90’s Super Bowl Seasons

[Chuck 54]

1992 - record 13-3
We averaged 25.6 points per game and gave up 15.2
Playoffs, we scored 38.6 and gave up 15.7

1993 - record 12-4
We averaged 23.5 points per game and gave up 14.3
Playoffs, we scored 31.6 and gave up 17

1995 - record 12-4
We averaged 26.5 points per game and gave up 18.2
Playoffs, we scored 31.7 and gave up 18.3

Even 1994 when we fell just short of the Super Bowl due to turnovers, record 12-4
We averaged 25.9 and gave up only 15.5
Playoffs, we averaged 31.5 and gave up 23.3

Despite Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, and that OL, we seldom won shootouts, and the scores in our losses each year indicate that. When we upped our scoring average in the playoffs each year, despite playing better teams, it was often due to turnovers by the defense.

Yes, those offenses put stars in the HOF, but in the 90’s as with the two SB victories in the 70’s with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett, defense dominated.

I am thrilled to finally see the Cowboys emphasizing the defense again, and I hope we see a marked improvement this season, but I believe the emphasis must continue. Take an OLman, receiver, RB, QB, TE when needed or a glaring talent, but keep the focus on drafting and building a dominant defense. You never have too many defensive linemen, LBs, or DBs if you want to be an attacking, dominant defense.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

1992 - record 13-3
We averaged 25.6 points per game and gave up 15.2
Playoffs, we scored 38.6 and gave up 15.7

1993 - record 12-4
We averaged 23.5 points per game and gave up 14.3
Playoffs, we scored 31.6 and gave up 17

1995 - record 12-4
We averaged 26.5 points per game and gave up 18.2
Playoffs, we scored 31.7 and gave up 18.3

Even 1994 when we fell just short of the Super Bowl due to turnovers, record 12-4
We averaged 25.9 and gave up only 15.5
Playoffs, we averaged 31.5 and gave up 23.3

Despite Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, and that OL, we seldom won shootouts, and the scores in our losses each year indicate that. When we upped our scoring average in the playoffs each year, despite playing better teams, it was often due to turnovers by the defense.

Yes, those offenses put stars in the HOF, but in the 90’s as with the two SB victories in the 70’s with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett, defense dominated.

I am thrilled to finally see the Cowboys emphasizing the defense again, and I hope we see a marked improvement this season, but I believe the emphasis must continue. Take an OLman, receiver, RB, QB, TE when needed or a glaring talent, but keep the focus on drafting and building a dominant defense. You never have too many defensive linemen, LBs, or DBs if you want to be an attacking, dominant defense.

I think next draft, we are going to have to take oline. I'd like to see our first two picks next year used to address both sides of the trenches, regardless of the results of this season.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Emmitt Smith is the rushing champion from being in a ball control offense. Ball control makes every defense look better.

 

[viman96]

Each of the SB winning seasons the pass rush really stepped up in the postseason and pretty much hammered the opposing QBs. A few of those games the offense gets up by a couple of TDs and the defense pinned their ears back.

Sack totals for the 3 postseason games for each year.

92: 12 sacks
93: 9 sacks
95: 13 sacks

 

[fivetwos]

1992 - record 13-3
We averaged 25.6 points per game and gave up 15.2
Playoffs, we scored 38.6 and gave up 15.7

1993 - record 12-4
We averaged 23.5 points per game and gave up 14.3
Playoffs, we scored 31.6 and gave up 17

1995 - record 12-4
We averaged 26.5 points per game and gave up 18.2
Playoffs, we scored 31.7 and gave up 18.3

Even 1994 when we fell just short of the Super Bowl due to turnovers, record 12-4
We averaged 25.9 and gave up only 15.5
Playoffs, we averaged 31.5 and gave up 23.3

Despite Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, and that OL, we seldom won shootouts, and the scores in our losses each year indicate that. When we upped our scoring average in the playoffs each year, despite playing better teams, it was often due to turnovers by the defense.

Yes, those offenses put stars in the HOF, but in the 90’s as with the two SB victories in the 70’s with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett, defense dominated.

