Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren, and Brett Favre usher in new era for the Green Bay Packers.

Regular Season Record: 9 – 7 (Second Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: By November 1991, Green Bay Packers’ President Bob Harlan had seen enough. While only three years into his tenure as president, Harlan had endured 20 years of futility during his time in Green Bay’s front office. He was convinced that reviving the franchise required major organizational changes. So, Harlan took action. On November 20, he fired General Manager Tom Braatz. For almost five years, Braatz had been the Packers first Director of Football Operations, sharing personnel responsibilities initially with former Head Coach Forrest Gregg and then with Lindy Infante for the past four seasons.

A week later, Harlan hired 53-year-old Ron Wolf as Braatz’s replacement. Wolf began in 1963 as a scout for the Oakland Raiders. During his 24-year association with Owner Al Davis, he helped draft such notable players as Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Ken Stabler, Jack Tatum, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, and Matt Millen. Each were key to the Raiders posting 11 winning seasons in 12 years as well as winning 10 division titles, eight championship games, and three Super Bowls, achieving a remarkable 115-42-11 record. Said Wolf, “It would be easy to say Al Davis picked everybody. But Al Davis did not know everybody. You had to steer him to guys he needed to see.”

Wolf continued, “He couldn’t sit there and look at 750 players. And you had to be able to present to him an argument why this guy was so important.” In 1975, after 12 years under Davis’ tutelage, the 36-year-old Wolf left Oakland to become VP of Operations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He helped build the team that advanced to the 1979 NFC Championship Game in only their fifth year of existence after losing their first 26 games. But Wolf wouldn’t be around to see his Buccaneers’ squad develop into a competitor as he was fired by Owner Hugh Culverhouse in February 1978.

“I think what it came down to is that (Head Coach) John McKay wanted more power and say,” said Ken Herock, Wolf’s assistant at the time. “I think Ron also wanted more power and say. Culverhouse sided with McKay, which in my mind at that time was a mistake.” In 1979, Wolf returned to the Raiders after considering an offer from the Detroit Lions to become their general manager. However, during this second time around with Davis, Wolf became increasingly disillusioned with his mentor. “… I left and went to Tampa Bay and then came back and things had changed a bit.”

“Before it was like we were all united for one thing. Then suddenly it became about Al Davis.” Now 48 years old, Wolf decided to interview with Green Bay in 1987 for the position of Executive Vice President of Football Operations. But he backed out after one day, believing there’d be too much interference from the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. Wolf also didn’t like the idea of the general manager responsibilities being split 50-50 between himself and the head coach. After his Tampa experience, Wolf felt that only one person should be in charge. Former Packers’ President Robert Parins instead hired Braatz.

After another 12 years with the Raiders, Wolf finally decided to leave in 1990 and work for respected New York Jets’ General Manager Dick Steinberg as the Director of Player Personnel. In the meantime, Harlan was making good on his promise to reorganize Green Bay’s front office. First, he revamped the general manager position to make it solely responsible for all football decisions. He then obtained unanimous agreement from the Executive Committee that there’d be no interference. Lastly, he went after the one person he thought best qualified for the job, Ron Wolf.

According to Harland, “Fortunately, we had a very good relationship with the New York Jets. … Steve Gutman was the president of the team at that time. I called Steve and I said, ‘I know this is an unusual request, but we’re going to change our football operation. We’re going to give total autonomy to whoever we bring in. I want to hire Ron Wolf and I want to do it now.’ … Steve and I were close enough, he said: ‘I’m fine with it, but I’ll have to call Dick Steinberg, my general manager.’

“The next day, Dick calls me and says: ‘I’ll give you permission. This kind of opportunity doesn’t come along that often. [And] I told Ron I was going to keep talking to him until he said ‘yes’.” This time, he did. From personnel to facilities, Wolf would now have the last word. After accepting the job as the Packers’ new General Manager, Wolf started by reviewing the team and its operations. What he saw didn’t impress him. “Here’s a team that’s 3-9 and the practices had a country club atmosphere, very lackadaisical and no sense of urgency.”

