Tony Romo has been accused of many things, but commitment should never be one of them

It's bad enough that the Cowboys have finished 8-8 the last two seasons and have missed the playoffs the last three seasons, but when management, coaches and players seem to be on different pages it's a huge concern. If a team isn't on the same page how can it expect to achieve success? If a team is filled with contradictions it points to a major problem in the organization. The latest involves who else, Tony Romo.

Soon after the draft Jerry Jones made the following comments in regards to Tony Romo.

“I can speak for Jason in this respect, everything he’s about wants more buy-in and more participation from the player, so if Tony, for instance, would be here Monday through Saturday, that is far better, and be here from seven in the morning to six o’clock at night, all over this place, then that’s better than the way it’s been,” Jones said. “We’ll have more success, and Jason believes that. It’s certainly at quarterback but he believes it at the other positions, too.”

“Anybody will tell you that Peyton Manning’s involvement in what they do is a bonus as opposed to what the general commitment is of top quarterbacks in the NFL,” Jones said.

“The more Tony can be involved in what we’re doing offensively, the more the product we have out there complements his skills, the more we’re going to do it.”

A few days later Jason Witten commented on what Jones said about Romo.

“I’ve always felt like Tony was very involved in the process of the plays in our scheme and how we attack,” Witten said before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a renovated Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. “I think in any organization when you have an elite quarterback like that, you want him to feel comfortable. And that’s something we’ve always tried to do and it sounds like we’re going to continue to do that.”

“I don’t think, from a player’s perspective or even coaches, that there’s not enough time being put in,” Witten said. “I don’t think that’s ever been a concern on anybody’s behalf. I don’t think it was anything more than he’s going to be involved in game-planning and what takes place with that.”

Then it was Jason Garrett's turn to comment about Romo.

“I think Tony Romo is a great leader for our football team,” said Garrett, who joined nine Cowboys players in the Reliant Home Run Derby at Rangers Ballpark. “He’s been a guy who’s always been very committed to what we’re doing. And it’s something that we’ve always wanted as coaches, you want your quarterback to be involved. We’ve always felt like he’s done that and he’ll continue to do that going forward.”

So the owner wants more commitment from Romo and the head coach and a longtime teammate believe that Romo has always had that commitment to the team.

It just baffles the mind that there are different opinions when it comes to the teams franchise quarterback. How can people so close to a situation have such different opinions? I know all about the stories when it comes to Romo as the quarterback of the Cowboys. How he makes mistakes at the worst possible times and doesn't come through when the games matter the most and how he is just 1-6 in do or die games. For those who read my articles know that I'm front and center when it comes to writing about Romo and how he doesn't come through in big spots and the mistakes he has made as a starter. Yes, I have developed a lot of doubt when it comes to Romo being able to win that BIG game when he is under the bright lights. 

BUT.......

...the one thing I have never questioned about Romo is his commitment to football and to the Cowboys organization as well as his teammates. I don't care about all the golf he plays or any of the other stuff he does during the off season. He has every right in the world to have fun and enjoy himself. It's not like he is missing OTAs or training camp because he is doing other things that don't involve football or taking his focus away from the team. From what I can tell as a fan, Romo has always been committed to the Cowboys and working with the offense to try and get better every week. Romo is out there working his butt off with the rest of the team trying to get them to that next level. I don't remember at any time something happening to make anyone doubt his commitment to football and the Cowboys. Well, there was little trip to Cabo in 2007, but we won't go there in this article.

Sure, Jerry Jones can backtrack on his comments about Romo, but it's not going to change the fact that he said it and that he probably meant it. It's also not going to change the fact that management, coaches and players just seem to be on different pages. This is not the first time something like this has happened either when it comes to contradictions from the team and I'm sure it won't be the last. That's what makes it all so concerning for the Cowboys organization. Hopefully the coaches and players will prove to be right on this one about Romo, but even if that happens it sure won't stop Jerry Jones from speaking.

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 16 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

Even with the Cowboys success some changes were expected. Soon after Super Bowl XXVIII it was announced that offensive coordinator Norv Turner had accepted the head coaching job with the Washington Redskins. Turner had created one of the best offenses in the NFL while with the Cowboys. Jimmy Johnson quickly hired Norv Turner's replacement,  Ernie Zampese from the Rams. Zampese and Turner had coached together with the Rams before Turner came to the Cowboys in 1991.

More changes came in the form of free agency for the Cowboys. Even winning back-to-back Super Bowls did not stop players like Ken Norton Jr., Jimmie Jones, John Gesek, Eddie Murray and Tony Casillas from leaving. The Cowboys didn't lose everyone through free agency. They resigned Daryl Johnston, Mark Stepnoski, Nate Newton, Alvin Harper and Bill Bates to new contracts.

Things started taking a turn for the worse for the Cowboys organization as March rolled around. Ever since Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 and hired Jimmy Johnson, there were reports of arguments between the two of them over the team. Stories about who was responsible for the Cowboys success and who should get the credit. More of those same stories started to surface from the NFL meetings, that there were issues between Jones and Johnson. It was being reported that Jerry Jones was overheard saying that almost anyone could coach the Cowboys and that maybe he was thinking about hiring former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer. When Jimmy Johnson heard about what Jones had said he left the NFL meetings. Johnson wasn’t heard from for a few days and the media would not let the issue rest.

Jerry Jones quickly told the media that he didn't mean what he had said and that Jimmy Johnson was still the head coach of the Cowboys. He also added that the conversation he had about Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer was "No Big Deal." After a few days Johnson headed back to Dallas to meet with Jones. He made it clear to everyone that he was not happy about what Jerry Jones had said and wanted to know why he said it if he really didn’t mean it

On Monday, March 28, 1994, both Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones met to discuss everything that was happening between the two of them. That night they told the media that nothing had been resolved and they would be meeting again the next day. Hoping that their issues could be resolved, the next day Cowboys fans worst fears came true. A press conference was called and as Jimmy Johnson sat next to Jerry Jones, he announced that he was stepping down as the head coach of the Cowboys. Johnson said…

"After our discussions, we have mutually decided that I would no longer be the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys."

After five seasons and two Super Bowl victories, Jimmy Johnson was gone. After going 1-15 in his first season with the Cowboys in 1989, Johnson then went 43-21 the next four years. He had a 7-1 post-season record. He was voted AP Coach of the Year in 1990. He was loved by Cowboys fans everywhere. Fans just couldn't understand how Johnson and Jones couldn't resolve their issues considering all the success they were having and how they could continue having success with the way the team was playing. But it all ended due to comments that never should have been said.

The day after Jimmy Johnson stepped down as head coach, Jerry Jones hired former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer just like he had spoke about. Doing this did not exactly help Jones gain the respect of Cowboys fans, who believed that he truly wanted all the credit for the Cowboys success and wanted Johnson to leave.

As the Cowboys walked off the field of the Georgia Dome after winning Super Bowl XXVIII, they had earned themselves a place in NFL history. They had just won back-to-back Super Bowls after going through a 1-15 season just five years earlier. The players from those Championship teams will always be remembered just like those from the Championship teams of the 70’s. The Dallas Cowboys have a deep history of great players and a winning tradition unmatched by most teams. They truly are "America's Team" and that will never change. The Dallas Cowboys story will never end, it will only continue. It was Jimmy Johnson who said it best on January 17, 1993…

 "HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS"

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 15 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

The new Georgia Dome was the site of Super Bowl XXVIII. Although the excitement level was still high, it was still a different kind of excitement compared to Super Bowl XXVII. In 1992 there weren't many who thought the Cowboys would be playing for a World Championship, but in 1993 it was almost expected that they would win. Once again it was the Cowboys and Bills in the big show. It was finally time for the Cowboys to defend their title and earn another Championship.

The Cowboys got the game off to a great start as rookie Kevin Williams returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to mid-field. Then with the Cowboys facing a 3rd and 18, Troy Aikman connected with Michael Irvin for a 20-yard gain. The Cowboys drive stalled after that and they had to settle for an Eddie Murray field to give them a 3-0 lead.

After the Bills tied the game 3-3, they began driving again looking to take the lead. But the Cowboys defense came up with a turnover when safety James Washington stripped the Bills Thurman Thomas of the ball at midfield and the fumble was recovered by fellow safety Darren Woodson. The Cowboys offense once again failed to get the ball in the end zone and had to settle for another Eddie Murray field goal. At the end of the first quarter of Super Bowl XXVIII the Cowboys held a 6-3 lead on the Bills.

In the second quarter, the Cowboys forced a Bills punt. On the play the Cowboys attempted to block the punt, but as the Bills punter got the ball off he fell to the ground. It was a great acting job by the Bills punter as Cowboys special teams player Dave Thomas landed at his feet and a flag was thrown. The officials called a running into the kicker penalty, which gave the Bills a first down and new life on the drive. The Bills took advantage of the penalty and drove 80 yards in 17 plays. Thurman Thomas capped off the drive with a four yard touchdown run and the Bills took a 10-6 lead on the Cowboys.

