1993 Dallas Cowboys season
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2024) |
| 1993Dallas Cowboysseason | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Jones |
| General manager | Jerry JonesandJimmy Johnson |
| Head coach | Jimmy Johnson |
| Home field | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1stNFC East |
| Playoff finish | WonDivisional Playoffs (vs.Packers) 27–17 WonNFC Championship (vs.49ers) 38–21 WonSuper Bowl XXVIII (vs.Bills) 30–13 |
| Pro Bowlers | QBTroy Aikman WRMichael Irvin RBEmmitt Smith FBDarryl Johnston TEJay Novacek OTErik Williams OGNate Newton CMark Stepnoski DERussell Maryland LBKen Norton Jr. FSThomas Everett |
The1993 Dallas Cowboys seasonwas thefranchise's34th season in theNational Football League(NFL) and was the fifth and final year of the franchise under head coachJimmy Johnson.During Johnson's tenure, the Cowboys made two of their three Super Bowl appearances between 1992 and 1995 and won back-to-backSuper Bowltitles. The season is notable for seeing the Cowboys become the first team to start 0–2 and still reach (and subsequently win) the Super Bowl. The following off-season was marked by the surprising resignation of Johnson, who departed the Cowboys due to a dispute with ownerJerry Jonesabout who deserved more credit for the back-to-back Super Bowl wins. This would be Johnson's last head coaching job until 1996, when he became the new head coach of theMiami Dolphinsto replace the retiringDon Shula,who had served as their head coach since1970.They are, as of 2024, the most recentNFCteam to repeat as Super Bowl Champions
The 1993 Cowboys ranked #23 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[1][2]
Season summary
[edit]The Cowboys' journey towards Super Bowl XXVIII proved more difficult than the previous season. Running backEmmitt Smithheld out the first two regular season games over a contract dispute. Dallas would lose both games to theWashington RedskinsandBuffalo Billsstarting the season at 0–2. The team would also acquire veteran quarterbackBernie Kosarafter his release from theCleveland Brownsas insurance for starting quarterbackTroy Aikman,who suffered a severe concussion in the NFC Championship game versus San Francisco, and backupSteve Beuerleinsigned with thePhoenix Cardinals.
In arguably his finest game as a professional, Emmitt Smith suffered a second degree separated shoulder in the regular season finale versus their NFC East division rival New York Giants. Smith willed himself through excruciating pain and carried the Cowboys to an overtime win. Dallas finished with an NFC-best 12–4 record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Smith was later named theNFL MVPand with 1,486 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, also earned his third NFL rushing title. Smith would also later be votedSuper Bowl MVP,giving him the honor of being the only player to win all three awards in the same season. Another outstanding Smith performance came against the Eagles, where he rushed for a career-high 237 yards.
The season was also notable for theLeon Lett"blunder" in the annual Thanksgiving Day game. With Texas Stadium unusually covered with snow and ice, Dallas led the Dolphins 14–13 with seconds remaining as the Dolphins'Pete Stoyanovichattempted a long field goal. The Cowboys' Jimmie Jones blocked the field goal, apparently ending the game. However, with the blocked ball rolling around at the Dallas 10, Lett attempted to fall on it and slipped, kicking the ball and making it "live" again. Miami'sJeff Dellenbachrecovered and Stoyanovich made the most of his shorter second chance, giving the Dolphins a most improbable 16–14 win.
Aikman finished the regular season completing 271 out of 392 passes for 3,100 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Wide receiverMichael Irvinonce again led the team with 88 catches for 1,330 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiverAlvin Harperhad 36 catches for 777 yards and five touchdowns, and tight endJay Novacekhad 44 receptions for 445 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line consisted of Pro BowlersMark Stepnoski,Erik Williams,andNate Newton.The defense was anchored by Pro Bowlers such asRussell Maryland,Ken Norton Jr.,andThomas Everett.