According to Wolf, “I had no preconceived notion about Lindy Infante. … I remember sitting down with him … And, in the course of our conversation, he was telling me he had the third best offense in the NFC. That’s what I remember. … [T]o sit there and tell me that, that was number one. Number two, I wanted to bring in some guys to look at, and maybe replace some guys who were on the team. He didn’t want to do that. So, now we had a conflict. … He was telling me how important it was to have guys who knew the system.”

“I had been through that before. I had been in Tampa with guys that knew the system but couldn’t play the game and that was not going to happen again.” If Wolf had no opinion before the meeting, he did after it. Despite three years remaining on Infante’s contract, he fired the four-year head coach, one day after Green Bay finished the 1991 season with a record of 4-12. Infante ended his Packers’ career with a 24-40 record, a winning percentage of .375, ranking him ahead of only Lisle Blackburn (.354), Gene Ronzani (.311), and Ray “Scooter” McLean (.091) in franchise history.

Wolf next initiated a search for Infante’s successor. He wanted to hire the right head coach, one who would play a central role in developing a winning culture. Rumors began swirling about the possibility of former New York Giants’ Head Coach Bill Parcells, who retired after winning the 1990 Super Bowl, joining Wolf in Green Bay. “Bill came into the picture. He’s the only guy I ever saw who was able to do what he did. He kept taking these guys who, in my mind, were just very average players, he’d bring them with him, and they’d win.”

“So, I was prepared to give the job to Bill, but fortunately, he turned it down because he had to have a heart operation. And that kept our friendship because we would not have been able to co-exist. We were like oil and water.” After Parcells decision, Wolf interviewed various college and pro coaches. It didn’t take long for him to find his man. On January 11, 1992, he hired San Francisco 49ers’ Offensive Coordinator Mike Holmgren, one of the highest paid assistants in the league, to be the 11th head coach in franchise history.

Holmgren coached the 49ers’ quarterbacks between 1986 and 1988 under legendary Head Coach Bill Walsh. He worked with both Steve Young, whom he also coached under LaVell Edwards at BYU, and Joe Montana. When George Seifert took over as head coach in 1989, Holmgren became the team’s offensive coordinator. During his tenure, Montana won two MVP awards and had the best season of his career in 1989, his 11th year in the league. Holmgren interviewed with no fewer than six NFL teams in the market for a head coach following the 1991 season before casting his lot with Green Bay.

“I think he was head and shoulders above everybody mentally,” said Wolf. “Really, really sharp. He could have been a success in any profession. It was unbelievable how good he was.” Although he had never been a head coach, Holmgren was at the top of many NFL team’s coaching wish list in the winter of ’91-92. From his perspective, the primary factor in the decision to come to Green Bay was Wolf. “I interviewed with six teams,” Holmgren recalled. “I interviewed with them [Green Bay] first and Ron was kind enough to wait, because I went on a bunch of interviews after that.”

“I was a first-time head coach and it was important for me to align myself with the right man and that was Ron. I would say that’s the main reason. I thought he and I connected right away. And when he said: ‘Look, you go do this and I’ll wait.’ I thought: ‘That’s pretty special.’ At one point, Harlan asked Holmgren: “Mike, why did you pick Green Bay, with all these choices?’ He says: ‘Because of Ron Wolf. I knew he would find me players.” One of those players would be a quarterback who could lead the team back to a championship.

Said Wolf, “You have to have a quarterback to be successful in this business. And we didn’t have one in Green Bay. But I had somebody in mind.” On February 10, 1992, Wolf traded the second of the Packers’ 1992 1st round picks (17th overall) for Atlanta Falcons’ backup quarterback Brett Lorenzo Favre. Less than a week after Wolf was hired as general manager, a December 1 game between Green Bay and Atlanta cemented his conviction that Favre had all the ingredients necessary to end Green Bay’s two-decade quarterback drought.

