Cowboys “Countdown to Kickoff” reaches Day 92, spotlighting what makes games iconic in Dallas history

The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of a preseason countdown that has nothing to do with standings and everything to do with legacy. Today marks Day 92 of a 100-day series that revisits the most iconic games in franchise history, with each installment focusing on one season-defining or culture-defining matchup from the Cowboys’ past.

The series, published by Yahoo Sports as a countdown to the opening game of the 2026 season, is structured around variety rather than a single measuring stick. The writers say the rankings do not hinge only on outcomes or superstar performances. Instead, they factor in how big a game was for the organization, how memorable it was for fans, and whether it became part of NFL lore over time.

According to the series description, the Cowboys’ own milestones also matter. The editors say the list considers Cowboys “firsts,” games tied to unusual events, and games where Dallas simply dominated, aiming for a mix of styles and eras rather than a narrow compilation of only the biggest wins.

That approach matters because “iconic” can mean different things depending on the era and the stakes. Some Cowboys games live in memory for their postseason punch, others for moments that shifted the sport’s conversation, and still others for the kind of dominance or chaos that reshapes how a franchise is remembered. By explicitly expanding the criteria, the series indicates it is trying to capture that broader definition of impact.

For fans, the most practical value of the countdown is that it becomes a guided tour through Cowboys history. The series description indicates that each day’s installment links to the rest of the list, allowing viewers to revisit entries they may have missed and to compare how certain matchups played differently depending on the criteria used to rank them.

What to watch next is whether later entries lean more heavily on recent-era storylines or continue to balance older chapters of Cowboys history. The countdown runs through the start of the 2026 season, so the list will eventually reveal which games the writers consider the top tier of Dallas lore. The final rankings will also clarify how the series treats categories like “unusual events” and “firsts” compared with dominance and prominence on the biggest stages.