Preseason
[edit]| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 1 | Minnesota Vikings | L7–13 | 0–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 8 | vs.Detroit Lions | T13–13(OT) | 0–1–1 | Wembley Stadium(London) | Recap |
| 3 | August 14 | Los Angeles Raiders | W13–7 | 1–1–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 21 | atHouston Oilers | L20–23 | 1–2–1 | Houston Astrodome | Recap |
| 5 | August 27 | atChicago Bears | L21–23 | 1–3–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
Regular season
[edit]Game summaries
[edit]Week 1 atWashington Redskins
[edit]Despite two touchdown catches byAlvin Harperthe Cowboys, playing withoutEmmitt Smith,fell 35–16 at RFK Stadium.Derrick Lassic,replacing Smith for the time being, rushed for 75 yards but the Cowboys offensive line, whose loyalty was to Smith, didn’t block for him with the same effort; safetyJames Washingtoncalled it “totally unfair to Lassic.”
Week 2 vs.Buffalo Bills
[edit]Before a home crowd frustrated by the Cowboys’ slow start and the continuing contract holdout by Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys fell behind the Bills 10–0, clawed back to tie the game, then fell onSteve Christie’s 35-yard field goal.Lin Elliottmissed two kicks (and was cut from the team),Troy Aikmanwas intercepted twice, and Derrick Lassic fumbled twice. An enragedCharles Haleythrew his helmet through the wall in the locker room demanding ownership to end the Emmitt Smith contract issue.
Week 3 atPhoenix Cardinals
[edit]Three days before the game, the Cowboys finally negotiated a four-year deal with Emmitt Smith. In Smith’s first game back,Derrick Lassicscored twice, but his 60 total yards came on fourteen carries, where Smith coming in cold had 45 yards on eight carries. Dallas outgained the Cardinals in yards 410–273 and won 17–10.
First bye week
[edit]For the first time in NFL history, teams were allowed two bye weeks.
Week 5 vs.Green Bay Packers
[edit]The Cowboys’ new kickerEddie Murraybooted five field goals as the Packers were crushed 36–14.Emmitt Smithhad his first rushing score of the season.
Week 6 atIndianapolis Colts
[edit]Whilea Louisiana high school quarterbackwas winning multiple high school player of the year awards that year, the present day quarterbacks of theColts(Jack Trudeauand ex-PackerDon Majkowski) were being intercepted four times by the Cowboys in a 27–3 runaway. Emmitt Smith burst past 100 yards on the game with a score.
Week 7 vs.San Francisco 49ers
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- Michael Irvin12 Rec, 168 Yds, 1TD
Week 8 second Bye week
[edit]Emmitt Smithrushed for 237 yards as the Cowboys broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to win, 23–10.Troy Aikmanand former JetKen O'Brienfor the Eagles combined for just 203 yards and 23 incompletions.
Week 10 vs.New York Giants
[edit]With both teams at 5–2, the battle for theNFC Eastwas joined atTexas Stadiumand this game became another Cowboys runaway, asTroy Aikmanscored two touchdowns andEmmitt Smithadded two more. In falling 31–9,Phil SimmsandKent Grahamwere sacked a combined five times.
The win proved costly, as Aikman suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter and would miss the next two games.
During halftime, the Cowboys inductedTom Landryinto their Ring Of Honor.
Week 11 vs. Phoenix Cardinals
[edit]Jimmy Johnson decided to start rookieJason Garrett,but after Garrett proved ineffective with just two completions, Johnson benched him for recently signed ex-BrownBernie Kosar,who completed thirteen passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, this despite an end zone intentional grounding penalty that made the final score 20–15 Cowboys.
Week 12 atAtlanta Falcons
[edit]Despite two touchdowns Kosar could not get a victory as the struggling Falcons triumphed 27–14. Emmitt Smith gained just one yard as the Cowboys were limited to 230 yards of offense to 400 for the Falcons.
Week 13Thanksgivingvs.Miami Dolphins
[edit]Troy Aikman returned as the opening atopTexas Stadiumallowed slushy snow onto the field. The Cowboys clawed to a 14–13 lead. In the final seconds, aPete Stoyanovichfield goal was blocked. The kick landed beyond the line of scrimmage, and once the ball stopped moving the play would be declared dead and Dallas would gain possession. However, the ball landed and began spinning on its tip, leading Cowboys linemanLeon Lettto try to gain possession. Lett slipped, fell, and knocked the ball forward. He had been pressed into service on the Cowboys' field goal block team despite having never played onspecial teamsbefore. When it squirted off his foot, it became a live ball and the Dolphins recovered. Stoyanovich booted the ensuing field goal and the Dolphins had the 16–14 win.