Wanting to take the lead back, the Cowboys starting driving on the Bills late in the second quarter. The drive came to an end when Aikman threw a bad pass that was intercepted by the Bills Nate Odomes. Once again the Bills took advantage of a Cowboys mistake and converted the turnover into a field goal as time expired in the first half. The Bills went into the locker room leading 13-6. There were 30 minutes left in Super Bowl XXVIII and with the way the Cowboys were playing they would need some things to change in the second half to win another championship. 

The Bills received the second half kickoff and it took just two plays to make their way towards midfield. Then on their third play of the drive the momentum of Super Bowl XXVIII suddenly turned in the Cowboys favor. Thurman Thomas took a hand-off from Jim Kelly and headed into the middle of his offensive line. The Cowboys Leon Lett hit Thomas with such force that he caused Thomas to fumble. The ball rolled in front of James Washington, who then scooped it up and made his way 46 yards for the game tying touchdown.

The momentum of James Washington’s touchdown continued for the Cowboys offense on their first possession of the third quarter. The Cowboys offensive line and Emmitt Smith took control of the game and marched 64 yards in eight plays. Emmitt Smith gained 61 of the 64 yards and finished off the drive with a beautiful 15-yard touchdown run. His touchdown gave the Cowboys a lead, 20-13 and they would not surrender the lead again. What made Smith’s touchdown so amazing was that he was hit in the backfield, then broke free and scored easily.

On the first play of the fourth quarter the Cowboys collected another Bills turnover. Once again it was James Washington, who jumped in front of a Jim Kelly pass intended for Don Beebe and intercepted it. The Cowboys offense quickly drove to the Bills one yard line where they faced a fourth and goal. Jimmy Johnson, knowing that the pressure was building on the Bills decided to put the nail in their coffin. Emmitt Smith followed a block by Daryl Johnston and scored again to increase the Cowboys lead to 27-13. The Cowboys added a late Eddie Murray field goal and Super Bowl XXVIII was over. The Dallas Cowboys had earned themselves a second straight World Championship by beating the Buffalo Bills 30-13.

In Super Bowl XXVIII it was a tale of two halves for the Cowboys defense. In the first half they gave up 216 yards to the Bills offense as Jim Kelly completed 19 of 26 passes for 176 yards. In the second half the Cowboys defense gave up only 98 yards as Jim Kelly completed only 12 of 24 passes for only 51 yards. They also sacked Kelly three times in the second half. Thurman Thomas was held to 37 yards on 16 carries, along with two fumbles that led to ten points for the Cowboys.

Back in Super Bowl XII when the Cowboys beat the Broncos, the MVP award was given to Randy White and Harvey Martin. In Super Bowl XXVIII there should have been co-MVPs once again. Emmitt Smith was voted the game's MVP due to his 132 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The MVP award should have also been given to James Washington for the incredible game he had. Washington had a hand in all three Buffalo turnovers. He caused Thurman Thomas to fumble in the first half. He recovered Thomas' fumble early in the second half and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. Then he intercepted a Jim Kelly pass in the fourth quarter. Those three plays from James Washington led to 17 points for the Cowboys. He also led the defense with 11 tackles.

The Cowboys had won their fourth World Championship and second in a row. Jimmy Johnson was the best coach in the NFL and the Cowboys had some of the best young players in the league. As a fan I couldn't help but think that all this success could go on for a while. What could possibly happen to derail this Cowboys train? But what fans didn't know was that a storm was brewing and it was about to get bad.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 14 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

The Cowboys started their 1993 playoff run against the Packers at Texas Stadium. With Emmitt Smith still hurting from his separated shoulder, the Cowboys focused more on the passing of Troy Aikman. He threw touchdown passes to Alvin Harper and Jay Novacek in the first half and built a 17-3 halftime lead.

The Cowboys opened up a 24-3 lead in the third quarter when Aikman threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this time to Michael Irvin. When the final gun sounded the Cowboys walked away with a 27-17 victory over the Packers to advance to the NFC Championship game. Emmitt Smith only carried the ball 13 times for 60 yards, but since the Cowboys were in control most of the game there was no need to risk further injury with Smith.

Since becoming a fan I had never seen the Cowboys play an NFC Championship game at Texas Stadium until 1993. In years past they were always on the road in Philadelphia, Washington and San Francisco. For the second straight season the Cowboys and the 49ers would meet in the NFC Championship game where the winner would advance Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta.

During the week before the NFC Championship game Jimmy Johnson made his own newspaper headlines by guaranteeing a victory over the 49ers. He had grown tired of all the talk and called into a sports radio show to voice his opinion on the game.

"We will win the ballgame, and you can put it in three-inch headlines"

Needless to say, the 49ers did not appreciate Johnson's guarantee and before kickoff both teams got into a shoving match on the field.

The Cowboys first drive of the game resulted in a five yard touchdown run by Emmitt Smith that put the Cowboys ahead 7-0. The 49ers answered back with their own touchdown drive, as Steve Young connected with Tom Rathman on a seven yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7-7. The second quarter is when the Cowboys put an end to the 49ers hopes of getting to the Super Bowl as they scored three touchdowns and took a commanding lead.

The Cowboys started the second quarter scoring with a four-yard touchdown run by Daryl Johnston to take a 14-7 lead. Then Emmitt Smith and Jay Novacek caught touchdown passes from Troy Aikman to increase their lead to 28-7 at halftime. Troy Aikman was having a great first half until he was kicked in the head by a 49ers defender and had to leave the game with a concussion. Before his injury he had completed 14 out of 18 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Bernie Kosar would once again be called on to take over for the injured Aikman and lead the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl.

The 49ers did come out early in the third quarter and scored to get within 28-14. Bernie Kosar stepped in for Aikman and increased the Cowboys lead to 35-14 when he connected with Alvin Harper on a 42 yard touchdown. The 49ers scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but the game was already over at that point. The Cowboys beat the 49ers for the second straight season in the NFC Championship, 38-21 and advanced to Super Bowl XXVIII.

Even with all the excitement of making it to the Super Bowl two years in a row, there was much concern for Troy Aikman and the concussion he suffered. After the game he had said that he remembered nothing about what happened in the game, but didn't see any reason that he couldn't play in the Super Bowl. Emmitt Smith's rushed for 88 yards and scored once and also caught seven passes for 85 yards and a score.

In 1993 there was only one week between the Championship game and the Super Bowl, unlike past years when there were two weeks. During the week off the Bills seemed like they were trying to convince themselves that all the pressure was on the Cowboys, even though this was the Bills fourth straight Super Bowl appearance and had yet to win. They said that nobody expected them to win, so this was just another game to them. After losing three straight Super Bowls I’m sure there had to be some amount of pressure on the Bills team.

As Super Bowl Sunday got closer, Troy Aikman said that he was fine and that he was not going to miss the game. Emmitt Smith's shoulder also seemed fine. So the Cowboys were as healthy as they could be and were ready to defend their Super Bowl title.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 13 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

The Cowboys had 11 days to prepare for their next game against the Eagles after losing to the Dolphins. Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were back and ready for the Eagles game. The Cowboys built a 16-3 halftime lead with the help of kicker Eddie Murray, who kicked three field goals. Even though the Eagles outscored the Cowboys in the second half 14-7, the Cowboys held on for a 23-17 win and broke their two game losing streak. Troy Aikman completed 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown to Michael Irvin. Emmitt Smith rushed for 172 yards on 23 carries.

The Cowboys traveled to Minnesota the following week to take on the Vikings. In the second quarter the Vikings were leading 6-3 and then the Cowboys scored 24 unanswered points to take the lead 27-6. Troy Aikman only passed for 208 yards, but his main target was Michael Irvin as he caught eight passes for 125 yards and scored once. Emmitt Smith rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys beat the Vikings 37-20 and improved to 9-4.

The following week the Cowboys played the Jets at Giants Stadium. In all my years as a fan I had never had the opportunity to go to a Cowboys game. For the Jets game I was able to see them in person for the first time as I went to the game with a few other Cowboys fans. I saw more Cowboys blue and silver then Jets green outside the stadium as well as inside the stadium. It was not the greatest game the Cowboys played in 1993, but it was still exciting being there. The Cowboys offense turned the ball over five times, with Aikman throwing three interceptions. Even with his interceptions Aikman was still 21 of 27 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns went to Michael Irvin, one from 42 yards and the other from three yards.

With the Cowboys leading 14-0 in the third quarter, cornerback Kevin Smith intercepted a Boomer Esiason pass and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown to increase the Cowboys lead to 21-0. Daryl Johnston closed out the Cowboys scoring with a four-yard touchdown run. The "Moose" call was heard throughout Giants Stadium as he scored and the Cowboys walked away with a 28-7 victory over the Jets.

As the game ended, Jimmy Johnson went to shake hands with Jets head coach Bruce Coslet, but Coslet just walked away from him. After the game, Coslet complained about Johnson sending a blitz after Esiason and trying to intentionally hurt him. When Johnson talked to the media, he didn't seem to care and with a slight smile he said:

"Someone needs to pass me a note or give me the rule when we are supposed to blitz or when we can't blitz. I don't know, we just try and win ball games. I haven't read the manual yet as far as what defenses we're supposed to play at the end of a game."

A few days after beating the Jets the Cowboys announced that they had signed Troy Aikman to a new eight year, $50 million contract. The contract made Aikman the highest paid player in NFL history.

