1992 Dallas Cowboys season

The 1992 Dallas Cowboys season would mark their 33rd in the NFL and their first Super Bowl appearance in the 1990s. Since purchasing the team in 1989, team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson guided one of the worst teams in the league to Super Bowl champions four seasons later. Headed by an explosive 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 Philadelphia Eagles, followed by a memorable victory against the San Francisco 49ers en route to a Super Bowl XXVII win over the Buffalo Bills.

Regular season

The season would start 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 would also collect his second straight NFL rushing title. The 1992 season would also see a renewed rivalry between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game set over a decade after the famous play known as The Catch. This ultimately started the rise of the 49ers and fall of the Cowboys throughout the 1980s. The rise of the 1990s Cowboys was christened with a 30–20 victory against San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Both franchises would later meet again in the next two NFC Championship games in what many consider to be a classic series of contest of future Hall of Fame players.

At the Rose Bowl, site of Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys would struggle early finding themselves down 0–7, but later regroup when Aikman's pass to tight end Jay Novacek tied the game 7–7. From there, Dallas would gain all momentum and route the Buffalo Bills 52–17, forcing a record 9 turnovers and knocking Bills quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game. Troy Aikman would earn Super Bowl MVP honors, wrapping up a phenomenal post-season in which he completed 68% of his passes with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.

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 (though Smith would never catch a pass during his time with the team).

The Dallas defense (nicknamed "Doomsday Defense") enjoyed a renaissance, but has never received due credit for it's achievements:

• 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 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 (245.8 yards-per-game), while the secondary finished the year fifth in passing defense (168.1 yards-per-game).
• It led the NFL in defense against the rush and fewest first downs allowed. It's league lead in preventing third-down conversions was staggering. Dallas's opponents converted 27.2 percent. The 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.
• Super Bowl XXVII saw the Cowboys defense at its best, producing a Super Bowl record 9 turnovers (5 fumbles and 4 interceptions) and even scoring two touchdowns.
• Four starters were rookies or second year players (Russell Maryland, Robert Jones, Larry Brown and Kevin Smith), and two other joined the team after the preseason (Charles Haley and Thomas Everett).
• This version of the "Doomsday Defense" had tremendous speed and depth. They were also young, with the age of the starters averaging 25 ½ years.

Schedule

Standings

Week 1: vs Washington Redskins

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals

Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 6: vs Seattle Seahawks

Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs

Week 8: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week 9: vs Philadelphia Eagles

Post-Season

NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10

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

Super Bowl

Roster

Awards and records

• Troy Aikman, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
• Robert Jones, Linebacker, UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year

References

• http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal1992.htm