1992 Dallas Cowboys season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Dallas Cowboys 1992 13–3 1st NFC East Jimmy Johnson Norv Turner Dave Wannstedt Jerry Jones Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson Texas Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Eagles) 34–10Won NFC Championship(at 49ers) 30–20Won Super Bowl XXVII(vs. Bills) 52–17 QB Troy AikmanRB Emmitt SmithWR Michael IrvinTE Jay NovacekOL Nate NewtonC Mark Stepnoski Cowboys seasons 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, then had 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, 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.NFL Top 100 Teams https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nfl-top-100-teams.htm Pro Football Reference100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzU600OwVc NFL.com Offseason Additions SubtractionsC 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 1992 NFL draft 1992 Dallas Cowboys 1 17 Kevin Smith CB Texas A&M yes yes 1 24 Robert Jones LB East Carolina yes yes 2 36 Jimmy Smith WR Jackson State yes yes 2 37 Darren Woodson S Arizona State yes yes 3 58 Clayton Holmes CB Carson–Newman yes 3 82 James Brown OT Virginia State no 4 109 Tom Myslinski G Tennessee no 5 120 Greg Briggs S Texas Southern no 5 121 Rod Milstead G Delaware State no 6 149 Fallon Wacasey TE Tulsa no 9 248 Nate Kirtman S Pomona-Pitzer no Undrafted free agents + 1992 undrafted free agents of note Player Position CollegeMichael BeasleyRunning backWest VirginiaSwift BurchDefensive linemanTempleLin ElliottKickerTexas TechMelvin EvansGuardTexas SouthernPatt EvansTight endMinnesotaMelvin FosterLinebackerIowaHoward HeathTight endJackson StateMichael JamesDefensive backArkansas 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 (though Smith would never catch a pass during his time with the team). The Dallas defense (nicknamed "Doomsday II") 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 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. During Super Bowl XXVII it produced a Super Bowl-record 9 turnovers (5 fumbles and 4 interceptions) while also scoring two touchdowns. Staff 1992 Dallas Cowboys 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 coach – Jimmy Johnson Offensive coordinator – Norv Turner Running backs – Joe Brodsky Wide receivers – Hubbard Alexander Tight ends - Robert Ford Offensive line – Tony Wise Defensive coordinator – Dave Wannstedt Defensive line – Butch Davis Defensive backs – Dave Campo Special teams – Joe Avezzano Kicking/offensive and defensive quality control - Steve Hoffman Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Roster Dallas Cowboys 1992 roster Quarterbacks  8 Troy Aikman  7 Steve Beuerlein 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 DELinebackers 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 PReserve lists 40 Bill Bates S (IR) 7px 42 Greg Briggs S (PUP) 7px  3 Tim Daniel WR (PUP) 7px 60 Melvin Evans G (IR) 7px 56 Melvin Foster LB (PUP) 7px 39 Derrick Gainer RB (IR) 7px 90 Tony Hill DE (IR) 7px 69 Todd Jones T (PUP) 7px Practice squad -- Michael Beasley RB 17 Jason Garrett QB 89 Fallon Wacasey TE (IR) 7px 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 (Tokyo) Recap 2 August 7, 1992 at Miami Dolphins W 27–24 1–1 Joe Robbie Stadium Recap 3 August 15, 1992 Houston Oilers L 16–17 1–2 Texas Stadium Recap 4 August 22, 1992 Denver Broncos W 17–3 2–2 Texas Stadium Recap 5 August 28, 1992 Chicago Bears L 13–20 2–3 Texas Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1September 7, 1992 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 5October 5, 1992 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 13November 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 16December 21, 1992 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 Game summaries Week 1: vs Washington Redskins Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys September 7 9:00 p.m. EST Redskins 0 7 0 3 Cowboys 9 7 7 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 83 F (Clear/Humid) Dick Hantak ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf Week 2: at New York Giants Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants September 13 1:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 17 10 7 0 Giants 0 0 14 14 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 64 F (Clear) Tom White CBS Verne Lundquist and John Madden The Cowboys won despite giving up the game's final 28 points. Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys September 20 4:00 p.m. EST Cardinals 7 3 3 7 Cowboys 14 7 7 3 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 84 F (Clear/Humid) Red Cashion CBS Dick Stockton and Randy Cross Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles October 5 9:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 7 0 0 0 Eagles 10 0 7 14 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 55 F (Clear) Jerry Markbreit 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 Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys October 11 1:00 p.m. EST Seahawks 0 0 0 0 Cowboys 7 13 7 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 66 F (Clear) Bernie Kukar NBC Marv Albert and Bill Parcells Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys October 18 1:00 p.m. EST Chiefs 3 7 0 0 Cowboys 7 7 3 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 60 F (Clear) Johnny Grier NBC Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy Week 8: at Los Angeles Raiders Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Raiders October 25 4:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 7 0 7 14 Raiders 6 0 7 0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 79 F (Clear) Gerald Austin 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 Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys November 1 4:00 p.m. EST Eagles 0 0 10 0 Cowboys 0 3 7 10 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 69 F (Partly cloudy) Bob McElwee CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Week 10: at Detroit Lions Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions November 8 1:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 14 6 14 3 Lions 0 3 0 0 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Dome controlled Ed Hochuli 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 Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys November 15 4:00 p.m. EST Rams 7 14 0 6 Cowboys 3 10 10 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 70 F (Clear) Red Cashion CBS Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts Week 12: at Phoenix Cardinals Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Dallas Cowboys at Phoenix Cardinals November 22 4:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 0 10 6 0 Cardinals 7 0 0 3 Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona 65 F (Clear) Jerry Markbreit CBS James Brown and George Starke Week 13: vs New York Giants Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) 4:00 p.m. EST Giants 0 3 0 0 Cowboys 3 6 14 7 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 43 F (Cloudy) Johnny Grier CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Week 14: at Denver Broncos Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos December 6 4:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 14 3 7 7 Broncos 7 6 7 7 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 45 F (Clear) Gerald Austin 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 Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins December 13 4:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 3 14 0 0 Redskins 0 7 3 10 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 43 F (Cloudy) Bob McElwee 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 Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons December 21 8:00 p.m. EST Cowboys 3 17 14 7 Falcons 7 3 0 7 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia Dome controlled Larry Nemmers ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf Week 17: vs Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys; Dallas Cowboys;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys December 27 4:00 p.m. EST Bears 0 0 0 14 Cowboys 0 3 24 0 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 61 F (Partly cloudy) Gordon McCarter 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 #eee Eagles 3 0 0 7 Cowboys 7 10 10 7 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST 57 °F °C, partly cloudy CBS Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts Tom White 63,721 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 #eee Cowboys 3 7 7 13 49ers 7 3 3 7 Candlestick Park, San Francisco 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST 54 °F °C, partly cloudy, occasional rain CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden Jerry Markbreit 64,920 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 Super Bowl XXVII #eee Bills (AFC) 7 3 7 0 Cowboys (NFC) 14 14 3 21 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California January 31, 1993 NBC Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy Dick Hantak 98,374 Awards and records Troy Aikman, Super Bowl Most Valuable PlayerSuper Bowl MVPs - Super Bowl History - National Football League https://www.espn.com/nfl/superbowl/history/mvps 2025-03-08 ESPN.com Robert Jones, Linebacker, UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year Publications The Football Encyclopedia 0-312-11435-4 Total Football 0-06-270170-3 Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes 0-446-51950-2 References External links 1992 Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys Official Site Category:NFC East championship seasons Category:Dallas Cowboys seasons Dallas Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons Dallas