The re-match with the Redskins was nothing like opening day when the Redskins beat the Cowboys 35-16 without Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys defense recorded four sacks and intercepted Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien twice. They allowed only a first quarter field goal to the Redskins and then the Cowboys scored the next 38 points and won 38-3. Emmitt Smith rushed 153 yards on only 21 carries and scored once. Troy Aikman threw for 193 yards as he completed 16 out of 20 passes and two touchdowns. Then for the second time in 1993, rookie Kevin Williams returned a punt for a touchdown from 62 yards out.

The Cowboys had put together a four game winning streaking since that horrible ending against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving. With one week left in the 1993 regular season the Cowboys and Giants were tied for the NFC East lead with 11-4 records. They would both meet for in the final game of the season at Giants Stadium and the winner would take the NFC East title. The winner would also secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The game was played on January 2, 1994 and weather would not be a concern as temperatures were in the mid 40s and sunny. The Cowboys went ahead early, 3-0 on an Eddie Murray field goal. Then in the second quarter Emmitt Smith caught a five yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman to increase the Cowboys lead to 10-0. Murray added another field goal to end the first half, but it came with a price as Emmitt Smith was injured on the drive. The Cowboys went into halftime leading the Giants 13-0.

On the play that Emmitt Smith was injured he had broken free for a 47 yard gain, but was tackled hard and landed on his right shoulder. It was unsure how bad the shoulder injury was as Smith was taken off the field, but it was clear just how much pain he was from the look on his face. In the first half Smith had rushed for 109 yards and caught the touchdown pass from Aikman.

As the third quarter got under way it was announced that Smith had separated his shoulder, but that he would try to play. With a 13-0 lead the last thing the Cowboys wanted to do was give the Giants any momentum. But that is exactly what they did early in the third quarter when Kevin Williams tried to catch a Giants punt that the Cowboys had deflected. Instead of just letting the ball drop he ran towards it and as he tried to catch it the ball bounced off of his chest and the Giants recovered in Cowboys territory. The Giants took full advantage of the Cowboys turnover by scoring a touchdown to cut the Cowboys lead to, 13-7.

Emmitt Smith, despite a separated shoulder and being in a lot of pain, put on his helmet and ran onto the field on the Cowboys next possession. What ended up happening was the most incredible, courageous, selfless performance any player has ever done. With each play the pain that showed on Smith's face became worse. Every few plays Smith would come to the sidelines for a rest and just look towards the sky almost as if he was looking for the strength to continue. Even playing with all the pain and only one arm, the Giants could not slow Emmitt Smith down. The Giants did however stop the Cowboys from scoring in the second half and were able to battle back and tie the game 13-13 with ten seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

The Giants got the ball first in overtime, but after an illegal chop block was called on the Giants' Jumbo Elliott, the Giants were forced to punt. The Cowboys took over and continued to feed the ball to Emmitt Smith. Smith would later say that every time he was hit he could hear a crunching noise in his shoulder. Through all of the pain, Emmitt continued to play.

The Cowboys put together an 11 play drive in overtime. Emmitt Smith touched the ball on nine of those 11 plays. He ran the ball, he caught the ball. It was the most amazing performance I have ever seen on the football field by a player. Emmitt Smith got the Cowboys into range for an Eddie Murray field goal attempt to win the game. With less than five minutes left in overtime, Murray kicked a 41-yard field goal to win the game, 16-13. The Cowboys clinched their second straight NFC Eastern Division title and received home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Emmitt Smith rushed for an incredible 168 yards on 32 carries as well as catching 10 passes for 61 yards. Aikman connected on 24 of 30 passes for 180 yards the one touchdown to Smith.

The Cowboys finished the 1993 season winning their last five games to go 12-4. They had to fight through injuries to Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Ken Norton Jr., Mark Stepnoski, Charles Haley and many others. They started the season 0-2 because of Emmitt Smith’s holdout. Even with all those obstacles the Cowboys faced in 1993 they still finished with the best record in the NFC and tied for the best record in the NFL with the Bills and Oilers.

Emmitt Smith had another great season for the Cowboys in 1993. Smith missed almost four games during the season with his holdout and injuries, but he still managed to rush for 1,486 yards and captured his third straight rushing title. Smith was also named the NFLs MVP for the 1993 season. Troy Aikman also had a great season as he threw for 3,100 yards, 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The signing of kicker Eddie Murray at the beginning of the season paid off for the Cowboys as Murray connected on 28 of 33 field goals. Michael Irvin had 1,330 yards receiving and scored seven touchdowns. Alvin Harper added 777 yards receiving and scored five times.

The Cowboys also filled the NFL Pro-Bowl roster with their own offense. They became the first team to ever to have a starter at every position with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek, Mark Stepnoski, Nate Newton and Eric Williams. Defensively for the Cowboys, Russell Maryland, Ken Norton Jr. and Thomas Everett were voted to the Pro-Bowl as well.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 12 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

The Cowboys and the Giants were tied for the NFC East lead going into their Week 7 match-up. Some Giants players were complaining about the Thanksgiving Day game back in 1992 when the Cowboys beat the Giants, 30-3. They didn't like that that the Cowboys were continuing to blitz them at the end of that game with the game out of reach. Johnson called them all babies and told them to just play the game. He believed that if an offense is trying to score even with the game out of reach that he should continue to play his defense to stop the opposing offense.

Before getting to the game I want to mention that at halftime it was a celebration for Tom Landry, who coached the Cowboys for 29 years. Landry was finally inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor. Landry was one of the greatest coaches of all-time and he deserved all the praise in the world for his accomplishments. The players in the Cowboys Ring of Honor have their jersey numbers next to their names going around Texas Stadium. The Cowboys put a different spin on that tradition and placed a famous Landry hat next to his name. It was a nice touch by owner Jerry Jones.

The first half of the Cowboys-Giants game was the Troy Aikman and Alvin Harper show. Aikman connected with Harper on a 28 yard touchdown pass, which put the Cowboys ahead 10-0. Then after a Giants field goal, Kevin Williams returned a kickoff to mid-field. On the Cowboys first play Aikman found a wide open Harper for a 50-yard touchdown, that increased the Cowboys lead to 17-3.  In the third quarter Aikman was scrambling toward the sideline when he fell in pain without even being touched. The reports from the Cowboys locker room were that Aikman pulled his hamstring. He would not return to the game. Before Aikman went down with the injury he had completed 11 out of 13 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys led 17-6 when Aikman left the game. The Cowboys had to turn to backup quarterback Jason Garrett for the rest of the game.

After a scoreless third quarter the Cowboys focused on their running game and Emmitt Smith. Smith scored twice in the fourth quarter and rushed for 117 yards in the game. Also in the fourth quarter, Jimmy Johnson reached into his bag of tricks. It may have been to send a message to the Giants that he would never stop attacking whether it was on offense or defense. The Cowboys ran a reverse with Alvin Harper. Harper stopped and threw the ball down field and connected with Michael Irvin on a 46 yard completion. The Cowboys beat the Giants 31-9, took first place in the NFC East and also celebrated Tom Landry on the same day.

The Cowboys defense recorded five sacks against the Giants. Phil Simms was knocked out of the game twice. If the Giants were looking for Jimmy Johnson to cut down on the blitzes late in this game, they were mistaken. Johnson sent all kinds of blitzes at them late in this game too just like he did back on Thanksgiving in 1992.

Aside from Aikman’s hamstring injury, another injury that was made public concerned Ken Norton Jr. He tore his bicep muscle in the 23-10 win over the Eagles earlier in the season, but Norton decided to play the rest of the season with the pain and then deal with surgery after the season.

It was decided that Aikman would not play the next game against the Cardinals. Jimmy Johnson quickly went out and signed quarterback Bernie Kosar, who had been released by the Browns. That meant Jason Garrett would drop to third string behind Kosar.

Against the Cardinals, Jimmy Johnson started Jason Garrett, but put Kosar in early even though Kosar had only been with the team four days. The Cowboys took a commanding 17-0 first half lead on the Cardinals. The second half was the complete reverse as the Cardinals dominated the Cowboys and outscored them 15-3. The Cowboys Kenny Gant came up with a late interception as the Cardinals were driving late in the game and the Cowboys won, 20-15. Kosar ended the game with 199 yards passing and a touchdown to Jay Novacek. Emmitt Smith rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown as well as catching four passes for 102 yards. One of those receptions was only five yards, but Smith turned it into an 86-yard gain. After starting the 1993 season 0-2, the Cowboys had won seven straight games and led the NFC East with a 7-2 record.

The following week the Cowboys traveled to Atlanta to play the Falcons and Bernie Kosar got his first start for the Cowboys. The Falcons dominated from the start and built a 20-0 third quarter lead. Kosar only managed to throw for 186 yards and the Cowboys as a team only rushed for 48 yards in the game. That was mainly because Emmitt Smith left the game in the first quarter with a deep quadriceps bruise.

