1992 Dallas Cowboys season

1992 Dallas Cowboys season
Owner	Jerry Jones
General manager	Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson
Head coach	Jimmy Johnson
Offensive coordinator	Norv Turner
Defensive coordinator	Dave Wannstedt
Home field	Texas Stadium
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st NFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Eagles) 34–10 Won NFC Championship (at 49ers) 30–20 Won Super Bowl XXVII (vs. Bills) 52–17
Pro Bowlers	QB Troy Aikman RB Emmitt Smith WR Michael Irvin TE Jay Novacek OL Nate Newton C Mark Stepnoski
←  1991 Cowboys seasons 1993  →

The 1992 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League (NFL) 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 Philadelphia Eagles 34–10 in the Divisional Playoffs. Followed by a memorable 30–20 victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. At Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, the Cowboys routed the Buffalo Bills 52–17.

This team ranked #6 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. ^{[1] [2]}

Offseason

Additions	Subtractions
C Frank Cornish (Chargers)	TE Rob Awalt (Broncos)
S Thomas Everett (Steelers)	LB Jack Del Rio (Vikings)
DE Charles Haley (49ers)	K Ken Willis (Buccaneers)
	CB Manny Hendrix (49ers)
	S Stan Smagala (Steelers)

NFL Draft

Main article: 1992 NFL draft

1992 Dallas Cowboys draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	17	Kevin Smith  *	CB	Texas A&M
1	24	Robert Jones  *	LB	East Carolina
2	36	Jimmy Smith  *	WR	Jackson State
2	37	Darren Woodson  *	S	Arizona State
3	58	Clayton Holmes	CB	Carson–Newman
3	82	James Brown	OT	Virginia State
4	109	Tom Myslinski	G	Tennessee
5	120	Greg Briggs	S	Texas Southern
5	121	Rod Milstead	G	Delaware State
6	149	Fallon Wacasey	TE	Tulsa
9	248	Nate Kirtman	S	Pomona-Pitzer
Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1992 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Michael Beasley	Running back	West Virginia
Swift Burch	Defensive lineman	Temple
Lin Elliott	Kicker	Texas Tech
Melvin Evans	Guard	Texas Southern
Patt Evans	Tight end	Minnesota
Melvin Foster	Linebacker	Iowa
Howard Heath	Tight end	Jackson State
Michael James	Defensive back	Arkansas

Season summary

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

The Dallas defense (nicknamed "Doomsday II") enjoyed a renaissance, but has never received due credit for its 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. Its 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.

Staff

1992 Dallas Cowboys staff

Front office Owner/president/general manager – Jerry Jones Executive vice president – Mike McCoy Public relations director – Rich Dalrymple Director of College Scouting – Larry Lacewell Scouts – Jim Garrett, Walter Juliff, Jeff Smith, and Walt Yowarsky Head coaches Head coach – Jimmy Johnson Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Norv Turner Running backs – Joe Brodsky Wide receivers – Hubbard Alexander Tight ends - Robert Ford Offensive line – Tony Wise

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dave Wannstedt Defensive line – Butch Davis Defensive backs – Dave Campo Special teams coaches Special teams – Joe Avezzano Kicking/offensive and defensive quality control - Steve Hoffman Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik

Roster

Dallas Cowboys 1992 roster
Quarterbacks  8 Troy Aikman  7 Steve Beuerlein  7 Judah Ludvich Running backs 34 Tommie Agee FB 48 Daryl Johnston FB 27 Curvin Richards 22 Emmitt Smith Wide receivers 80 Alvin Harper 88 Michael Irvin 83 Kelvin Martin KR/PR 82 Jimmy Smith Tight ends 84 Jay Novacek 87 Alfredo Roberts 89 Derek Tennell		Offensive linemen 68 Frank Cornish C 63 John Gesek G 66 Kevin Gogan G 61 Nate Newton G 53 Mark Stepnoski C 71 Mark Tuinei T 76 Alan Veingrad T 79 Erik Williams T Defensive linemen 75 Tony Casillas DT 94 Charles Haley DE 95 Chad Hennings DE 77 Jim Jeffcoat DE 97 Jimmie Jones DT 78 Leon Lett DT 67 Russell Maryland DT 92 Tony Tolbert DE		Linebackers 58 Dixon Edwards MLB 55 Robert Jones MLB 98 Godfrey Myles OLB 51 Ken Norton Jr. OLB 52 Mickey Pruitt OLB 57 Vinson Smith OLB Defensive backs 24 Larry Brown CB 31 Thomas Everett SS 29 Kenneth Gant SS 47 Clayton Holmes CB 30 Issiac Holt CB 20 Ray Horton FS 26 Kevin Smith CB 37 James Washington FS 23 Robert Williams CB 28 Darren Woodson SS Special teams  2 Lin Elliott K 70 Dale Hellestrae LS  4 Mike Saxon P		Reserve lists 40 Bill Bates S (IR) 42 Greg Briggs S (PUP)  3 Tim Daniel WR (PUP) 60 Melvin Evans G (IR) 56 Melvin Foster LB (PUP) 39 Derrick Gainer RB (IR) 90 Tony Hill DE (IR) 69 Todd Jones T (PUP) Practice squad -- Michael Beasley RB 17 Jason Garrett QB 89 Fallon Wacasey TE (IR) 86 Tyrone Williams WR Rookies in italics 47 active, 9 inactive, 3 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 2	vs. Houston Oilers	L 23–34	0–1	Tokyo Dome (London)	Recap
2	August 7	at Miami Dolphins	W 27–24	1–1	Joe Robbie Stadium	Recap
3	August 15	Houston Oilers	L 16–17	1–2	Texas Stadium	Recap
4	August 22	Denver Broncos	W 17–3	2–2	Texas Stadium	Recap
5	August 28	Chicago Bears	L 13–20	2–3	Texas Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 7	Washington Redskins	W 23–10	1–0	Texas Stadium	Recap
2	September 13	at New York Giants	W 34–28	2–0	Giants Stadium	Recap
3	September 20	Phoenix Cardinals	W 31–20	3–0	Texas Stadium	Recap
4	Bye
5	October 5	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 7–31	3–1	Veterans Stadium	Recap
6	October 11	Seattle Seahawks	W 27–0	4–1	Texas Stadium	Recap
7	October 18	Kansas City Chiefs	W 17–10	5–1	Texas Stadium	Recap
8	October 25	at Los Angeles Raiders	W 28–13	6–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Recap
9	November 1	Philadelphia Eagles	W 20–10	7–1	Texas Stadium	Recap
10	November 8	at Detroit Lions	W 37–3	8–1	Pontiac Silverdome	Recap
11	November 15	Los Angeles Rams	L 23–27	8–2	Texas Stadium	Recap
12	November 22	at Phoenix Cardinals	W 16–10	9–2	Sun Devil Stadium	Recap
13	November 26	New York Giants	W 30–3	10–2	Texas Stadium	Recap
14	December 6	at Denver Broncos	W 31–27	11–2	Mile High Stadium	Recap
15	December 13	at Washington Redskins	L 17–20	11–3	RFK Stadium	Recap
16	December 21	at Atlanta Falcons	W 41–17	12–3	Georgia Dome	Recap
17	December 27	Chicago Bears	W 27–14	13–3	Texas Stadium	Recap

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) Dallas Cowboys	13	3	0	.813	6–2	9–3	409	243	W2
(5) Philadelphia Eagles	11	5	0	.688	6–2	8–4	354	245	W4
(6) Washington Redskins	9	7	0	.563	4–4	7–5	300	255	L2
New York Giants	6	10	0	.375	2–6	4–8	306	367	L1
Phoenix Cardinals	4	12	0	.250	2–6	4–10	243	332	L2