Falcons’ counterpart Ken Herock dangled a carrot in front of Wolf, alerting him to Favre’s pre-game throwing session. “He basically decided that day in Atlanta that he was going to make a trade for Brett Favre,” Harlan later explained. As early as 1990, while with the Jets, Wolf rated Favre as the No. 1 player in the 1991 draft and intended to select him. In his book, Ron Wolf and the Green Bay Packers, author Michael Bauman states that, after reviewing film of Favre during his time at Southern Mississippi, “Wolf returned to the Jets office and informed Dick Steinberg, the Jets general manager, that Favre would be the best player in the 1991 draft.”

“Steinberg suggested that Wolf meant he was the best quarterback in the draft. No, Wolf said, Favre would be the best player in the entire draft.” However, New York had forfeited its first-round pick by selecting WR Rob Moore in the 1990 supplemental draft. Instead, Favre was taken by the Falcons in the second round, one pick ahead of the Jets. New York settled for QB Browning Nagle from Louisville. Nagle started 14 games during his five-year career, going 4-10, completing 48.7% of his passes while throwing just 8 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

Fortunately for Wolf, Atlanta Head Coach Jerry Glanville did not approve of drafting Favre. He actually preferred Nagle and Favre quickly fell out of favor, primarily due to his fondness for the Atlanta nightlife. Glanville once said it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre into the game. Favre’s first pass in an NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown. He attempted just four passes in his single season with the Falcons, was intercepted twice, and completed none of them. Favre took one other snap which resulted in a sack for an 11-yard loss.

After that first year, Glanville was as anxious to get rid of Favre as Wolf was to acquire him. Wolf reflected, “I was so anxious to get a quarterback, but here, they’re handing me the guy that I think, in 1991, is the best player in the draft. And all it was going to cost me is a Number 1. I can’t believe that.” However, in his rush to obtain Favre, Wolf neglected to include a critical clause in the deal, one that would make the trade dependent on Favre passing his physical. According to Wolf, after his physical, “They came up to my office and Domenic Gentile, our trainer, said, ‘You’ve got to send him back.'”.

Favre was diagnosed with a degenerative condition in his hip known as avascular necrosis, a lack of blood flow to the hip. Wolf subsequently asked Dr. Patrick McKenzie, the Packers team physician, how long he thought Favre could play. McKenzie said four or five years. That was enough for Wolf, who told the medical staff, “We’re passing him.” Holmgren, however, was not as convinced that Favre was the best choice for the Packers next franchise quarterback.

According to the new head coach, “I get there, and we have two Number 1 draft choices. Pretty good deal, so I’m thinking. … Then Ron comes into my office one day and he goes: ‘I’m thinking of trading the second draft choice for Favre.’ … He goes: ‘What do you think about that?’ So, I somehow got the report that I’d written [when he was with San Francisco]. I’d said, something like: ‘Great athlete, strong, likeable, little bit of a gunslinger, not sure if he can discipline himself to run the offense we want to run with the 49ers.'”

Holmgren continued, “[Wolf] said: ‘Okay, let’s look at this some more.’ … Looking back, Ron had already made up his mind, I’m sure. But the beauty of our relationship … was that he involved me in that. And I think he valued my opinion. … I suppose if I had said: ‘I don’t think so,’ then he would have sat down and talked me into it. … But he said: ‘Let’s do this,’ and he did, and the rest is history.” Together, Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre formed the core of what became Green Bay’s winningest era since the departure of the great Vince Lombardi.

In addition to acquiring Favre in exchange for the second of Green Bay’s first round draft picks, the 1992 draft yielded three players that would go on to play significant roles in assisting with the team’s return to glory during the 1990s. Third round selection, WR Robert Brooks (62nd overall) from South Carolina, played seven seasons with the Packers, coming into his own in 1995, when he led Green Bay with 102 receptions and 13 touchdowns while racking up 1,497 receiving yards, a franchise record.