The Cowboys defense had no answer for the Falcons Run and Shoot Offense. Falcon's quarterback Bobby Hebert, threw three touchdown passes. The last touchdown pass going to an unlikely receiver. The Falcons put Deion Sanders in at wide receiver. He caught a short pass from Hebert and took it 70 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons walked away with a 27-14 win against the Cowboys, dropping the Cowboys record to 7-3 and snapping their seven game winning streak.

With Ken Norton Jr. hurting and Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith doubtful for the next game, the Cowboys needed to get healthy fast with the next game only four days away on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving and the Cowboys have always gone together as long as I’ve been a fan. There have been many great memories of past games on Thanksgiving for the Cowboys and then there was 1993. The good news was that Troy Aikman was ready to play and Emmitt Smith would get some playing time. The bad news was the weather that day.

In all my years as a fan of the Cowboys I cannot remember a home game ever being affected by winter weather. The Texas Stadium field was covered with snow and ice. Aikman played the entire game, but it wasn’t long before Jimmy Johnson decided to take some of the pressure off of Emmitt Smith by playing his backup Lincoln Coleman at times during the game.

Dolphins running back Keith Byars broke loose in the first quarter for a 77 yard touchdown run giving them a 7-0. The Cowboys tied the game when Troy Aikman connected with rookie Kevin Williams on a four-yard touchdown pass. Then Kevin Williams broke the 7-7 tie with a 64 yard punt return for a touchdown giving the Cowboys a 14-7 halftime lead.

As the game continued the field conditions became worse. The field remained covered with snow and because everything was frozen, the field crew couldn't clear anything off the field.

Daryl Johnston became a big part of the Cowboys offense as he caught 11 passes for 75 yards. The Dolphins managed to convert two field goals in the second half to pull with 14-13. With only seconds remaining in the game the Dolphins lined up for the game winning field goal, but the Cowboys blocked the kick. What happened next has become one of the most famous NFL bloopers of all time. After the Cowboys blocked the Dolphins field goal, the ball rolled towards the Cowboys goal line. Many Cowboys were waving their arms and yelling to leave the ball alone and not to touch it, which would then give the Cowboys a 14-13 victory.

As the ball rolled around by the Cowboys goal line, one man decided not to listen to his teammates and take things into his own hands. Out of nowhere came Leon Lett, who attempted to fall on the ball. But because of the slippery conditions Lett ended up kicking the ball, which made the ball live. The Dolphins players who had been standing around watching quickly jumped on the loose ball and got possession at the Cowboys one-yard line. They lined up for another field goal attempt and this time it was successful giving them a 16-14 win over the Cowboys and handing the Cowboys their second loss in a row.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 11 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

With no progress with Emmitt Smith and his new contract the Cowboys opened the 1993 season without him. The first game was on Monday Night Football against the Redskins in RFK Stadium. With Smith not playing the Cowboys turned to rookie running back Derrick Lassic. The Cowboys jumped out to an early lead when Aikman connected with Alvin Harper for an 80 yard touchdown pass. Kicker Lin Elliott missed the extra point and the Redskins took over after that. The Redskins played like they were the ones who had won the Super Bowl as they beat the Cowboys 35-16. Troy Aikman threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Derrick Lassic did well in his first game as he rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries.

The following week was a Super Bowl re-match with the Bills at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys turned the ball over four times and Lin Elliott missed a field goal. Troy Aikman tried bringing the Cowboys back, but was intercepted on the goal line late in the fourth quarter. The Bills won the game 13-10. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 0-2 to start the season.

The last thing Jimmy Johnson wanted to do was speak with the media after losing to the Bills. There were tears in his eyes and he looked lost. Fans were use to seeing a confident Johnson who knew how to handle the difficult times, but being without Emmitt Smith was just too much to handle. Charles Haley slammed his helmet through the locker room wall after losing to the Bills. Haley said the team needed to sign Emmitt Smith right away because they couldn’t win with Derrick Lassic running the ball.

Jimmy Johnson decided to cut kicker Lin Elliott after he had missed two field goals and one extra point in the first two games. Elliott also told Johnson during the Bills game that he had lost his confidence. Johnson worked out many kickers before signing 14-year veteran Eddie Murray.

When your team is 0-2, your head coach seems lost and the players are upset, there was only thing Jerry Jones needed to do. He signed Emmitt Smith to a new four year – 13.6 million contract, making him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Although Smith was ready to play Jimmy Johnson said that Derrick Lassic would start the next game against the Cardinals, but Smith would get to play as well. Even Smith agreed with Johnson, saying that Lassic had played well in the first two games and deserved to start.

With Emmitt Smith back with the Cowboys it seemed to take the pressure off of Lassic. Against the Cardinals he rushed for 60 yards and scored twice as he led the Cowboys to a 17-0 third quarter lead. Aikman connected on 21 of 27 passes for 281 yards. Alvin Harper caught six passes for 136 yards. Then there was Emmitt Smith, who came into the game in the third quarter and rushed for 45 yards on eight carries. The Cowboys got their first win of the 1993 season, 17-10 over the Cardinals.

Jimmy Johnson decided to make a change to the Cowboys defense after the Cardinals game. He replaced starting middle linebacker Robert Jones with Ken Norton Jr. Rookie linebacker Darrin Smith moved into Norton's spot on the right side. Johnson liked Darrin Smith because he added more strength and speed to the defense.

Emmitt Smith was back in the Cowboys starting lineup the following week at Texas Stadium against the Packers. He rushed for 71 yards and scored on a 22 yard touchdown run. Troy Aikman had a great game going 18 out of 23 for 317 yards and a touchdown. Michael Irvin ended the day with 155 yards receiving and a touchdown. New kicker Eddie Murray showed he was still effective after 14 years, as he kicked five field goals for the Cowboys. The Cowboys beat the Packers 36-14 to even their record at 2-2.

The Cowboys traveled to Indianapolis for game five of the 1993 season to take on the Colts. Troy Aikman was once again on fire as he connected on 21 of 28 for 245 yards and a touchdown. Emmitt Smith for 104 yards, which included a beautiful 20 yard cutback run for a touchdown. Michael Irvin caught seven passes for 112 yards. With the Cowboys leading 14-3 in the third quarter, they set up for an Eddie Murray field goal attempt. Jimmy Johnson said he had noticed on game film that the Colts liked to stack one side of their line to rush the kicker. Johnson took advantage of this by faking the kick and sending Jay Novacek, who was the Cowboys holder through an opening in the defensive line and into the end zone from two yards out. The Cowboys won their third straight game and beat the Colts 27-3.

In Week 6 the Cowboys welcomed the 49ers to Texas Stadium for an NFC Championship re-match. Emmitt Smith got the fireworks started, but it wasn't in the Cowboys favor. He fumbled early in the game and the 49ers returned it 4 yards for a touchdown and took a 7-0 lead. Emmitt Smith gave the Cowboys a 13-10 the lead in the second quarter with a short touchdown run. The 49ers took the lead back in the third quarter, 17-16. Michael Irvin put the Cowboys ahead for good with a 36 yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman. Irvin juggled the ball with one hand at the goal line and then held it against his leg as he scored, giving the Cowboys a 23-17 lead. Eddie Murray added a field goal, which was his fourth of the game and the Cowboys beat the 49ers, 26-17.

Against the 49ers Michael Irvin caught 12 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. Emmitt Smith ran for 92 yards and Troy Aikman connected with six different receivers and ended the day with 243 yards passing.

The Cowboys and Eagles were both 4-2 going into the 7th game of the season. The game was played on Halloween in Philadelphia during a heavy rainstorm. The Eagles had no time for trick or treating. Their focus was trying to stop Emmitt Smith. Smith who had a career game as he rushed for 237 yards on 30 carries. With Aikman struggling with only 96 yards passing, it was Smith who got the Cowboys their 5th straight victory. He sealed the win with a 62 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys won 23-10 and improved to 5-2 with the Giants next up on the schedule.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 10 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

Even with winning Super Bowls teams go through changes. It was no different when it came to the Cowboys in 1993. The first change was losing defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, who left the Cowboys to become the new head coach of the Chicago Bears. Wannstedt had built the Cowboys defense into the number one unit in the NFL in 1992. Now the defense was handed over to Butch Davis, who was promoted from defensive line coach by Jimmy Johnson.

Jimmy Johnson also hired two new coaches to help Butch Davis run the defense. Former Houston Oilers defensive coordinator Jim Eddy was hired  as a defensive assistant and John Blake took Davis' old job with the defensive line. Dave Wannstedt took Cowboys offensive line coach Tony Wise with him to the Bears, so Johnson went out and hired Hudson Houck from the Seahawks to coach the offensive line.

Then there was the matter of free agency. It was the way of the NFL now. Players' moving from team to team was not how I grew up watching football. I was use to players staying with the same team for their whole careers. Now it seemed like if a team flashes a little more money in front of a player, he'll leave without a care about his own teammates.

The first player the Cowboys lost in free agency was wide receiver Kelvin Martin, who signed with the Seahawks. Martin was a quality third receiver for the Cowboys as well as great punt returner. Then backup quarterback Steve Beuerlein left to play for the Cardinals. In 1991 Beuerlein led the Cowboys to the playoffs when Aikman was injured. He won the last five games of the season for the Cowboys and then beat the Bears in the Wildcard game before losing to the Lions in the second round.

