Our NFL Thursday miniseries has reached the mountain top for the winningest team ever: the Dallas Cowboys. Haters gonna hate, for sure, but they’re not called America’s Team for nothing. Even though the franchise hasn’t won a Super Bowl in a long time (see below), the .575 winning percentage is the best in NFL history. The Cowboys also sit atop the list of most playoff appearances ever (35), despite a late start (1960).

That includes 25 division titles and 5 Super Bowl championships in 63 seasons. Dallas also has lost three additional Super Bowl matchups, including twice in the 1970s by four points each time to one of the best teams of all time—no shame in that, of course. Here’s the kicker—none of the title teams made this list (1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995). That’s how good the Cowboys have been over the long haul. Read on and learn.

No. 5: 1994

Winning three Super Bowls in four years was an achievement, but this 12-4 NFC East Division winner was the one team that did not win it all. The No. 2 offense, the No. 3 defense, and the No. 2 overall SRS ranking was not enough to overcome the eventual Super Bowl champs (who cheated the salary cap). Dallas thumped Green Bay, 35-9, in the divisional playoffs, but the Cowboys then lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 38-28.

Running back Emmitt Smith (17 AV), defensive end Charles Haley (16), and wide receiver Michael Irvin (15) were the top dogs on this team, as one might suspect. Dallas jumped out to a 28-9 halftime lead over Green Bay and cruised, but then the tables were strangely reversed as the two-two defending champs imploded in the first handful of minutes against the 49ers, falling behind 21-0 in the blink of an eye.

No. 4: 1966

This was the real start of a Cowboys “dynasty” that saw Dallas make the NFL playoffs 18 times in 20 seasons. Dallas posted a 10-3-1 record to win the NFL East Division, thanks to the No. 1 offense, the No. 4 defense, and the No. 2 overall SRS ranking. Alas, the Cowboys faced their 1960s nemesis in the NFL Championship Game for the right to go to the first Super Bowl: Dallas lost at home, 34-27, to the Green Bay Packers.

This team had good balance: End Bob Hayes (17 AV), quarterback Don Meredith (17), cornerback Cornell Green (16), defensive tackle Bob Lilly (15), and halfback Dan Reeves (15) were the top value deliverers. Leading 21-20 in the third quarter of the NFL title tilt, the Packers blew the game open with two touchdowns in succession. Dallas lost the penalty and turnover battles despite outgaining Green Bay.

No. 3: 1978

As the defending champs, the Cowboys rolled to a 12-4 record in the first season of the 16-game schedule to win the NFC East again. Dallas boasted the No. 1 offense, the No. 3 defense, and the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. The Cowboys beat the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC playoffs before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII. Dallas came up four points short in a 35-31 loss that was epic.

RB Tony Dorsett (17 AV) and QB Roger Staubach (17) were the big catalysts for this team’s top-ranked offense, although obviously the defense was very good, too. Dallas had to come from behind to beat the Falcons, 27-20, but the Cowboys were in top form when they shutout the Rams on the road, 28-0. The Super Bowl was a seesaw affair that saw the two teams score 28 points combined in the fourth quarter.

No. 2: 1973

Sabermetrics are funny, as this team that finished just third in the overall SRS rankings ends up so high on this list. With a 10-4 record, the No. 2 offense and the No. 7 defense, these Cowboys won the NFC East again and drew the Rams in the divisional playoff round. Dallas jumped out to 17-0 lead and held on for a 27-16 win at home, holding L.A. to just 192 yards. Against the Minnesota Vikings on the road, however, it was bad.

RB Calvin Hill (16 AV) and Staubach (16) led this team in value; overall, nine players were in double figures for Approximate Value. But the Cowboys offense had its own issues against the Rams with four turnovers. Facing Minnesota at home was a different challenge, however: the Vikings held a 10-0 lead at halftime, and the Dallas offense really gagged in this game, coughing it up six times total in a 27-10 loss that was just ugly.

No. 1:  1968

Surprisingly, again, in terms of sabermetrics, this is the best team in franchise history. With a 12-2 record, the Cowboys won the NFL Capitol Division, thanks to the No. 1 offense, the No. 2 defense, and the No. 2 SRS ranking overall. That’s a strong profile, but Dallas ran into a motivated Cleveland Browns team in the divisional playoff round: despite a 10-4 record, Cleveland had home field and used it well in a 31-20 victory.

After losing to the Packers the prior two years in close playoff matchups, this was supposed to be the Cowboys’ year. Led by linebacker Chuck Howley (15 AV) and tackle Ralph Neely (15), the Dallas roster was balanced and deep. It didn’t pay off in the playoffs, though: with the game in Cleveland tied 10-10 at halftime, the Browns blew it open in the third quarter with a pick six and a long touchdown run. Painful.