Brooks started 67 out of 96 games, catching 306 passes for 4,225 yards (13.8 yards per catch) for 32 touchdowns before injuries ended his career in 1998. Said Wolf, “I know that I really liked Robert Brooks. We had Brooks rated as a first-round player.” Fourth round selection, RB Edgar Bennett (103rd overall) from Florida State, played five seasons for Green Bay. Bennett gained 1,067 yards in 1995, the first Packer to break the 1,000-yard mark since Terdell Middleton in 1978. Unfortunately, a ruptured Achilles tendon in a 1997 preseason game cut short his Packers’ career.

Bennett started 62 out of 80 games, rushing for 3,353 yards on 936 attempts (3.6 yards per rush) and 19 touchdowns, before finishing his career with the Chicago Bears in 1999. Sixth round selection, TE Mark Chmura (157th overall) out of Boston College, played his entire seven-year career for Green Bay. In the process, Chmura became a three-time Pro Bowl selection before suffering a career ending spinal injury during a game against the Detroit Lions in 1999. He started 62 out of 89 games, catching 188 passes for 2,253 yards (12.0 yards per catch) and 17 touchdowns.

Wolf did miss with both his 1st and 2nd round selections, CB Terrell Buckley from Florida State (5th overall) and Penn State LB Mark D’Onofrio (34th overall). Buckley lasted three years with the Packers before being traded to the Miami Dolphins for “past considerations”. A long holdout prior to his rookie season combined with an inability to cover tall receivers led Green Bay to part ways with Buckley on April 4, 1995. He ended his Packers’ career with just 10 interceptions but would go on to play another 11 seasons with five different teams before retiring in 2006. D’Onofrio suffered a career ending injury after just two starts and never made it past his rookie year.

But Wolf had one more trick up his sleeve, striking gold when he picked up a largely unknown center prior to the 1992 season, five-year veteran Frank Winters. Winters was a “Plan B” free agent acquisition, coming from the Kansas City Chiefs after previously playing for two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and one for the New York Giants. Winters went on to anchor the Packers’ offensive line for 11 seasons (1992-2002). He was a steadfast center who played in 156 games, starting 141 during his career. He blocked for some of the most productive offensive units in team history, including the 1996 team that amassed 456 points, the second highest total in Green Bay history.

Incidentally, 1992 was the final year for “Plan B” free agency, implemented by team owners in 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season. If a player was a protected Plan B free agent, he was incapable of signing with another team without providing his old team the first opportunity to sign him again. The rest of the players were left unprotected, free to negotiate contracts with the rest of the teams in the league.

In 1993, a new collective bargaining agreement was finally agreed to with the NFL Players Association, six years after the old agreement had expired. Under the new agreement, for the first time, players would achieve true free agency, something the NFLPA had been requesting from owners since the early 1970s. While free agency would ultimately change the landscape of professional football, little did Packers fans know how quickly it would benefit the Green Bay franchise.

Overall, the 1992 draft was notable because, for the first time since 1958, one team, the Indianapolis Colts, held the first two selections. Unfortunately for the Colts, neither the first selection, DT Steve Emtman from Washington, nor the second selection, LB Quentin Coryatt from Texas A&M, would make significant contributions during their NFL careers. In fact, to date, no one from the 1992 draft has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was also the final NFL Draft featuring 12 rounds of selections. The league would reduce the number of rounds to eight in 1993 and then to its current format of seven rounds in 1994.

Finally, of note, the Atlanta Falcons began the 1992 season playing in their new home, the Georgia Dome. Also, beginning with the 1992 season, the instant replay system that had been in effect since 1986 was repealed. Instant replay would not return again to the league until the 1999 season.

Regular Season Highlights: The turnaround was fast under new Green Bay Packers’ Head Coach Mike Holmgren. The Packers won five more games in 1992 than in 1991, giving them a 9-7 record, good for second place behind only the 11-5 Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Central division. The emergence of QB Brett Favre brought Green Bay to the brink of the playoffs, losing out on the third NFC Wild Card position to the 9-7 Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins by the slimmest of margins.

In the second game of the season, after an opening day overtime loss to Minnesota at Lambeau Field (23-20), Green Bay played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. The Buccaneers were leading 17-0 at halftime when Holmgren decided to bench starting QB Don Majkowski and play Favre in the second half. Said Holmgren, “Don had a decent first game against the Vikings. Then we go down to Tampa and he throws an interception, early, and so at halftime I made the switch. Majkowski was upset, which is understandable. But I said: ‘The quarterback can’t start the game that way.'”

On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass which was deflected and caught by himself. Favre was tackled and the completion went for −7 yards. Green Bay lost the game, 31-3, chalking up only 106 yards passing. Favre clearly wasn’t ready to play. According to Holmgren, “He hadn’t studied or prepared. He’d call a play, and I didn’t even recognize it, there was all this weird stuff.” Prior to the next game, a home contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, Holmgren met with the two quarterbacks and told them Majkowski would continue to be the starter.

However, Majkowski injured a ligament in his ankle in the first quarter, an injury severe enough that he would be out for the next four weeks. Favre replaced him for the remainder of the contest, fumbling four times and suffering six sacks during the course of the game. It was a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for the second-year quarterback to be removed in favor of another backup at the time, rookie and 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer. But Holmgren decided to stick with Favre.

Down 23-17 with 1:07 left in the game, the Packers started their last offensive series on their own 8-yard line. Favre completed a 42-yard pass to WR Sterling Sharpe, who subsequently left the game with an injury, to keep Green Bay’s hopes alive. Two plays later, Favre threw a game winning 35-yard touchdown pass to WR Kitrick Taylor, Sharpe’s replacement, with just 13 seconds remaining. The former second round draft pick had engineered an exciting, come from behind 24-23 victory. For Majkowski, it was his last start as a Packer. For Favre, a legend had been born.

Starting Week 4’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Farve completed 14 of 19 passes for 210 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, giving him an astonishing 144.6 Quarterback Rating. Thus began the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. Meanwhile, Green Bay achieved a convincing 17-3 victory over the eventual division champion Steelers. But the Packers lost four out of their next five games, putting their record at a disappointing 3-6. Yet, instead of folding as had been the case in previous years, the team rallied with a six-game winning streak beginning with a 27-24 victory over the playoff bound Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.

It was the longest winning streak for the franchise since 1965 and included victories over division rivals Chicago (17-3) and Detroit (38-10) in Weeks 12 and 14 respectively. For the first time since 1989, Green Bay was in the hunt for a playoff berth as the season came to a close. Unfortunately, a loss to the Vikings, 27-7, in the finale dropped the team to 9-7. Although the Packers ended the season tied with the previous year’s World Champions, Washington edged out Green Bay for the final playoff spot due to a better conference record (7-5 to the Packers’ 6-6).

Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 302 completions out of 471 attempts (64.1%) for 3,227 yards, 18 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and an overall QBR of 85.3, earning him his first Pro Bowl selection. Farve tied for 2nd overall in passes completed, behind only Miami Dolphins’ QB Dan Marino, was 6th overall in QBR, 8th overall in touchdown passes, and 9th overall in passing yards. Majkowski, in his sixth and final season with Green Bay, finished the season having attempted only 55 passes, completing 38, for 271 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a QBR of 77.2.

For the fifth time in his five-year career, Sharpe led the Packers in receiving, with 108 receptions for 1,461 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns. The two-time All-Pro led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, the first to do so since San Francisco 49ers’ WR Jerry Rice in 1990. Third year TE Jackie Harris finished a distant second in receiving with 55 catches for 595 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his fourth and final season with Green Bay, RB Vince Workman led the team in rushing with 631 yards in 159 attempts (4.0 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns.

Former first round draft pick, RB Darrell Thompson, was a disappointing second with 76 carries for just 254 yards (3.3 yards per rush) and 3 total touchdowns. In his three seasons to date, Thompson had failed to gain more than 500 yards on the ground in any single year. Overall, the Packers finished 21st in rushing (1,555), 9th in passing (3,230), and 17th in total offense, scoring 276 points. It was Green Bay’s best offensive performance since 1989. Defensively, for the second consecutive season, third year LB Tony Bennett led the team with 13.5 sacks.

Bennett also finished second in tackles with 91, just behind team leader Chuck Cecil’s 102 tackles. Cecil, in his fifth year, was named to his first Pro Bowl in 1992. In total, although the defense allowed more rushing and passing yards in 1992 than in 1991, finishing 16th (1,821) and 23rd (3,277) respectively, they allowed the fewest points since 1978 (296) to finish 15th in the league. K Chris Jacke, now in his fourth season, again led the Packers in scoring with 96 points including 22 out of 29 field goals (75.9%) and all 30 of his extra points.

For the second time in three years, San Francisco finished with the NFL’s best record at 14-2, winning the NFC West title and the NFC’s top playoff seed. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East title with a 13-3 record, good for the second seed. Minnesota grabbed the third seed as a result of winning the NFC Central title. The 12-4 New Orleans Saints (fourth seed), 11-5 Philadelphia (fifth seed), and 9-7 Washington (sixth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams.

Meanwhile, the top three AFC seeds, Central Division winner Pittsburgh, the East Division winner Miami Dolphins, and the West Division winner San Diego Chargers, all finished with an 11-5 record. The Steelers were the top AFC playoff seed, Miami the second seed, and San Diego the third seed based on their conference records (Pittsburgh’s 10-2 to Dolphins’ 9-3 to Chargers’ 9-5). Like Green Bay, San Diego began the season trying to improve on the previous year’s 4-12 record, starting with naming Bobby Ross the team’s head coach prior to the start of the 1992 campaign.

Ross replaced Dan Henning after having spent the previous five years as a college coach at Georgia Tech. The Chargers would lose their first four games but rally to an 11-5 finish, making the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. They also became the first, and to this day only, NFL team to start 0-4 and still make the playoffs. Miami finished ahead of the 11-5 Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title based on better conference record (9-3 to Bills’ 7-5), giving the Bills a Wild Card berth and the AFC’s fourth seed.

The Houston Oilers (fifth seed) and the Kansas City Chiefs (sixth seed), both 10-6, were the AFC’s other two Wild Card teams. Houston was the second AFC Wild Card based on a head-to-head victory over Kansas City. The 1992 season saw an unusual deviation between the NFL’s good and bad teams. Only one team, the Denver Broncos, finished with 8 wins and 8 losses while nine teams had at least 11 wins and eight teams had at least 11 losses. Only six teams had between 7 and 9 wins.

Lastly, San Francisco QB Steve Young won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award as well as Offensive Player of the Year. Seattle Seahawks’ DT Cortez Kennedy won Defensive Player of the Year. Cincinnati WR Carl Pickens won Offensive Rookie of the Year while Kansas City CB Dale Carter won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Pittsburgh’s first year Head Coach Bill Cowher won Coach of the Year. Cowher had taken over for Hall of Fame Head Coach Chuck Noll before the start of the season after Noll had coached the Steelers for the previous 23 years, winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

Post Season Highlights: In the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, the sixth seed Washington Redskins traveled to the HHH Metrodome to play the NFC Central Champion and third seed Minnesota Vikings. The fourth seed New Orleans Saints hosted the fifth seed Philadelphia Eagles in the Louisiana Superdome. In the AFC, the fourth seed Buffalo Bills hosted the fifth seed Houston Oilers in Rich Stadium. The AFC West Champion and third seed San Diego Chargers hosted the sixth seed Kansas City Chiefs in Jack Murphy Stadium. Winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs.

On January 2, 1993, although the Minnesota Vikings scored on their opening drive of the game, they were quickly crushed by the NFL Champion Washington Redskins. The Redskins massively outgained the Vikings in total yards 358-148, rushing yards 162-75, and time of possession 42:43 to 17:17. Minnesota QB Sean Salisbury, who started just four games in 1992, was held to 6 completions out of 20 attempts, intercepted twice, and sacked four times.

Minnesota scored first on a 74-yard opening drive, featuring a 42-yard completion from Salisbury to WR Chris Carter. The drive ended with RB Terry Allen’s 1 yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. However, Washington controlled the game from that point forward. Redskins’ DB Martin Mayhew’s 44-yard interception return of a Salisbury pass set up their first score, Chip Lohmiller’s 44-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the first quarter, cutting the Viking lead to 7-3. Less than five minutes into the second quarter, the Redskins picked off another Salisbury pass, returning it six yards to the Minnesota 33-yard line.

Washington cashed in on this turnover with RB Earnest Byner’s 3 yard rushing touchdown, giving the Redskins a 10-7 lead. Late in the second quarter, the Redskins faced 4th and 4 at the Viking 44-yard line. RB Brian Mitchell rushed for 38 yards on a fake punt to give the team a first down inside the Minnesota 10-yard line. Washington finished the drive with an 8-yard Mitchell touchdown run for a 17-7 halftime lead. In the third period, QB Mark Rypien, now in his fifth year, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to WR Gary Clark to close out the scoring. Six seed Washington had earned a decisive 24-7 victory.

Later that day, the San Diego Chargers shut out the Kansas City Chiefs, outgaining them in total yards, 342-251, and rushing yards, 192-61. Kansas City never moved the ball farther than the San Diego 34-yard line, giving the Chargers their first playoff win since 1982.

The game was scoreless until 5:53 remained in the third period, when San Diego faced 2nd and 2. Fourth year RB Marion Butts took a pitch, ran through a large hole in the right side of the line, evaded a tackle, and outraced the rest of the defense for a 54-yard touchdown. Leading 7-0, Charger DE Leslie O’Neal intercepted a Dave Krieg pass at the Chiefs’ 26-yard line on Kansas City’s next drive. K John Carney’s 34-yard field goal extended San Diego’s lead to 10-0. In the final period, the Chargers put the game away with a 90-yard drive. The highlight was a 44-yard completion from QB Stan Humphries, in just his first season with San Diego after two years in Washington, to WR Anthony Miller. Steve Hendrickson, a linebacker who lined up as a running back, finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown for a 17-0 victory.

On January 3, in a game that came to be known simply as “The Comeback”, the Buffalo Bills mounted the greatest comeback in NFL history, overcoming a 35-3 third quarter deficit against the Houston Oilers. The Bills were without star QB Jim Kelly and All-Pro LB Cornelius Bennett, while also losing future Hall of Fame RB Thurman Thomas to a hip injury in the second half.

The Oilers dominated the game early. QB Warren Moon, playing his ninth season in Houston, completed 19 of 22 passes for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half alone. The Oilers held the ball for 21:12, keeping the Bills’ high-powered offense off the field for most of the first two quarters. On the opening possession of the first quarter, Moon completed 6 of 7 passes on an 80-yard scoring drive that took over nine minutes off the clock. It ended with Moon’s first touchdown throw to WR Haywood Jeffires, for 3 yards, giving Houston a 7-0 lead. Buffalo responded on their ensuing drive as RB Kenneth Davis returned the kickoff 33 yards to the 44-yard line.

Backup QB Frank Reich, in just his seventh start in seven years, led the Bills to the Oilers’ 18-yard line. The drive stalled, resulting in Steve Christie’s 36-yard field goal, cutting the score to 7-3. But Moon struck right back, leading the Oilers on a second quarter scoring drive that was nearly identical to the first. Moon again completed 6 of 7 passes on another 80-yard drive, finishing it with a 7-yard touchdown pass to WR Webster Slaughter for a 14-3 lead. After Houston’s defense forced Buffalo into a three and out on their next possession, Moon again took advantage of the Bills’ defense, finishing their third drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass to WR Curtis Duncan.

Leading 21-3, the Oilers drove for yet another touchdown with just 1:15 left in the half, aided by an encroachment call against Buffalo on 4th and 1. Moon completed the drive with his second touchdown pass to Jeffires, this one a 27 yarder, and Houston went into their locker room with a 28-3 lead. The Oilers dominance continued into the second half. With only 1:41 elapsed in the third quarter, Reich threw a pass that bounced off the hands of TE Keith McKeller into the arms of DB Bubba McDowell. McDowell returned the interception 58 yards for a touchdown, increasing Houston’s lead to 35-3.