The Cowboys did manage to keep a very important part of their defense when Charles Haley decided to stay with the team and signed a three year contract extension. Haley really was the missing part of the Cowboys defense in 1992.

Jimmy Johnson went to work during the NFL Draft trying to replace Kelvin Martin. With their first pick the Cowboys selected wide receiver/kick returner Kevin Williams from Miami. With their second pick the Cowboys selected linebacker Darrin Smith, also from Miami. Both Williams and Smith would become important parts of the Cowboys in 1993.

Another player selected in the draft who would become a big part of the Cowboys early in the season was running back Derrick Lassic from Alabama. Lassic was big news where I lived because he was from my town and graduated high school there as well, so people all around knew him or knew of him.

During the 1992 season the Cowboys went through the entire season without any major injuries. They wouldn't be as lucky in 1993 as the injuries started early in training camp and went on throughout the season. First there was Troy Aikman who had surgery for a herniated disc in his back during the off season. Doctors said Aikman would be out of action for at least 12 weeks. Backup tight end Alfredo Roberts broke his foot and was lost for the season. Kenneth Gant who became a big part of the Cowboys special teams separated his shoulder. Darren Woodson who was on his way to becoming a starter at safety, broke his arm and would be lost for two months. It got to the point that every day it seemed like someone got injured.

The other huge story in the off season was that Emmitt Smith wanted a new contract and said he would hold out until he got one. But what Smith was asking for and what Jerry Jones was offering was far apart. So it started to become a concern that the Cowboys would start 1993 without both Aikman and Smith. 

At the start of training camp Jerry Jones presented the Cowboys with their Super Bowl XXVII rings. The Championship rings were filled with diamonds and the team was showing them off to everyone. Jimmy Johnson wanted to keep the team grounded and focused and spoke up saying to cherish the rings always, but to keep in mind that they wouldn't help them in their drive for a second straight World Championship.

Before the season started Jimmy Johnson traded starting linebacker Vinson Smith to the Bears for three players. I'll tell you now that those three players never made an impact with the Cowboys and were released shortly after they arrived.

The Cowboys received some good news when Troy Aikman, who had been recovering from back surgery, was able to play a little in the preseason. He would be ready for the season opener, but the same could not be said for Emmitt Smith.

The 1993 season opener was only a few days away and Emmitt Smith wasn't any closer to signing a new contract. He wanted to be the highest paid running back in the NFL after winning the NFL rushing titles in 1991 and 1992 to go along with a Super Bowl Championship. Jimmy Johnson had no choice but to prepare the Cowboys to start the season without Emmitt Smith.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 9 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

JANUARY 31, 1993: The day had finally arrived and the game was about to be played. Before the game even started I had to sit through two and a half hours of pre-game.  It was a beautiful day in California as the sun was shining on the Rose Bowl and there was barely a cloud in the sky. As the Cowboys were introduced to the 98,374 fans, I wanted to take it all in as I watched them come out of that tunnel.

The Cowboys were forced to punt on their first possession. It didn't help matters any when the Bills Steve Tasker blocked Mike Saxon’s punt and the Bills took over deep in Cowboys territory. Then a few plays later Thurman Thomas scored on a two yard run to give the Bills an early 7-0 lead.

Not sure if was the all the excitement of the Super Bowl and all the nerves, but the Cowboys were not playing like they had been playing leading up to the Super Bowl. All it took was the first big play for the Cowboys that seemed to wake them up. Safety James Washington intercepted a Jim Kelly pass at mid-field and that allowed the Cowboys offense to take over. Then with the Cowboys facing a third down and 18 in Bills territory, Troy Aikman threw a strike to Michael Irvin for a first down that seemed to ignite the team. Aikman led the Cowboys to a touchdown with a 23 yard pass to Jay Novacek to tie the game at 7-7.

On the Bills next possession they found themselves pinned against their own goal line. Charles Haley who usually plays right defensive end, switched to the left side and made the Bills pay. He beat his blocker with ease and hit quarterback Jim Kelly, forcing Kelly to fumble the ball. The Cowboys Leon Lett tipped the ball in the air and Jimmie Jones caught it as he fell into the end zone for a Cowboys touchdown. It put the Cowboys up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and they would never look back.

In the second quarter the Cowboys defense held the Bills to no points on a goal line stand. On third and goal Bills running back Kenneth Davis thought he had a clear shot at the end zone until he hit a wall at the one yard line. That wall was Ken Norton Jr. Norton grabbed Davis, stood him straight up and pushed him back with some help from his teammates. It set up a fourth and goal and the Bills decided to go for it instead of attempting a field goal. Defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt and defensive line coach Butch Davis seemed to know what the Bills were going to try. Instead of the Cowboys running their goal line defense, they brought in their nickel defense. Jim Kelly took the snap and rolled to his right and threw into the end zone. That's where Cowboys safety Thomas Everett leaped over everyone and came down with the interception to end the Bills threat.

Even though the Bills seemed to move the ball well against the Cowboys defense at times, the no-huddle offense of the Bills did not seem to be giving the Cowboys any problems. They were still able to make their defensive substitutions when they had to. Then things got worse for the Bills when Ken Norton Jr. blitzed up the middle and landed on Kelly's knee in the second quarter. Kelly was lost for the rest of the game and was replaced by backup quarterback Frank Reich.

In the second quarter with the Cowboys leading 14-10, Troy Aikman and the Cowboys offense put together a drive that ended when Aikman connected with Irvin on a 19 yard touchdown that put them ahead 21-10. On the Bills next possession, Thurman Thomas fumbled and the Cowboys recovered. Only 18 seconds after Irvin scored, he scored again from 18 yards on Aikman's third touchdown pass of the first half. The Cowboys went into halftime with a commanding 28-10 lead over on the Bills.

The Cowboys only points of the third quarter were a Lin Elliott field to increase their lead to 31-10. The Bills scored on the last play of the third quarter to make the score 31-17. Frank Reich threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to Don Beebe, but the touchdown should have been called back because Reich was clearly over the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. Somehow the officials missed it and allowed the touchdown. Even with a two touchdown lead going into the fourth quarter Jimmy Johnson was not happy about the Bills touchdown. It would be the last points the Bills would score in Super Bowl XXVII.

The fourth quarter started with Aikman connecting with a wide open Alvin Harper for a 45 yard touchdown to make the score 38-17. Harper celebrated his touchdown by slam dunking the ball over the crossbar. Emmitt Smith got his own Super Bowl touchdown later in the fourth quarter with a ten yard run to increase the Cowboys lead to 45-17.

The Cowboys collected another defensive touchdown when Ken Norton Jr. returned a Frank Reich fumble ten yards for a touchdown. With the score 52-17 the Cowboys had a chance to break the Super Bowl scoring record. Leon Lett recovered yet another Bills fumble and started running down the sideline towards the end zone, but Lett started his touchdown celebration a little early. The Bills Don Beebe had chased Lett all the way down the field and was able to knock the ball out of Lett's hand as he held the ball out in celebration before crossing the goal line. The ball rolled out of the end zone for a touchback. It's a Super Bowl blunder that nobody will ever forget. It would also not be the last blunder in Lett's career. The play cost the Cowboys a chance at 59 points which would have been a Super Bowl record. With the final score 52-17 it really didn't matter much as the celebration began for the Cowboys.

Super Bowl XXVII was over and the Dallas Cowboys were Champions of the football world. After years of waiting, the Cowboys were finally Super Bowl Champions again. From 1-15 in 1989 to Super Bowl Champs in 1992. The Cowboys had won their third World Championship.

The Cowboys defense forced a record nine turnovers in Super Bowl XXVII. Four interceptions and five fumble recoveries. They returned two of the fumble recoveries for touchdowns. They also sacked the Bills quarterbacks four times.

The MVP of Super Bowl XXVII was given to Troy Aikman for his outstanding performance. He completed 22 out of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Emmitt Smith had another great game with 108 yards rushing and a touchdown. Michael Irvin had 114 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Jay Novacek caught seven passes for 72 yards and scored once.

In Troy Aikman's three playoff games from 1992 he completed 61 out 89 passes for 795 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Emmitt Smith added 336 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

After enjoying the Super Bowl XXVII victory for a while I started to wonder if the Cowboys could actually win second straight Super Bowl in 1993. They had all the players, all the coaches and it just seemed like there would be no issues in challenging for another title. However, it does not work that way in the NFL and the Cowboys off season would become very interesting and also very disruptive.

To be continued...

 

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 8 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS

The Cowboys focused on defense in the first two rounds of the 1992 draft. They had two first round picks and selected cornerback Kevin Smith and linebacker Robert Jones. They also added Darren Woodson in the second round. Then Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones made a big move before the season started that some people said was the missing piece to their team. They traded for defensive end Charles Haley from the San Francisco 49ers. Haley brought an added toughness to the Cowboys defense along with championship experience having won two Super Bowls with the 49ers in 1988 and 1989.

