1992 Dallas Cowboys season


The 1992 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League and was the fourth year of the franchise under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The Cowboys made the first of three Super Bowl appearances between 1992 and 1995.
Headed by a powerful offense and the NFL's number one ranked defense, Dallas fielded at the time, the youngest team in the NFL and posted a franchise-best 13–3 record throughout the regular season. In the playoffs, the Cowboys disposed of the [1992 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles] 34–10 in the Divisional Playoffs, then had a memorable 30–20 victory against the [1992 1992 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers] in the NFC Championship Game. At Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, the Cowboys routed the Buffalo Bills 52–17, winning their third Super Bowl title.
This team ranked #6 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.

Season summary

The season started off with two crucial wins against the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants, both victors of the previous two Super Bowls. A ferocious Dallas defense, with not a single player nominated to the Pro Bowl, placed first in the NFL in total defense. Running back Emmitt Smith also collected his second straight NFL rushing title.
The 1992 season also saw a renewed rivalry between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, more than a decade after the famous play known as The Catch in the 1981 NFC Championship game. That game had marked the start of the rise of the 49ers and the fall of the Cowboys throughout the 1980s. The rise of the 1990s Cowboys was christened with a 30–20 victory in this year's NFC Championship game against San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Both franchises would meet again in the next two NFC Championship games in what many consider to be a classic series of contests between future Hall of Fame players.
At the Rose Bowl, site of Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys struggled early, finding themselves down 0–7, but then regrouped when Aikman's pass to tight end Jay Novacek tied the game 7–7. From there, Dallas gained all the momentum and routed the Buffalo Bills 52–17, forcing a record 9 turnovers and knocking Bills quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game. Troy Aikman earned Super Bowl MVP honors after completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns to wrap up a phenomenal postseason performance.
Notable additions to the team this year included defensive end Charles Haley, cornerback Kevin Smith, linebacker Robert Jones, safety Thomas Everett, safety Darren Woodson and wide receiver Jimmy Smith.
The Dallas defense achieved the following:
  • It was only the third defense since 1980 to hold opponents to fewer than 4,000 yards in a 16-game season. The other defenses to have done it are recognized as two of the greatest of modern era: the [1984 1992 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears season|1984 Chicago Bears] and the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles.
  • It was the second defense to rank No. 1 in fewest yards yielded without sending a player to the Pro Bowl. The 1983 Cincinnati Bengals, who had a losing record, were the first.
  • The defense finished first in the NFL in total defense, while the secondary finished the year fifth in passing defense.
  • It led the NFL in defense against the rush and fewest first downs allowed. Its league lead in preventing third-down conversions was staggering. Dallas's opponents converted 27.2 percent. The [1992 1992 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks] ranked second at 32.6 percent.
  • It set a club record by holding the Seattle Seahawks to 62 yards in a 27–0 victory and closed the season by holding the Chicago Bears to fewer than 100 yards.
  • During Super Bowl XXVII it produced a Super Bowl-record 9 turnovers while also scoring two touchdowns.

Regular season

Game summaries

Week 2: at New York Giants

The Cowboys won despite giving up the game's final 28 points.

Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles

The Cowboys were defeated in their first meeting with Eagles running back Herschel Walker since they traded him from Dallas to the Vikings during the 1989 season. Walker scored twice while putting up 100 all-purpose yards against the Cowboys. Troy Aikman was intercepted three times.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Raiders

Emmitt Smith led the way with 152 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, with Troy Aikman running for a TD to go along with his 234 yards passing. The Cowboys' defense held Los Angeles to just 188 total offensive yards – 71 rushing and 117 passing.

Week 10: at Detroit Lions

The Cowboys held the Lions to 201 total yards, 108 of them from Barry Sanders. Rodney Peete and Erik Kramer were intercepted a total of three times.

Week 14: at Denver Broncos

The Cowboys had their hands full as Tommy Maddox threw three touchdowns but was intercepted four times. The Broncos took a fourth-quarter lead on an 81-yard touchdown to Cedric Tillman. Emmitt Smith was held to just 62 yards but ran in the winning score.

Week 15: at Washington Redskins

Emmitt Smith recovered a fumble in his own endzone in the fourth quarter; he threw the ball and was intercepted by Danny Copeland for the winning Redskins touchdown. A livid Jimmy Johnson railed at his players on the air flight home.

Week 17: vs Chicago Bears

Curvin Richards rushed for his only career touchdown, but fumbled twice and was cut from the Cowboys the next day.

Post-Season

NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10

The Cowboys held the Eagles to 178 total net yards; Randall Cunningham managed a late touchdown but managed only 182 combined yards and was sacked five times for 45 lost yards; Herschel Walker managed only 29 rushing yards and caught six passes for 37 yards. Troy Aikman had two touchdowns and 200 passing yards while Emmitt Smith rushed for 114 yards and a score.

NFC Conference Championship: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 20

The two teams combined for 831 yards in the Cowboys' first overall win over the 49ers since 1980. A failed Cowboys fourth-down conversion attempt while up 24–13 set up Steve Young's touchdown to Jerry Rice late in the fourth quarter, but San Francisco's comeback attempt ended when a 70-yard Alvin Harper catch set up Kelvin Martin's touchdown catch and a subsequent interception of Young, the Niners' fourth turnover of the game. On Harper's late catch the play was initially intended for Michael Irvin but he and Harper switched routes in the huddle. This was the last road playoff win for the Cowboys until 2022.

Awards and records

Publications

The Football Encyclopedia Total Football
  • ''Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes''