Just call 1992 the year of the three- and five-game win streaks in Dallas. The Cowboys would win three games, lose a game, then win five straight twice during the season.
The pattern carried them all the way to Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena where they lifted the Lombardi Trophy for the third time in franchise history.
The Cowboys started the year by picking Kevin Smith (defensive back) and Robert Jones (linebacker in the first round of the draft. Then followed up by taking safety Darren Woodson in the second round.
They also selected wide receiver Jimmy Smith in the second, but he would only suit up for seven games in 1992 before missing the entire 1993 season.
Smith would go on to have a solid career in Jacksonville. Despite missing on Smith the Cowboys added key players in free agency.
The reunited Troy Aiman with his UCLA center, Frank Cornish, and signed safety Thomas Everett. But the biggest get was landing defensive end Charles Haley from the 49ers.
Underappreciated Defense
While the offense would get all the accolades, sending six players to the Pro Bowl, the defense would be shut out.
Shocking, considering the unit would finish the year ranked No. 1 in the NFL. They joined the Bengals (1983) as the only No. 1 units to be shut out of the Pro Bowl.
The unit yielded less than 4,000 yards – only the third time this had happened in a 16-game season. The other defenses were the Bears (1984) and the Eagles (1991).
They would hold two teams under 100 totals yards during the season. The Seahawks gained only 62 yards and the Bears were held to 92 yards.
The unit would record a Super Bowl record nine turnovers — five fumble recoveries and 4 interceptions – and scored two touchdowns. It would have been three… but enough about Leon Lett.
The First Run Of 3-1-5
The Cowboys jumped out to a 3-0 start by beating the last two Super Bowl winners, starting with a 23-10 win over the Redskins.
The next week, Dallas jumped out to a 34-0 lead and held on for a 34-28 victory at the Giants. The Cowboys closed out a three-game win streak before their bye week with a 31-20 win over the Cardinals.
Dallas fell flat coming out of the bye with a 31-7 loss at Philadelphia. Herschel Walker broke open a 10-7 game with two second-half touchdowns.
The Cowboys rebounded by crushing Seattle 27-0, then edged the Chiefs 17-0. A 28-13 win at the Raiders in Los Angeles made it three in a row.
The streak continued with Dallas scoring the last 10 points of the game in a 20-10 win over the Eagles at home. Emmitt Smith scored three touchdowns on only 67 yards rushing in a 37-3 win over the Lions.
The five-game win streak put Dallas at 8-1. But the Rams ended the streak with two late field goals in a 27-23 win at Texas Stadium.
The Second Run Of 3-1-5
Dallas rebounded in Phoenix, scoring 16 unanswered points for a 16-10 win over the Cardinals on two Aikman touchdown passes.
The Cowboys scored 21 unanswered second-half points in a 30-3 victory over the Giants on Thanksgiving Day.
In a battle of UCLA quarterbacks the following week, Aikman threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Tommy Maddox would also throw three touchdowns, but added four interceptions.
But a three-yard run by Emmitt Smith in the fourth quarter would give the Cowboys a 31-27 win over the Broncos in Denver.
The streak would end in D.C. despite the Cowboys taking a 17-7 halftime lead over the Redskins. A Danny Copeland fumble recovery in the end zone would give Washington a 20-17 victory.
It would be the last time Dallas would lose in the 1992 season. The Cowboys would close out the regular season with wins over the Falcons (41-17) and the Bears (27-14).
For the second-straight year, Smith would finish as the top rusher in the league with 1,713 yards. He led the league in 1991 with 1,563 yards.
Run To The Super Bowl
Despite going 13-3, Dallas would have to settle for the No. 2 seed in the NFC as the 49ers finished 14-2. They would open the playoffs at home against the Eagles.
The Divisional round game was a cakewalk. After the Eagles took an early 3-0 lead, Dallas rolled up 34 unanswered points for a 34-10 victory.
The Cowboys hit the road to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Ghosts of the last meeting between the two teams for the NFC Championship loomed large.
The 49ers were favored to win by four points. And the first half was played to a 10-10 draw, Daryl Johnston broke the tie with a four-yard scoring run.
After a Mike Cofer field goal, Smith caught a 16-yard pass from Aikman to extend the lead to 24-13. Steve Young found Jerry Rice to pull the 49ers to within four at 24-20 with 4:22 left.
Then Aikman hit Alvin Harper on a 14-yard pass that turned into a 70-yard romp to the 49ers’ nine. Aikman then hit Kelvin Martin on a six-yard pass to make it 30-20.
The Cowboys picked off Young for a second time, the fourth 49ers turnover, to seal the victory and send Dallas back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 14 years.
Super Blow Out
The Buffalo Bills had lost the last two Super Bowls, joining the Vikings and the Broncos as the only teams to lose in consecutive seasons.
They awaited Dallas in Pasadena and surely no team would lose three straight title games, right? It was a massacre.
After the Bills jumped out to a 7-0 lead, Aikman hit Jay Novacek to tie the game. Jimmie Jones put Dallas in the lead for good with a two-yard fumble return for a 14-7 lead after one quarter.
A Steve Christie field goal made in 14-10 and then the whole world fell on top of the Bills’ heads. Two Aikman to Michael Irvin touchdown passes made it 28-10 at halftime.
The Bills clawed back to 31-17 by the end of the third only to have Dallas score 21 fourth quarter points for a 52-17 win.
After 15 years, the Cowboys had reclaimed a Lombardi Trophy as the best team in the NFL. And they were only getting started.