The 1974 Dallas Cowboys season was their 15th in the league, all under head coach Tom Landry. The Cowboys failed to improve on their previous output of 10–4, winning only eight games. They missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the only time in eighteen seasons (1966–1983) that the Cowboys did not advance to the postseason. The Cowboys began with a 1–4 start and although they went 7–2 afterwards, it was not enough to overcome the slow start.