History of the Dallas Cowboys - 1990s
How the NFL Cowboys Won Three Super Bowls in the 1990s
Sep 9, 2009
Achieving an unparalleled 20 consecutive winning seasons into the mid-1980s, the Dallas Cowboys suffered a decline which culminated in a one-victory season in 1989. Under new owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson, a rebuilding process began which led to one of the Cowboy's greatest decades in the 1990s.
Dallas Cowboys Season Records in the 1990s
The Dallas Cowboys had seven winning seasons during the 1990s resulting in an overall win-loss-tie record of 101-59-0:
- 1990: 7-9-0
- 1991: 11-5-0
- 1992: 13-3-0
- 1993: 12-4-0
- 1994: 12-4-0
- 1995: 12-4-0
- 1996: 10-6-0
- 1997: 6-10-0
- 1998: 10-6-0
- 1999: 8-8-0
Dallas Cowboys Championships in the 1990s
The Dallas Cowboys advanced to the playoffs eight times during the 1990s.
- 1990: With a 7-9 record, the Dallas Cowboys did not qualify for the playoffs.
- 1991: The Dallas Cowboys returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Beating the Chicago Bears 17-13 in the Wild Card game, the Cowboys lost the divisional playoff game to the Detroit Lions, 38-6.
- 1992: Setting a club record with 13 regular season wins, the Dallas Cowboys reclaimed the NFC Eastern Division title for the first time since 1985, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in a divisional game and won the NFC Conference title by beating San Francisco 30-20. Advancing to play in Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 to claim their third NFL championship title. With 133.4 million viewers watching on television, Super Bowl XXVII was the most watched event in television history.
- 1993: The Dallas Cowboys claimed their second consecutive NFC Eastern Division title, beat the Green Bay Packers in the Division playoff, won over the San Francisco 49'ers to claim their second consecutive NFC Conference championship and returned to play in Super Bowl XXVIII. They defeated the Buffalo Bills again to claim their second consecutive NFL national championship.
- 1994: Gaining their sixteenth Eastern Division title, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoff game but lost to San Francisco in their third straight NFC Conference Championship game.
- 1995: The Dallas Cowboys won their fourth straight NFC East title and advanced to their third Super Bowl in four years by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional playoff and the Green Bay Packers to claim their third NFC Conference championship. The Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX, winning their fifth NFL championship in a record-setting eight Super Bowl appearances.
- 1996: With their fifth consecutive Eastern Division crown, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card playoff but lost to the Carolina Panthers in the divisional playoff game.
- 1997: Dropping their final five games, the Cowboys missed the playoffs.
- 1998: The Dallas Cowboys regained the NFC Eastern Division title with an 8-0 sweep against the other four NFC East teams and returned to the playoffs. They lost the Wild Card game against the Arizona Cardinals.
- 1999: With an 8-8 season, the Dallas Cowboys qualified for the playoffs but the lost the Wild Card game to the Minnesota Vikings 27-10.
The Dallas Cowboys Changed Head Coaches in the 1990s
While Tom Landry served as the Dallas Cowboys only head coach for 29 years, three men rotated in and out of the head coach position from 1989 through 1999.
- Becoming the head coach on February, 25 1989, Jimmy Johnson led the Cowboys to two consecutive Super Bowl victories before suddenly resigning on March 29, 1994, two months after winning Super Bowl XXVIII.
- Barry Switzer became the Dallas Cowboys new head coach on March 30, 1994 and served for four years taking the team to Super Bowl XXX. He resigned on January 9, 1998.
- Chan Gailey was named as the fourth Cowboys head coach on February 12, 1998, and served until January, 2000.
1990s Dallas Cowboys in Ring of Honor
Only one Dallas Cowboys player, who started with the team between 1990 and 1999, has been inducted into the Texas Stadium Ring of Honor.
Emmitt Smith was the premier running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 1990-2002 and currently holds the record as the NFL's leading rusher. During his 12 years with the Cowboys, Smilth rushed for 17,162 yards on 4,052 carries and scored 153 touchdowns. Playing with the Arizona Cardinals from 2003-2004, Emmitt Smith completed his career with 18,355 rushing yards on 4,409 carries and 164 touchdowns and 3,224 receiving yards on 515 receptions for eleven touchdowns. Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1983.
Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman, who played most of their careers in the 1990s, joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Their Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame notations are listed in the History of the Dallas Cowboys - 1980s.
Overview of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s
By qualifying for the playoffs eight years, winning six division titles, playing in four conference games and winning three Super Bowl games, the Dallas Cowboys were the most successful NFL football team in the 1990s. However, as the 1990s drew to a close, the coaches and players who had led the team to victory were gone or leaving and a fresh batch of coaches and players would have to take the Dallas Cowboys into the 2000s.
Additional Reading on the Dallas Cowboys
- The History of the Dallas Cowboys - 1960s details the birth and early years of the Cowboys.
- Read about the team's early successes in History of the Dallas Cowboys - 1970s.
Sources:
- Team History by Season, DallasCowboys.com
- History of Football - Dallas Cowboys, NFL.com
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