Cowboys countdown to kickoff continues with Day 24 of an iconic-games series

The Dallas Cowboys are 100 days from their 2026 regular-season kickoff, and Yahoo Sports is marking the runway with a day-by-day look at the most iconic games in franchise history. On Day 24, the series continues its attempt to separate “great” from “legendary,” framing each game as more than a scoreboard moment by judging how it landed in Cowboys history and in broader NFL memory.

Unlike a list built on a single statistic, the countdown’s organizers say they are using multiple criteria to decide which games make the cut. They are weighing how big the game was for the organization, how memorable it was, and whether unusual events played a role. The intent, according to the series description, is to capture variety across the franchise’s eras, not just a narrow lane of playoff fireworks.

The series also emphasizes the role of NFL lore and Cowboys firsts. That matters because some games become iconic less because of dominance at the time and more because they introduced something that stuck, whether it was a new identity, a defining moment, or a contest that later seasons and fans would keep referencing. By including “Cowboys firsts” and “NFL lore,” the ranking aims to reflect cultural impact, not only results.

In addition, the organizers say they are factoring in games where Dallas “just plain dominated.” That criterion helps explain why the list may feature lopsided performances alongside tighter matchups. It also suggests that the countdown is not simply searching for upset chaos, but for the full spectrum of Cowboys greatness, from statement wins to games with notable departures from the expected script.

The remaining days of the countdown are presented as a lead-in to the opening game of 2026, with the list structured so readers can go back and check earlier entries. With Day 24, the series keeps focus on its ranking framework, but it does not offer enough detail in the available description to confirm which specific game is being featured on this day or why it specifically earned its place.

What to watch next is how the series balances different types of iconic games as it approaches kickoff: marquee national moments versus franchise milestones, games with unusual circumstances versus clean demonstrations of superiority, and performances that aged well versus those that defined an era in real time.