After a long absence the Cowboys were back on Monday Night Football to start the 1992 season. They were hosting the World Champion Redskins at Texas Stadium. It was the defense that came up with the first points of 1992, as Issiac Holt blocked a Redskins punt and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead. Then Emmitt Smith scored to give the Cowboys a 9-0 lead and they never looked back. Smith would rush for 140 yards in the game. Kelvin Martin added a 79 yard punt return for a touchdown and the Cowboys went on to beat the Redskins 23-10.

In Week 2 the Cowboys traveled to play the Giants. The Cowboys came out and played a first half like they have never played before. They poured on the points with Emmitt Smith scoring first, than cornerback Robert Williams returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. Kicker Lin Elliott kicked a couple of field goals. Troy Aikman added a touchdown pass to Jay Novacek and at halftime the Cowboys had an amazing 27-0 lead.

The Cowboys came out in the third quarter and scored again when Troy Aikman connected with Michael Irvin on a 27 yard touchdown pass to increase their lead to 34-0. I guess the Cowboys thought that they had the game won easily at that point and the Giants took full advantage of it. Phil Simms started to mount a second half comeback. He threw three touchdown passes and before anyone could blink the Giants had closed the gap to 34-28. I remember watching on television from home and the hearing the crowd going crazy. The Giants Stadium scoreboard operator decided to get the crowd of 76,430 even more involved. Midway through the fourth quarter the scoreboard operator put up the final score that read, GIANTS, 35, COWBOYS, 34. The crowd went wild, but in the end the Cowboys were able to hold off the Giants for a 34-28 victory.

With the victory over the Giants, that put the Cowboys at 2-0 with the Cardinals and Eagles up next. The Cowboys beat the Cardinals 31-20 fairly easily as Troy Aikman threw three touchdown passes and Emmitt Smith rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown. Michael Irvin had an incredible game with 210 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

The fourth week was a visit to Veterans Stadium to play the Eagles. It was said by many that the Eagles were the best team in the NFL and they showed it against the Cowboys in this game. It was the bright lights of Monday Night Football and the Eagles dominated the Cowboys 31-7.

The Cowboys bounced back from the Eagles loss with impressive wins over the Seahawks, 27-0, Chiefs 17-10 and the Raiders 28-13.   These victories improved the Cowboys record to 6-1.

The first game of November would be the rematch against the Eagles. Just a month earlier the Eagles had smacked around the Cowboys. Now it was the Cowboys turn. The Cowboys defense attacked the Eagles from the very start. It got so bad for the Eagles Randall Cunningham that he was benched in the second half with only 13 yards passing.

Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys offensive line dominated as Smith rushed for 163 yards. Troy Aikman added two touchdown passes and the Cowboys won easily 20-10 to improve to 7-1.

The following week the Cowboys traveled back to Detroit with the 38-6 playoff loss from 1991 still fresh in their minds. The Cowboys dominated and beat the Lions 37-3. Emmitt Smith led the way with three touchdowns. Michael Irvin caught five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.

The Cowboys rolled into Thanksgiving with a 9-2 record. The division rival Giants were on the schedule for turkey day in 1992. The Cowboys dominated and won 30-3. Once again it was Emmitt Smith leading the way as he scored twice and rushed for 120 yards. His second touchdown of the third quarter came on a 68 yard run. The Cowboys defense recorded four sacks and held the Giants offense to 207 total yards. The victory over the Giants gave the Cowboys a three game lead in the NFC East with a 10-2 record.

Week 14 the Cowboys suffered a horrible loss to the Redskins in Washington. The Cowboys were leading 17-13 late in the game when Troy Aikman fumbled the ball in his own end zone and the Redskins recovered it for a touchdown. It was one of four turnovers for the Cowboys and they lost the game 20-17.

The 11-3 Cowboys traveled to Atlanta the following week to take on the Falcons on Monday Night Football. A victory would give the Cowboys the NFC East title for the first time since 1985. The Falcons had no answer for Emmitt Smith as he rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns. It was also the game that Smith had arguably the best run of his career. He got caught in the middle of Falcons defenders and somehow bounced out and sprinted down the right sideline for the touchdown, beating Deion Sanders to the end zone. Troy Aikman was just as impressive as he connected on 18 out of 21 for 239 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys beat the Falcons 41-17 and earned themselves the NFC East Championship.

The Cowboys did not finish the 1992 regular season on a positive note. After building a 27-0 lead on the Bears at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys got sloppy. Jimmy Johnson, who was pulling his starters during the game, ended up putting some of them back in. He was not happy with the team's second half performance at all. He even cut backup running back Curvin Richards after the game for fumbling twice. The Cowboys did win the game 27-14 as Emmitt Smith rushed for 131 yards and scored on a 31 yard touchdown run. On that touchdown run Smith captured his second straight rushing title with 1,713 yards in 1992.

The Cowboys finished the 1992 season with a 13-3 record and a division championship. It was the most regular season wins in team history. Troy Aikman had his best season since coming into the NFL as he threw for 3,445 yards and 23 touchdowns. Michael Irvin had another impressive season with seven touchdowns and 1,396 receiving yards.

For the third time in 1992 the Cowboys and Eagles would be matched up against each other and for the second time in 1992 the game would be at Texas Stadium, this time for the Divisional round of the playoffs. It was also the first playoff game at Texas Stadium since way back in 1983.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and from there it was no contest as the Cowboys scored the next 34 points. The Cowboys beat the Eagles easily 34-10. The Cowboys defense controlled Randall Cunningham and the Eagles offense by limiting them to only 178 yards and collected five sacks. Emmitt Smith wore down the Eagles defense with 114 yards rushing. He also scored on a 23 yard touchdown run that increased the Cowboys lead to 24-3 in the third quarter. Troy Aikman threw for 200 yards and a touchdown to Michael Irvin and tight end Derek Tennell, who the Cowboys signed to the team only days before the game. Next up was the NFC Championship game.

The Cowboys had earned the right to play for the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers were considered the best team in the NFL and earned home field advantage in the playoffs with a 14-2 record in 1992. The young, inexperienced Cowboys were not given much of a chance against the high-powered 49ers offense of Steve Young, Jerry Rice, John Taylor and Ricky Watters.  But these were the new Dallas Cowboys, led by Jimmy Johnson. This was the NFC Championship game with the two best teams in the NFC doing battle for the opportunity to move onto Super Bowl XXVII.

The NFC Championship game would be played in San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Outside of the excitement the game brought, it also brought back bad memories from the last time the Cowboys played the NFC Championship game in Candlestick Park. This was the same stadium that ruined the Cowboys Super Bowl dreams as well as their fans 11 seasons earlier in 1981. The entire week leading up to the game was filled with game highlights from 1981, which of course included Dwight dark making "The Catch" from Joe Montana. Both of those teams were long gone except for Joe Montana who was now on the bench watching Steve Young play.

Outside of stories from the 1981 NFC Championship, the other story was the field conditions at Candlestick Park. It had been raining hard in San Francisco all week and the field was in terrible shape. The 49ers decided to have the grass replaced in the middle of the field from goal line to goal line in hopes that the weather would improve by game day.

As a fan I had been to this point before back in 1980. '81 and '82, which of course were all loses in the championship game. The Cowboys had finally returned and a trip to the Super Bowl was only 60 minutes away. The game was a 4:00p.m. start in New York and it seemed like the day just dragged on forever. I was watching the AFC Championship game between the Bills and Dolphins, but I can honestly say that I don't remember much about the game. I was too busy watching the clock and wishing that it was game time already.

The excitement of kickoff didn't last very long as Jerry Rice caught a pass from Steve Young and raced 64 yards to the end zone for a touchdown with Issiac Holt chasing him. But then I saw that wonderful yellow flag on the grass. The 49ers were called for holding on the play and the touchdown was taken away. The reason Holt covering Rice was because two plays before Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith hurt his shoulder and left the game. That brought in Holt and the 49ers tried to take advantage of it. On top of the holding that was called on the 49ers the other good news for the Cowboys was that Kevin Smith returned to the game.

The Cowboys and 49ers exchanged scores in the first half. The Cowboys went ahead 3-0 on a Lin Elliott field goal after Daryl Johnston recovered a fumble on a punt return. Then the 49ers answered with a Steve Young touchdown run that put them ahead 7-3. The Cowboys defense forced a Ricky Watters fumble and Emmitt Smith turned that into a short touchdown run and the Cowboys went back ahead 10-7. The 49ers tied the game with a field goal towards the end of the first half. And then right before halftime Lin Elliott missed a field goal that would have given the Cowboys the lead again, but he missed and at halftime the score stayed tied at 10-10. 

In the second half the Cowboys offense started to control the clock to keep Young and the 49ers offense off the field. Cowboy's offensive coordinator Nor Turner was calling a great game as he was mixing the run and the pass to keep the 49ers off balance. Darryl Johnston scored on a short touchdown run and the Cowboys took a 17-13 lead into the fourth quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter the Cowboys increased their lead to 24-13 when Emmitt Smith scored on a 16 yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman. On the 49ers next possession Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton Jr. intercepted Steve Young. The Cowboys offense responded by driving to the 49ers seven yard line where they faced a 4th and 1. Instead of attempting a field goal that would have made the score 27-13, Jimmy Johnson decided to go for the first down. Emmitt Smith took the handoff from Aikman and was stopped short of the first down. This seemed to give the 49ers a spark as they drove down the field on the Cowboys defense and capped it off with a Young to Rice touchdown to close to within 24-20 with 4:22 left in the game.

