, 2004	New York Giants	L 26–10	64,018
6	October 17, 2004	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 24–20	64,162
7	October 24, 2004	at Green Bay Packers	L 41–20	70,679
8	October 31, 2004	Detroit Lions	W 31–21	63,616
9	November 7, 2004	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 26–3	65,721
10	November 15, 2004	Philadelphia Eagles	L 49–21	64,190
11	November 21, 2004	at Baltimore Ravens	L 30–10	69,924
12	November 25, 2004	Chicago Bears	W 21–7	64,026
13	December 6, 2004	at Seattle Seahawks	W 43–39	68,093
14	December 12, 2004	New Orleans Saints	L 27–13	64,056
15	December 19, 2004	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 12–7	67,723
16	December 26, 2004	Washington Redskins	W 13–10	63,705
17	January 2, 2005	at New York Giants	L 28–24	78,500

Standings

NFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) Philadelphia Eagles	13	3	0	.813	6–0	11–1	386	260	L2
New York Giants	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	303	347	W1
Dallas Cowboys	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	293	405	L1
Washington Redskins	6	10	0	.375	1–5	6–6	240	265	W1

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 2004 roster
Quarterbacks  7 Drew Henson  9 Tony Romo 16 Vinny Testaverde Running Backs 36 Darian Barnes FB 27 Eddie George 21 Julius Jones 32 ReShard Lee KR 39 Lousaka Polite FB Wide Receivers 18 Terrance Copper 84 Patrick Crayton 15 Tom Crowder 19 Keyshawn Johnson 81 Quincy Morgan 89 Randal Williams Tight Ends 49 Brett Pierce 80 Sean Ryan 82 Jason Witten		Offensive Linemen 76 Flozell Adams T 73 Larry Allen G 65 Andre Gurode G/C 62 Al Johnson C 60 Ben Noll G/T 79 Jacob Rogers T 77 Torrin Tucker T 78 Kurt Vollers T 71 Tyson Walter C/G Defensive Linemen 91 Leonardo Carson DT 95 DeVone Claybrooks DT 93 Kenyon Coleman DE 98 Greg Ellis DE 97 La'Roi Glover DT 99 Tron LaFavor DT 90 Eric Ogbogu DE 75 Marcellus Wiley DE		Linebackers 52 Dexter Coakley OLB 55 Ryan Fowler OLB/MLB 56 Bradie James MLB 59 Dat Nguyen MLB 54 Keith O'Neil MLB 58 Scott Shanle OLB/MLB 53 Kalen Thornton OLB Defensive Backs 43 Steve Cargile FS 29 Keith Davis FS 24 Tony Dixon SS 30 Lance Frazier CB/PR 33 Nate Jones CB 41 Terence Newman CB 35 Jacques Reeves CB 38 Lynn Scott SS 31 Roy Williams FS Special Teams  3 Billy Cundiff K  1 Mat McBriar P 85 Jeff Robinson LS/TE		Reserve lists 46 Erik Bickerstaff RB (IR) 86 Dan Campbell TE (IR) 63 Gennaro DiNapoli C (IR) 83 Terry Glenn WR (IR) 47 Pete Hunter CB (IR) 72 Stephen Peterman G (IR) 51 Al Singleton OLB (IR) 25 Bruce Thornton CB (IR) 37 Tyrone Williams CB (IR) 28 Darren Woodson SS (IR) 53 Active, 10 Inactive

Publications

The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2

References

1. "2004 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". ProSportsTransactions.com.

External links

• 2004 Dallas Cowboys
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Dallas Cowboys Official Site