I am thrilled to finally see the Cowboys emphasizing the defense again, and I hope we see a marked improvement this season, but I believe the emphasis must continue. Take an OLman, receiver, RB, QB, TE when needed or a glaring talent, but keep the focus on drafting and building a dominant defense. You never have too many defensive linemen, LBs, or DBs if you want to be an attacking, dominant defense.

Slightly different game these days, and I wouldnt say for the better.

It's all about the casual fan and fantasy football.

Now you see three scores in the last 1:30 of a half routinely.

 

[Motorola]

1992 - record 13-3
We averaged 25.6 points per game and gave up 15.2
Playoffs, we scored 38.6 and gave up 15.7

1993 - record 12-4
We averaged 23.5 points per game and gave up 14.3
Playoffs, we scored 31.6 and gave up 17

1995 - record 12-4
We averaged 26.5 points per game and gave up 18.2
Playoffs, we scored 31.7 and gave up 18.3

Even 1994 when we fell just short of the Super Bowl due to turnovers, record 12-4
We averaged 25.9 and gave up only 15.5
Playoffs, we averaged 31.5 and gave up 23.3

Despite Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, and that OL, we seldom won shootouts, and the scores in our losses each year indicate that. When we upped our scoring average in the playoffs each year, despite playing better teams, it was often due to turnovers by the defense.

Yes, those offenses put stars in the HOF, but in the 90’s as with the two SB victories in the 70’s with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett, defense dominated.

I am thrilled to finally see the Cowboys emphasizing the defense again, and I hope we see a marked improvement this season, but I believe the emphasis must continue. Take an OLman, receiver, RB, QB, TE when needed or a glaring talent, but keep the focus on drafting and building a dominant defense. You never have too many defensive linemen, LBs, or DBs if you want to be an attacking, dominant defense.

And those 90's NFL Championship defenses were truly a TEAM.
Other than Charles Haley and Deion Sanders - both not original \drafted Cowboys - not one player had a career worthy of HOF enshrinement. (Darren Woodson is the exception; hopefully the oversight is corrected in the next couple of years.)
Those units were composed of 11+ guys (substitutes for scheme \package \down circumstances) who meshed and performed for the most part over those four fantastic seasons.

 

[Maxmadden]

Those teams were full of speed and youth. Speed is the one thing you can't teach.

Quinn is is focusing on speed and length. Excited to see how this plays out but at least I can see there is a method to the madness.

 

[stilltheguru]

Defense! That's why I said Quinn and the def players will have to. Step up big time. We wont always come out scoring 14 pts in the 1st quarter

 

[tunahelper]

1992 - record 13-3
We averaged 25.6 points per game and gave up 15.2
Playoffs, we scored 38.6 and gave up 15.7

1993 - record 12-4
We averaged 23.5 points per game and gave up 14.3
Playoffs, we scored 31.6 and gave up 17

1995 - record 12-4
We averaged 26.5 points per game and gave up 18.2
Playoffs, we scored 31.7 and gave up 18.3

Even 1994 when we fell just short of the Super Bowl due to turnovers, record 12-4
We averaged 25.9 and gave up only 15.5
Playoffs, we averaged 31.5 and gave up 23.3

Despite Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, and that OL, we seldom won shootouts, and the scores in our losses each year indicate that. When we upped our scoring average in the playoffs each year, despite playing better teams, it was often due to turnovers by the defense.

Yes, those offenses put stars in the HOF, but in the 90’s as with the two SB victories in the 70’s with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett, defense dominated.

I am thrilled to finally see the Cowboys emphasizing the defense again, and I hope we see a marked improvement this season, but I believe the emphasis must continue. Take an OLman, receiver, RB, QB, TE when needed or a glaring talent, but keep the focus on drafting and building a dominant defense. You never have too many defensive linemen, LBs, or DBs if you want to be an attacking, dominant defense.

90's offense dominated through efficiency and game clock control. They wore their opponets out.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I love the trip down memory lane, but the game is different now. Not only were these Cowboys teams built before the current free agency system, there were less rules to favor the offense. I was watching some games from 1995 recently and watched Cowboy defenders like Darren Woodson put hits on receivers that would get him suspended today. Back then it wasn't even a penalty.