Game summaries

Week 1: vs Washington Redskins

Week 1: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	7	0	3	10
Cowboys	9	7	7	0	23

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) (Clear/Humid)
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	17	10	7	0	34
Giants	0	0	14	14	28

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and John Madden

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

Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	3	3	7	20
Cowboys	14	7	7	3	31

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Clear/Humid)
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Randy Cross

Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	0	0	0	7
Eagles	10	0	7	14	31

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf

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 6: vs Seattle Seahawks

Week 6: Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	0	0	0
Cowboys	7	13	7	0	27

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Bernie Kukar
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Bill Parcells

Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	7	0	0	10
Cowboys	7	7	3	0	17

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy

Week 8: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Raiders

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	0	7	14	28
Raiders	6	0	7	0	13

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Gerald Austin
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and John Robinson

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 9: vs Philadelphia Eagles

Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	10	0	10
Cowboys	0	3	7	10	20

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Partly cloudy)
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Week 10: at Detroit Lions

Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	14	6	14	3	37
Lions	0	3	0	0	3

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Dome controlled
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

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 11: vs Los Angeles Rams

Week 11: Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	14	0	6	27
Cowboys	3	10	10	0	23

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts

Week 12: at Phoenix Cardinals

Week 12: Dallas Cowboys at Phoenix Cardinals

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	10	6	0	16
Cardinals	7	0	0	3	10

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and George Starke

Week 13: vs New York Giants

Week 13: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	3	0	0	3
Cowboys	3	6	14	7	30

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: November 26 (Thanksgiving Day)
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C) (Cloudy)
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Week 14: at Denver Broncos

Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	14	3	7	7	31
Broncos	7	6	7	7	27

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C) (Clear)
• Referee: Gerald Austin
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

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

Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	14	0	0	17
Redskins	0	7	3	10	20

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C) (Cloudy)
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

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 16: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 16: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	17	14	7	41
Falcons	7	3	0	7	17

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Dome controlled
• Referee: Larry Nemmers
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf

Week 17: vs Chicago Bears

Week 17: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	14	14
Cowboys	0	3	24	0	27

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C) (Partly cloudy)
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

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

Post-Season

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Game Recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 10, 1993	Philadelphia Eagles (5)	W 34–10	1–0	Texas Stadium	Recap
NFC Championship	January 17, 1993	at San Francisco 49ers (1)	W 30–20	2–0	Candlestick Park	Recap
Super Bowl XXVII	January 31, 1993	Buffalo Bills (A4)	W 52–17	3–0	Rose Bowl	Recap

NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	0	0	7	10
Cowboys	7	10	10	7	34

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
• Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 63,721
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts

Game information
Scoring PHI – field goal Ruzek 32 PHI 3–0 DAL – Tennell 1 pass from Aikman (Elliott kick) DAL 7–3 DAL – Novacek 6 pass from Aikman (Elliott kick) DAL 14–3 DAL – field goal Elliott 20 DAL 17–3 DAL – Smith 23 run (Elliott kick) DAL 24–3 DAL – field goal Elliott 43 DAL 27–3 DAL – Gainer 1 run (Elliott kick) DAL 34–3 PHI – Williams 18 pass from Cunningham (Ruzek kick) DAL 34–10

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 (88 of them to Michael Irvin) while Emmitt Smith rushed for 114 yards and a score.

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	7	7	13	30
49ers	7	3	3	7	20

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), partly cloudy, occasional rain
• Game attendance: 64,920
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

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.

Super Bowl

Further information: Super Bowl XXVII

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills (AFC)	7	3	7	0	17
Cowboys (NFC)	14	14	3	21	52

at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

• Date: January 31, 1993
• Game attendance: 98,374
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy

Awards and records

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

Publications

• The Football Encyclopedia ISBN   0-312-11435-4
• Total Football ISBN   0-06-270170-3
• Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN   0-446-51950-2

References

1. "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
2. "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.

External links

• 1992 Dallas Cowboys
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Dallas Cowboys Official Site