Holiday Heartbreak: Cowboys Fail Late at Dolphins For Second Straight Loss

Holiday Heartbreak: The Dallas Cowboys gave it everything they had, but just barely fell to the Miami Dolphins in a close Christmas Eve game.

Despite their best efforts, the Dallas Cowboys' streak of not losing multiple games in a row in over two years came to an end on Sunday.

In a highly-anticipated Christmas Eve matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Cowboys leave South Florida with a heartbreaking 22-20 loss, their second defeat in a row. 

After a second half with both teams just trading field goals, the climactic moment came when Dallas got down to the goal line. The Dolphins initially seemed to get a clutch stop on fourth down, but a costly pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a new set of downs. 

Despite some scares, Dallas took advantage of its second chance when Dak Prescott hit Brandin Cooks for the go-ahead score from eight yards out.

COOKS for a clutch potential winner! pic.twitter.com/VNUICCS7yF

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) December 25, 2023

However, the Cowboys made one crucial error: they left too much time on the clock. With roughly three and a half minutes to go, the Dolphins were able to methodically drive down the field and set up Jason Sanders' 29-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Miami to a thrilling victory.

Prescott finished the day completing 20 of 32 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb, as usual, was the hottest target of the day with six receptions for 118 yards and a long touchdown in the first half.

WATCH: Prescott to Cooks Gives Cowboys Late 4Q Lead vs. Dolphins

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 24 of 37 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown. Superstar wideout Tyreek Hill, who leads the league in receiving yards by a considerable margin, caught nine passes for 99 yards.

After another gut-wrenching defeat, the playoff-bound Cowboys, who drop to 10-5, now must prepare to host the Detroit Lions, who won their first division title in 30 years on Sunday, in a crucial late-season matchup on Saturday night.