1992 Dallas Cowboys: America’s Team Rebuilt

1992 Dallas Cowboys: America’s Team Rebuilt

1992 Dallas Cowboys: America’s Team Rebuilt

The late 1980s brought a time of turmoil for “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. It had been more than a decade since their last Super Bowl victory and they finished the 1988 season with a 3-13 record. In February 1989, the team was sold to Jerry Jones. Not long after, Jones began to put his signature on the team. He started by firing the only coach in franchise history, the legendary Tom Landry. In his place, Jones hired Jimmy Johnson from the University of Miami. During the 1989 draft, the Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman with the first overall pick. Jones and Johnson lit the spark for the Cowboys’ rebuilding plan, but they were just getting started.

After starting 0-5 in the 1989 season, the Cowboys shocked the league by trading running back, Herschel Walker. The former Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 1514 yards in 1988, but with the Cowboys going nowhere they needed to dramatically shift the direction of the team. In what would be known as “The Great Trade Robbery,” the Cowboys turned their stud running back of the present into five draft picks for the future. The Cowboys were able to add key players through smart selections in the draft. One of the players this trade would produce was future Hall of Fame running back, Emmitt Smith.

When Smith was drafted in 1990, he was joining a team that finished with a record of 1-15 the year before. With Smith joining Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys improved to 7-9 in 1990. It was a drastic improvement, but it wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs.

The Cowboys wouldn’t have to wait long for their invitation to the postseason. They improved to 11-5 in 1991 and finished 2nd in the NFC East. Aikman, Smith and Irvin all earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. They defeated the Bears 17-13 in the Wild Card round, but they were crushed by the Detroit Lions, 38-6, in the following round.

Another year of growth, experience and improvement came for the Cowboys’ talented core. The Cowboys took another leap as they climbed to become one of the NFL’s elite teams. They won the NFC East with a 13-3 record while finishing 2nd in scoring and 5th in points allowed. Aikman completed 64% of his passes and threw for 3445 yards and 23 touchdowns. Irvin had 78 receptions for 1396 yards and 7 touchdowns. The most impressive stat line from the Cowboys trio of superstars came from Emmitt Smith. Smith rushed for 1713 yards and scored 18 touchdowns.

The Cowboys earned a first round bye to play a familiar face, Herschel Walker and his Philadelphia Eagles. Walker had a good 1992 season with 1070 yards rushing and 10 rushing and receiving touchdowns, but he wasn’t effective in the playoffs. Walker only had 66 total yards from scrimmage against the Cowboys. His counterpart, Emmitt Smith, tallied 114 yards rushing and scored a touchdown as the Cowboys won comfortably, 34-10.

The win against the Eagles set the table for a showdown against the league’s best team from the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers led early thanks to a Steve Young rushing touchdown, but Emmitt Smith responded with a rushing touchdown of his own to give the Cowboys an early 10-7 lead. The 49ers would tie the game before halftime, but Daryl Johnston put the Cowboys back ahead 17-10 and from there, they wouldn’t relinquish the lead. Jerry Rice and Steve Young brought the 49ers to within 4 points in the 4th quarter, but that’s as close as they would get. The Cowboys would represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXVII.

The Cowboys would face the Buffalo Bills, who were making their 3rd consecutive trip to the Super Bowl having lost to the Washington Redskins the year before and the New York Giants the year before that. The Bills were the seasoned veterans with the big game experience and the Cowboys were the young guns who were on the big stage for the first time. None of that mattered as the Cowboys took a 14-7 lead and continued to pour it on. Troy Aikman threw 4 touchdown passes on his way to become Super Bowl MVP. Michael Irvin caught two of those touchdown passes and recorded 114 yards receiving. Emmitt Smith added 108 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown. The Cowboys defense forced 9 turnovers on their way to defeating the Bills 52-17. The rebuild was complete and “America’s Team” were Super Bowl champions once again.