The Dallas Cowboys, winners of the Super Bowl following
the 1992 NFL season, were strong again in ’93 and posted a conference-best 12-4
record in topping the NFC East. Rebuilt into a championship team by Head Coach
Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys had an offense constructed around QB Troy Aikman (pictured at right), RB
Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin. The defense set a club record by allowing
just 21 touchdowns and featured DT Russell Maryland, MLB Ken Norton, CB Kevin
Smith, and FS Thomas Everett. Dallas faced the Green Bay Packers in a NFC
Divisional Playoff game on January 16, 1994 as they sought to defend their
title.
Green Bay was in the postseason for the second straight
year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, again posting a 9-7 record to finish third
in the NFC Central but qualify for a Wild Card spot. In his second year as a
starter, QB Brett Favre was still a work in progress who suffered with
inconsistency (he was intercepted a league-leading 24 times) but was selected
to the Pro Bowl. WR Sterling Sharpe caught 112 passes and TE Jackie Harris was
a fine pass-catching tight end, but the running game was mediocre. The defense was anchored by All-Pro DE Reggie
White and also contained pass rushing LB Bryce Paup and SS LeRoy Butler. The
Packers defeated the division-rival Lions in the Wild Card round to advance to
the Divisional playoff against the Cowboys.
It was a mostly-cloudy day with 64,790 in attendance at
Texas Stadium. The Packers got an apparent early break when Emmitt Smith, who
was still recovering from a shoulder separation, fumbled after being hit by LB
Tony Bennett and Butler recovered at the Dallas 43. But Green Bay gave the ball
right back on the next play when Favre fumbled while being sacked by DE Tony
Tolbert and DE Leon Lett recovered the ball for the Cowboys. The teams traded
punts and, following a short series for Dallas, a fake punt on fourth-and-one
failed to pick up the necessary yardage and Green Bay took over in Cowboys
territory at the 28. This time the Packers got on the board but, after
advancing 16 yards in seven plays, they had to settle for Chris Jacke kicking a
30-yard field goal.
The Cowboys were driving as the opening period ended, but
early in the second quarter Butler intercepted an Aikman pass. However, the
Packers lost yardage in three plays and punted, and Dallas put together an
eight-play, 68-yard scoring series. Aikman completed four passes, the last to
WR Alvin Harper for a 25-yard touchdown. Ed Murray added the point after and it
was 7-3.
The Packers started off their next possession from deep
in their own territory when CB Corey Harris fumbled the ball out of bounds at
the four on the kickoff return. However, following a short run on first down,
Favre threw to TE Darryl Ingram for seven yards and then hit Sterling Sharpe
for a 48-yard gain to the Dallas 39. Green Bay advanced to the 31, from where
Jacke’s 49-yard field goal try was unsuccessful when it hit the right upright.
The Cowboys came back with a 10-play, 45-yard series.
Aikman had completions to Smith for 22 yards and to Irvin for 11 and 13 yards
before the drive stalled at the Green Bay 23. Murray made good on a 41-yard
field goal attempt that made it 10-3 with 28 seconds remaining in the half. The
scoring wasn’t over, however, as Harris again lost the ball when stripped by DB
Kenneth Gant on the kickoff return and safety Joe Fishback recovered the fumble
for Dallas at the Green Bay 15. Aikman threw to Irvin for eight yards and then to
TE Jay Novacek for six yards and a TD. The Cowboys went into halftime with an
enhanced 17-3 lead.
The Packers had the first possession in the third quarter
and punted, but got a break on defense when CB Terrell Buckley intercepted an
Aikman pass at the Green Bay 40. Favre quickly passed them into Dallas
territory and RB Darrell Thompson gained 12 yards on two carries, but the drive
stalled at the 37. The Packers attempted to convert a fourth-and-eight
situation, but Favre’s completion to TE Ed West gained only six yards.
The Cowboys made the most of the reprieve and went 69
yards in six plays. An 18-yard Aikman-to-Irvin completion had another 15 yards
tacked on due to a face mask penalty and Aikman connected with Irvin again with
a well-thrown pass to the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.
Down 24-10, the Packers came back with a scoring drive of
their own. Favre completed four straight passes after facing a third-and-six
situation at his own 22, the longest to Thompson for 30 yards. The nine-play,
82-yard series ended with Favre throwing to WR Robert Brooks for a 13-yard TD.
With the extra point added, it was a 14-point game with just over a quarter
remaining.
Following a punt by the Cowboys early in the final period
that was returned 43 yards by Brooks, Favre was immediately picked off by DE
Charles Haley after his pass was deflected by DE Jim Jeffcoat. Dallas moved
down the field, going 47 yards in 9 plays, highlighted by a nine-yard Aikman
completion to Novacek on a third-and-six play and another throw to Irvin that
picked up 27 yards. The Packers stiffened and, on a third down play at the
Green Bay 15, Aikman was sacked by Bryce Paup. However, Murray added a 38-yard
field goal and the Cowboys had managed to run 5:33 off the clock.
With Favre throwing on every play, the Packers drove from
their own 15 to the Dallas 15. But the thirteenth play of the possession ended
with SS Darren Woodson intercepting a pass at the five to essentially nail down
the win. Green Bay scored a touchdown in the last two minutes as Favre threw to
Sharpe from 29 yards out, but it was a case of too little, too late. Dallas won
by a score of 27-17.
The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (381 to 358) and
first downs (23 to 19). Neither team gained much on the ground (97 yards on 27
attempts for Dallas, 31 yards on 13 carries for Green Bay) and the Packers
sacked Aikman four times, to just two sacks of Favre. However, the Packers also
turned the ball over on four occasions, to three by Dallas, and the Cowboys
took better advantage of their breaks.
Troy Aikman completed 28 of 37 passes for 302 yards with
three touchdowns against two interceptions. Michael Irvin (pictured above) led the Dallas
receivers with 9 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Emmitt Smith gained 60 yards
on 13 rushing attempts.
For the Packers, Brett Favre (pictured below) was successful on 28 of 45
throws, going 20 of 34 in the second half alone, for 331 yards with two
touchdowns and two interceptions. RB Edgar Bennett, who gained just three yards
on six carries, led the receivers with 9 catches for 53 yards while Sterling
Sharpe gained 128 yards on his 6 receptions and scored a touchdown. Darrell
Thompson was the leading rusher with 28 yards on 7 attempts.
“I thought our defense played a very fine first half,”
said Mike Holmgren. “That’s why that touchdown near the end of the first half
hurt so much.”
“That was probably the biggest play of the game,” said
Thomas Everett of the fumble referenced by Holmgren that set up the score
before halftime. “We did a good job. We needed something like that, because it
was a tight game.”
“You’ve just got to give them all the credit in the
world,” summed up Green Bay DE Matt Brock. “They play like world champs.”
The Cowboys went on to defeat the 49ers for the NFC title
for the second straight year and then won the Super Bowl over the Buffalo
Bills, also for the second year in succession. Jimmy Johnson left as head
coach, to be succeeded by Barry Switzer, and while Dallas put together another
12-4 record in 1994, the club fell short in the NFC title game. The Packers
were 9-7 for the third straight year in ’94, again qualifying for the
postseason as a Wild Card and falling once again to the Cowboys at the Division
level. Things would change regarding the relative status of the two teams later
in the decade, particularly as Brett Favre improved, but at this point Dallas
was the superior club.