While some teammates were angered at Lett’s gaffe, Jimmy Johnson blamed himself and reassured a disconsolate Lett in the locker room. It was Jimmy Johnson's last loss as Head Coach of Dallas.
Week 14 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
[edit]Despite being sacked four times, Troy Aikman completed seventeen passes for 178 yards and a first quarter score toMichael Irvinas the Cowboys led wire to wire and won 23–17. Emmitt Smith had 172 yards on the ground.
Week 15 atMinnesota Vikings
[edit]In a penalty-plagued game (twenty combined fouls for 124 yards) the Cowboys again led from start to finish in winning 37–20. Emmitt Smith added another 104 yards on the ground.
Week 16
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Week 17 vs. Washington Redskins
[edit]The Redskins were obliterated 38–3 as Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith accounted for 346 of Dallas’ 380 yards of offense.
Week 18 at New York Giants
[edit]Emmitt Smith put on a heroic effort overcoming a serious shoulder separation late in the second quarter to put up 229 yards of offense, 40 of them in overtime after the Giants tied the game. Eddie Murray's game winning field goal earned the Cowboys the division title and a first-round playoff bye. Following the game CBS broadcasterJohn Maddenvisited Smith in the locker room to shake his hand at his courage in finishing the game.
Standings
[edit]| NFC East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1)Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 376 | 229 | W5 |
| (4)New York Giants | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 288 | 205 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 293 | 315 | W3 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 326 | 269 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 230 | 345 | L2 |
Playoffs
[edit]Schedule
[edit]| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Game Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
| Divisional | January 16, 1994 | Green Bay Packers(6) | W27–17 | 1–0 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 23, 1994 | San Francisco 49ers(2) | W38–21 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| Super Bowl XXVIII | January 30, 1994 | Buffalo Bills(A1) | W30–13 | 3–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
NFC Divisional Playoff
[edit]| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
- Game time:12:30 p.m.EST/11:30 a.m.CST
- Game weather:50 °F (10 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance:64,790
- Referee:Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS):Jim NantzandRandy Cross
NFC Championship Game
[edit]| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
- Game time:4:00 p.m.EST/3:00 p.m.CST
- Game weather:55 °F (13 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance:64,902
- Referee:Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS):Pat SummerallandJohn Madden
Super Bowl XXVIII
[edit]| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 6 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 30 |
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
- Game time:6:00 p.m.EST/5:00 p.m.CST
- Game weather:In Dome
- Game attendance:72,817
- Referee:Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC):Dick EnbergandBob Trumpy
- Scoring summary
- DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 41 yards3–0 DAL
- BUF – FG: Steve Christie 54 yards3–3 tie
- DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 24 yards6–3 DAL
- BUF – TD: Thurman Thomas 4 yard run (Steve Christie kick)10–6 BUF
- BUF – FG: Steve Christie 28 yards13–6 BUF
- DAL – TD: James Washington 46 yard fumble return (Eddie Murray kick)13–13 tie
- DAL – TD: Emmitt Smith 17 yard run (Eddie Murray kick)20–13 DAL
- DAL – TD: Emmitt Smith 1 yard run (Eddie Murray kick)27–13 DAL
- DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 20 yards30–13 DAL
Staff
[edit]|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
[edit]
Awards and records
[edit]- Emmitt Smith,UPI NFC Player of the Year
- Emmitt Smith, Most Valuable Player, Super Bowl XXVIII
- Emmitt Smith,Bert Bell Award[5]
- Emmitt Smith,Best NFL Player ESPY Award
- Emmitt Smith, Most Valuable Player, NFL
- Emmitt Smith, NFL rushing leader
Publications
[edit]- The Football EncyclopediaISBN0-312-11435-4
- Total FootballISBN0-06-270170-3
- Cowboys Have Always Been My HeroesISBN0-446-51950-2
References
[edit]- ^"NFL Top 100 Teams".Pro Football Reference.
- ^"100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT".NFL.
- ^Pro-Football-Reference.Retrieved 2014-May-18.
- ^Pro-Football-Reference.Retrieved 2014-Apr-14.
- ^"Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients".Archived fromthe originalon June 19, 2009.RetrievedAugust 3,2012.