 

[plasticman]

The Cowboys won championships because their Hall of Fame offensive players found a way to elevate their play when it was time for single elimination playoffs.

Michael Irvin played in 16 postseason games, the same number of games in a regular season. He had 87 receptions for 1315 yards for a 15.1 average and 8 TD's.

These are Pro Bowl numbers for a season but consider the competition. Obviously, they were all against playoff teams which means every team the Cowboys played in which Irvin participated had a winning record. These numbers were all against very good teams. Also keep in mind that these numbers were generated under the most pressure packed circumstances in the NFL.

Emmitt Smith played in 17 postseason games.....349 carries for 1586 yards, an average of 4.5 yards a carry and 19....count them....19 TD's. He also caught 46 passes and scored two more times. Again, I remind you, this was against some of the staunchest defenses in the league. The vast majority of them were top ten defenses. In 1992, their first SB year, Emmitt had three consecutive hundred yard games. He averaged 93 yards a game against the league's best teams.

Troy Aikman didn't just elevate his play in the postseason. He elevated his play at every round of the playoffs.

His passer rating for divisional playoff games was 89.7. From 1991 to 1996 only one quarterback had a better regular season passer rating during that span and that was Steve Young. Once again, Troy's passer rating in divisional playoff games all came against teams with winning records, good teams. However, those were divisional playoff games.

Troy's passer rating in the combined four conference championship games was100.3. His passer ratings in the combined three Super Bowls was 111.9. The bigger the game, the better he played.

Troy was the leader on the field. He was John Wayne with a helmet. From 1991 to 1995 the Cowboys were 11-2 in the playoffs with Aikman as the starter.

While it is true that the Cowboy defense played their major part in the playoffs, they do not have anything to do with the actual numbers generated by these offensive players. They provided more opportunities and they often resulted in very favorable field position. However, it was still the offensive players that had to put the ball into the endzone from anywhere on the field against the elite teams of the 90's.

The Cowboys won championships because the best season played by those three offensive players was the postseason.

 

[shabazz]

The key was Jimmy Johnson. He brought that college speed and youth mentality and completely caught the rest of the old NFL vanguard by surprise

Today Guys like Matt Rhule and others are trying that same approach but it’s clearly not as effective as Jimmy doing it in 90’s........Jimmy J was a visionary

 

[Flamma]

Emmitt Smith is the rushing champion from being in a ball control offense. Ball control makes every defense look better.

Without a doubt. Ball control created a 13-3 2016 Cowboys team. That defense sucked!! Being on the sidelines helped a lot. But the key to that is having few turnovers.

 

[Flamma]

I think next draft, we are going to have to take oline. I'd like to see our first two picks next year used to address both sides of the trenches, regardless of the results of this season.

I like the occasional CD Lamb pick just to spite the Eagles. But OL/DL every year with the first 2 picks wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I like the occasional CD Lamb pick just to spite the Eagles. But OL/DL every year with the first 2 picks wouldn't bother me a bit.

Oh same, they're usually the safest picks, and the better the trenches, the better the rest of the team usually is.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

Yes, they had the Big 3.........but the 90's championship team owed their success to great offensive and defensive lines. The trenches. Even the backups would come in and the level of play would not suffer. That is what this team needs to get back to. All these pretty little bells and whistles are great., but you still win it by controlling the line of scrimmage.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

And those 90's NFL Championship defenses were truly a TEAM.
Other than Charles Haley and Deion Sanders - both not original \drafted Cowboys - not one player had a career worthy of HOF enshrinement. (Darren Woodson is the exception; hopefully the oversight is corrected in the next couple of years.)
Those units were composed of 11+ guys (substitutes for scheme \package \down circumstances) who meshed and performed for the most part over those four fantastic seasons.

True but it's also because Jerrys' culture of the pampered superstars hadn't yet been established.

 

[TexasBoys2288]

Those great defenses were balanced with a methodical running game on a balanced offense. If the the Cowboys offense was 3 and out most series, their defenses would have not been as good due to fatigue. I prefer a great OL and a great DL to build the rest of the team on.