With the score 24-20 and under five minutes left in the game, I remember John Madden saying how things were going to tighten up on the Cowboys sideline. Would Jimmy Johnson try to run down the clock by getting some first downs or would he continue to attack the 49ers defense? It would take one play to answer that question.

The Cowboys offense sat at their own 20 yard line to start their next possession. On the first play Aikman dropped back and fired the ball to Alvin Harper who caught the ball at the 35 yard line as the 49ers defender dove at the ball trying to knock it down from Harper. Harper broke free and by the time the 49ers defense tackled him he had gained 71 yards and was tackled at the 49ers nine yard line. Jimmy Johnson and Norv Turner decided to attack and it paid off as they now faced a first and goal and a chance to seal the game. Three plays later from the six yard line Aikman connected with Kelvin Martin for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but the Cowboys now led 30-20 with a little over three minutes to play. The Cowboys James Washington intercepted Young on the 49ers next possession that put an end to the game. The

The Cowboys were going back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977, the year that I had become a fan. For many Cowboys fan it also put to rest the loss to the 49ers from back in 1981 because now it was the Cowboys on top and the fans had the Alvin Harper highlight to watch over and over again.

The stats for the NFC Championship game were close for both teams in almost every way except for one. The Cowboys offense never turned the ball over in the game and the defense forced four turnovers from the 49ers. Troy Aikman finished the game completing 24 out of 34 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Emmitt Smith scored twice and rushed for 114 yards.

The same team that I had first watched back in 1977 win Super Bowl XII was now going back to the Super Bowl for the first time since then. The Cowboys were NFC Champions! To be a fan for so long and to watch the Cowboys lose championship games, finish seasons 3-13 and 1-15 and watch as Tom Landry was let go and Jimmy Johnson was hired. Now to be playing in the Super Bowl was an incredible feeling that really can’t be explained in words.

Even with all the excitement of beating the 49ers and all the talk of the Super Bowl, the fact remained that the game was still two weeks away and of course the media talked about everything they could think of. It got so bad at one point during the two weeks that the media spent time talking about why Jimmy Johnson's hair never moved.

Beyond all the silly stores like Jimmy Johnson's hair, the match-up was what mattered most. This was the Buffalo Bills third straight trip to the Super Bowl and they were looking to finally win one. They had the veteran leadership and the big game experience. The Cowboys were young and inexperienced. Did one team have an advantage over the other? Jimmy Johnson thought so!

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 7 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLASCOWBOYS
 

After the 1990 season Jimmy Johnson decided to make a change on the offensive side of the ball. He fired offensive coordinator Dave Shula and hired Norv Turner away from the L.A. Rams to replace him. Turner had become a very successful offensive coordinator with the Rams. Some thought he was an offensive genius. He had helped Jim Everett become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and now it was time to do the same with Troy Aikman.

Quickly it became April, which meant it was time for another draft for Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys. Johnson pulled off another trade, this time with the Patriots for the number one pick overall. Some experts thought that the Cowboys would go after wide receiver Raghib "The Rocket" Ismail, out of Notre Dame. Johnson ended up taking defensive tackle Russell Maryland out of Miami. Maryland was strong, mobile and very fast and could anchor the defensive line for the Cowboys. In addition to Maryland the Cowboys had a very successful draft in 1991 as they selected many impact players. Wide receiver Alvin Harper, offensive tackle Eric Williams, linebacker Dixon Edwards, defensive tackle Leon Lett and cornerback Larry Brown. Johnson also made another move that would help out the team when he traded for defensive tackle Tony Casillas who was unhappy playing in Atlanta.

For the second year in a row the Cowboys won their season opener. They went into Cleveland and beat the Browns 26-14. Emmitt Smith led the way with 112 yards rushing. Troy Aikman was back healthy after suffering a separated shoulder that ended his 1990 season. He threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Irvin added 123 yards receiving and scored once.

The next two games were against division opponents. The Cowboys opened the season at home against the Redskins on Monday night. Even though Aikman threw three touchdown passes and Emmitt Smith ran for over 100 yards, they were not able to stop the Redskins and lost 33-31. Then the Cowboys were destroyed by the Eagles 24-0. The Eagles held the Cowboys offense to only 90 yards for the game and also sacked Aikman 11 times. The Cowboys fell to 1-2.

The following week against the Cardinals was the Emmitt Smith show. He rushed for an amazing 182 yards and two touchdowns. One form 60 yards out and the other from 12 yards out. The Cowboys beat the Cardinals, 17-9 to even their record at 2-2.

What I hoped for was a win over a quality team. The next week the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants came to Texas Stadium. The Cowboys were leading 14-3 in the third quarter, but then the Giants mounted a comeback and took a 16-14 lead late in the fourth quarter. Aikman drove the Cowboys offense down the field and finished the drive off with a 23 yard touchdown pass to Michael Irvin. Irvin caught the pass from Aikman inside the ten yard line, then broke away from the Giants cornerback Mark Collins and scored to take the lead 21-16. But there was still time left on the clock for the Giants.

The Giants drove down the field and into Cowboys territory. That's when it appeared that these were not the same Cowboys that had been losing games for so long. Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler threw into the end zone where the Cowboys Issiac Holt leaped and came down with the interception. Holt was the last player left out of the five in the Herschel Walker trade. Aikman completed 20 of 27 passes for 277 yards and the touchdown to Irvin. It was a good win for Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys. Progress was being made and the Cowboys weren't losers anymore.

The Cowboys traveled to Washington for their rematch against the 11-0 Redskins with a 6-5 record.  Aikman was having a great game, going 13 out of 20 for 204 yards and a touchdown, but then he hurt his knee before halftime and was lost for the rest of the regular season. The Cowboys backup quarterback was now Steve Beuerlein who had signed with the Cowboys during the off-season after spending time with the L.A. Raiders.

The Cowboys seemed to rally around Beuerlein after losing Aikman and went on to beat the Redskins 24-21. Emmitt Smith rushed for 132 yards and ran for a 32 yard touchdown. Michael Irvin had 130 yards receiving and a touchdown. Alvin Harper added 101 yards receiving and also scored.  Beuerlein completed 7 out of 12 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Beuerlein went on to start the final four games of the 1991 regular season the Cowboys and won all four.

One of those wins would be the hurdle that got the Cowboys back into the playoffs for the first time since 1985. The Cowboys were 9-5 as they traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles who were also 9-5. The play of the game came in the fourth quarter with the Eagles leading 10-8. Cowboys punt returner Kelvin Martin broke loose for an 85 yard punt return for a touchdown. It was a block from the Cowboys Issiac Holt on the Eagles Robert Drummond that made the highlight film. As Martin crossed midfield and avoided the Eagles punter, it was Drummond who was closing in from behind. Holt met Drummond head on and crushed him, which allowed Martin to score to make the score 15-10. Beuerlein was only 9 out of 31 for 145 yards, but his one touchdown to Irvin increased the Cowboys lead to 22-13. The Cowboys not only beat the Eagles 25-13, they also earned a playoff spot with the win. They would be a Wildcard team and be on the road for the playoffs, but coming all the way from 1-15 to 11-5, I don't think it really mattered to the team.

The Cowboys had a great season in 1991. They won their final five games of the season to end up with an 11-5 record and second place in the NFC East. That would be their best record since they went 12-4 in 1983. Even with the good news of going to the playoffs, there was still a question whether Troy Aikman would be ready.

The Cowboys traveled to Chicago to play the Bears in the Wildcard round. Aikman's knee still not ready, so Jimmy Johnson stayed with Steve Beuerlein. The Cowboys went ahead 10-0 early on the running of Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys defense sacked Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh three times and intercepted him twice. The second of those interceptions came from Bill Bates late in the game and the Cowboys won 17-13. Emmitt Smith finished the game with 105 yards rushing. The Cowboys were off to play the Lions in the Divisional Round in Detroit.

Reports leading up to the Lions game were that Troy Aikman was ready to play, but Johnson decided to stay Beuerlein. Earlier in the 1991 season the Lions had crushed the Cowboys, 34-10. It would be no different this time around. The Lions took control early and dominated the Cowboys throughout the game. They led the Cowboys at halftime 17-6 and never looked back. Lions quarterback Eric Kramer threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions gained 421 yards on offense and the Cowboys only gained 276 yards and turned the ball over four times. Aikman did come into the game towards the end even though it was pretty much over and did well, going 11 out of 16 for 114 yards. The end result was a 38-6 victory for the Lions. The season had come to an end on the field of the Pontiac Silverdome.

Although the Cowboys lost to the Lions in the playoffs, there were many things the Cowboys accomplished in 1991. For the first time since the 1985 season they had a winning record (11-5) and made the playoffs. The Cowboys also crowned their first ever NFL rushing champion. Emmitt Smith won the title with 1,563 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Michael Irvin scored eight touchdowns and led the league in receiving yards with 1,523 yards. It was the first time in NFL history that rushing champion and receiving leader played for the same team. Things were only looking up for the Cowboys. Jimmy Johnson had a plan from the very first day and it was all starting to come together. The 1992 season would be a season to remember for the Cowboys and a...RETURN TO GLORY.

