The Cowboys are now at 23 straight seasons without a trip to the NFC Championship

The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC Championship in January 1996 on their way to a win in Super Bowl 30 over the Steelers. It was the last time the Cowboys got any further than the Divisional Round.

With a 30-22 loss to the Rams on Saturday, the Cowboys closed the book on a 23rd consecutive season without a return to the NFC Championship. That’s the seventh-longest active conference championship drought in the NFL:

That list doesn’t include the Chiefs, who snapped their conference championship drought Saturday after 24 seasons to bump the Cowboys one step up the ladder. After beating the Colts, 31-13, the Chiefs will play in the AFC Championship for the first time since January 1994.

It also doesn’t include the Rams, who would’ve been tied with the Texans in the spot just below the Cowboys. Instead, their 16-season drought ended before it could reach 17.

Some postseason demons were exorcised Saturday, but for the Cowboys those struggles continue. And unlike a team like the Bills — who have been to the playoffs once in the last 18 seasons — Dallas keeps blowing chances. The loss to the Rams was the Cowboys’ fifth loss in the Divisional Round since January 2008.

It wasn’t quite as heartbreaking as a few of the Cowboys’ other postseason losses. There was Tony Romo’s botched hold in the Wild Card Round in 2007. And Dez Bryant’s catch in that was controversially overturned to kill the Cowboys’ hopes in 2015. Or even two years ago, when they lost on a last-second field goal.

This time, the Cowboys were just bulldozed by the Rams, who racked up 273 rushing yards in what could’ve been an even bigger win.

Maybe some tweaks and a full season with Amari Cooper on offense will yield better results in 2019. The Cowboys started 3-5 and didn’t catch their stride until late in the season. But for now, it was another frustrating season that came up short for a team that can’t get over the hump.