To be continued...

THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN, Part 6 of 16

"THROUGH THE EYES OF A FAN"

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE TOP

FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS
 

Changes to the Cowboys started to take place on February 25, 1989. The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, H.R. "Bum" Bright announced to the NFL that he had reached an agreement to sell the Cowboys to an Arkansas millionaire named Jerry Jones. Jones didn't make many friends with his first move as Cowboys owner. He fired Tom Landry, the only head coach the Cowboys have ever had since 1960. I guess fans has to expect changes once Jones bought the team, but it was the way he went about the firing Landry. It seemed like everyone knew before Landry did.

As a fan growing up with the Cowboys in the late 70s and into the 80s, there was never a thought that Landry would ever leave. He was a legend and now he was gone. He became the Cowboys head coach in 1960 and gave 29 years of his life to building one of the most successful franchises in sports. He went 0-11-1 in 1960 and then built the Cowboys into World Champions by 1971. Landry brought the Cowboys to five Super Bowls, winning two of them. He put together 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. Landry's record as Cowboys coach including the playoffs was 270-178-6. I was really hoping Landry would be given a chance by new owner Jerry Jones to turn the Cowboys around, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Jerry Jones second move after buying the Cowboys was hiring longtime friend and college teammate Jimmy Johnson away from the Miami Hurricanes to coach the Cowboys. Jones and Johnson were teammates at the University Arkansas when they won the National Championship in 1964. With the Hurricanes Johnson had a 51-9 record. I really didn't know much more about Jimmy Johnson, but the more I heard him speak, the more intrigued I became. Johnson wanted nothing more than to make the Cowboys winners again. He wanted a young, strong and fast team that played smart.

The team that Johnson inherited was very low on talent and it wasn't a very young team. The Cowboys had the number one pick in the NFL draft in 1989. The player that the Cowboys were targeting was UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman. The Cowboys decided that Aikman was their man and selected him with the first pick.

As history would show the Cowboys had one of their best drafts in years. They selected fullback Daryl Johnston, center Mark Stepnoski, and defensive end Tony Tolbert in 1989. They also made a surprise move by picking quarterback Steve Walsh out of Miami in the supplemental draft. Some wondered why the Cowboys would select Walsh since they already selected Aikman with the top pick. But as fans soon learned, Johnson was always thinking about what could be done at every position and always wanted competition on his teams.

During the preseason Jimmy Johnson let Aikman and Walsh battle it out for the starting job. Then before the season opener he named Aikman the starter. Johnson began to move his younger players into the lineup. As that happened, some of the older players decided to retire most likely because they could see the direction Johnson was taking the team. Danny White retired after 13 seasons with the Cowboys. I don't believe White ever got the credit he deserved since taking over for Staubach back in 1980. Randy White left after 14 years. He was a great defensive tackle and finished his career with 52 sacks. In January of 1994 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All-Pro tight end Doug Cosbie signed with the Denver Broncos during the preseason, but then retired before the 1989 season started. Mike Sherrard who had suffered two broken legs over the past two seasons signed with the San Francisco 49ers after the Cowboys released him in the off-season.

Troy Aikman's first Pro start will not go down in history. The Cowboys opened the 1989 season against the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints took control early and beat the Cowboys easily, 28-0. The Cowboys had no running game, even with Herschel Walker who only gained 10 yards. As a team, the Cowboys were held to 20 yards rushing. Aikman threw for only 180 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. It would be the first of three shutouts the Cowboys would suffer in 1989. The other two were to the Eagles (27-0) and the Giants (15-0). They lost their first eight games of the season. Players were coming and going every week. Nothing seemed to be going right. Then Aikman broke his finger and was lost for five games.

Walsh took Aikman's place and did not do much better. He was at quarterback for the Cowboys only victory of the season when they beat the Redskins in Week 9 at RFK Stadium. They won on the running of Paul Palmer, as he rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown. The defense played great as they shutdown the Redskins attack. The Cowboys won the game, 13-3.

Troy Aikman came back the following week and broke the rookie passing record against Cardinals. He threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals won, 24-20.

The Cowboys ended the 1989 season with a league worst 1-15 record. It was the second worst in team history behind only the 1960 Cowboys when they finished the season 0-11-1. The Cowboys scored only 204 points and gave up 393 in 1989. The season was a complete disaster as far as how the team played, but it was obvious that Jimmy Johnson was beginning to put his stamp on the Cowboys. There was one thing that happened during the 1989 season that would start the Cowboys on the road back to greatness.

The Cowboys pulled off the trade of the decade during the 1989 season. Maybe even the trade of all-time. It came at the expense of the Minnesota Vikings. It was the perfect crime and Jimmy Johnson was the mastermind. The Cowboys traded Pro-Bowl running back Herschel Walker to the Vikings for five players and eight draft picks over the coming years. Three of the eight draft picks were first round picks in 1990, 1991 and 1993. Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones were becoming popular because the fans could see that they were changing the direction of the Cowboys. Losing was no longer an option for the team.

Out of the five players that the Vikings sent to the Cowboys in the trade only one stayed with the team and that was cornerback Issiac Holt. Three others lasted only a short time before being released. The player's released were defensive end Alex Stewart, linebacker Jesse Solomon and linebacker David Howard. Running back Darrin Nelson was traded to the Chargers because he refused to report to the Cowboys. It is believed that Johnson never intended to keep all the players he received in the trade. What was important was the amount of draft picks the Cowboys received. Johnson wanted to build the Cowboys through the draft.

The 1990 NFL draft was fast approaching and Jimmy Johnson didn't waste any time. He selected running back Emmitt Smith out of Florida in the first round. The Cowboys also selected defensive end Jimmie Jones and safety Kenneth Gant in the draft. The 1989 season seemed to be a revolving door of players, but as 1990 started the team started to take shape.

With the 1990 season fast approaching both Michael Irvin and Kelvin Martin were recovering from major knee surgeries from the 1989 season. The reports out of training camp were that both were recovering and were ahead of schedule.

Before the 1990 season started, the last two members of the Cowboys that I grew up with retired. Ed (Too Tall) Jones retired after 15 years with the Cowboys. Then All-Pro center Tom Rafferty retired after 14 years. The players I grew up admiring were all gone. This was a new time in Dallas and as hard as it was to see all the longtime Cowboys leaving, it made it a little easier as I watched Jimmy Johnson building the Cowboys into contenders again.

The 1990 season started at Texas Stadium against the Chargers. The Cowboys had not won their opening since 1986. The Cowboys played well, but had to come from behind in the fourth quarter for a 17-14 victory. Troy Aikman scored the winning touchdown with a one yard score. The great feeling of being 1-0 didn't last long as they lost their next three games. They lost to the Giants (28-7), the Redskins (19-15) and then the Giants again (31-17). It was taking Emmitt Smith awhile to get involved in the offense after a preseason holdout. In Week 5 against the Buccaneers Emmitt Smith recorded his first 100-yard game of his career as he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in a 14-10 win over the Bucs.

The game on Thanksgiving against the Redskins was the stand-out game of the season for the Cowboys. Emmitt Smith led the way with 132 yards and two touchdowns. Troy Aikman threw for 222 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys beat the Redskins 27-17, but it was more about how they played then the final score. The team was making improvements in just about every area. With the victory over the Redskins the Cowboys improved to 5-7. They went on to win their next two games over the Saints (17-13) and the Cardinals (41-10) to even their record at 7-7. It put the Cowboys in good position for a wildcard spot, but it wouldn't be easy with the final two games on the road.

The Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia for Week 15. Things went bad quickly for the Cowboys as Troy Aikman was hit and suffered a separated shoulder and was lost for the rest of the season. That made Babe Laufenberg the new Cowboys quarterback. He completed only 13 out of 36 passes for 140 yards and four interceptions. The Eagles won easily 17-3. But the Cowboys weren’t out of the playoff race yet, even with a 7-8 record. All it would take to make the playoffs for the first time since 1985, was a win over the Falcons in the final week of the season.

The game was played in Atlanta and it would have to be Babe Laufenberg leading the Cowboys to victory. The Cowboys never had a chance as the Falcons built a 26-0 fourth quarter lead. Emmitt Smith only rushed for 34 yards and Laufenberg threw for only 129 yards and two interceptions. The Falcons won easily 26-7 and ended the playoff hopes of the Cowboys. After going 3-13 in 1988 and 1-15 in 1989, it was exciting to see the Cowboys finish 7-9 in 1990 and have a chance for the playoffs.

Jimmy Johnson was voted Coach of the Year in 1990 in some polls and Emmitt Smith was voted Rookie of the Year. After a slow start, Smith ended up with 937 yards rushing and scored 11 touchdowns.

The Cowboys were still searching for the missing pieces from their team puzzle. Johnson had done an incredible job in his first two seasons with the Cowboys, so there was no reason to believe he wouldn’t keep improving. The team was ready for the next step and Johnson knew it. He told the media that the Cowboys would make the playoffs in 1991 and something told me he would be right.

To be continued...