However, on the kickoff, the wind shifted the ball just before Al Del Greco’s kick. As a result, it became an unintentional squib kick that the Bills recovered at midfield. Buffalo then drove 50 yards in 10 plays for their first touchdown. Included was a pass by Reich to TE Pete Metzelaars that went right through the hands of LB Eddie Robinson. Reich also completed a 24-yard pass to Metzelaars and a 16-yard strike to WR Andre Reed. Davis kept the drive going with a 5-yard run on 4th and 2 before finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown with 8:52 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 35-10.

Christie then recovered his own onside kick and the Bills scored on the fourth play of their ensuing drive. Reich appeared to complete a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Don Beebe. But one of Beebe’s feet went partially out of bounds during the run before he made the catch, and it should have been ruled by the officials as an illegal touching of the football. However, the score counted, and Buffalo’s deficit was cut to 35-17 with 7:46 left in the third quarter. The Oilers were then forced to punt for the first time in the game on their next drive.

Greg Montgomery’s 25-yard kick gave the Bills great field position at their own 41-yard line. Reich started out the drive with an 18-yard completion to WR James Lofton. Davis gained 20 yards on a screen pass and then Reich threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Reed, further trimming Houston’s lead to 35-24. On the first play of the Oilers’ ensuing possession, Moon’s pass bounced off the hands of Slaughter and Buffalo S Henry Jones intercepted it, returning the ball 15 yards to the Houston 23-yard line. Three plays later, the Bills faced 4th and 5 on the 18-yard line. Rather than attempt a field goal, Reich connected with Reed for a touchdown.

With the score now 35-31, Buffalo had cut their deficit from 32 points to just four in a span of only 6:52. For the first time all season, the Oilers defense had given up over 29 points. But Houston’s struggles continued. On their next drive, LB Darryl Talley forced a Moon fumble while sacking him. Houston recovered the fumble, but the Oilers were forced to punt. Another poor Montgomery kick, this time just 24 yards, again gave the Bills great field position at its 48-yard line. However, this time Buffalo could not take advantage of the opportunity and had to punt. Only then did Moon’s run and shoot offense finally began to move the ball effectively again.

Despite two sacks on the drive, Houston reached the Bills’ 14-yard line. Del Greco attempted a field goal, but Montgomery fumbled the snap. Buffalo recovered the ball on the 26-yard line and the Oilers lead remained just four points. After two plays, the Bills faced 3rd and 4. With Houston’s defense dropping back and expecting a pass, Reich handed the ball off to Davis, who stormed through the line and took off for a 35-yard gain. Reich then went back to the passing game, completing a short strike to Reed at the Oilers’ 17-yard line on 3rd and 2 for the first down.

With just 3:08 left in the fourth quarter, Reich threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Reed, giving Buffalo its first lead of the game, 38-35. But Moon once more led the team downfield on a 63-yard drive. Del Greco scored the tying yard field goal from 26 yards out, sending the game into overtime at 38-38. A key play on the drive was an 18-yard completion to Slaughter on 4th and 4 from the Bills’ 34-yard line. Houston won the coin toss and got the ball at its 20-yard line. But, only two plays later, Moon was intercepted for just the second time in the game. Christie subsequently kicked the winning 32-yard field goal for an unbelievable 41-38 come-from-behind Buffalo victory.

Later in the day, the Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 20-10 New Orleans Saints lead late in the third quarter, scoring 26 points in the final period, just one point short of the NFL post-season record set by the Chicago Bears in 1934. This was Philadelphia’s first playoff win since the 1980 season.

New Orleans scored first on RB Craig Heyward’s 1 yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. However, it was immediately countered by Philadelphia QB Randall Cunningham’s 57-yard touchdown pass to WR Fred Barnett for a 7-7 tie. The Saints went ahead, 17-7, before halftime with K Morten Andersen’s 35-yard field goal and WR Quinn Early’s 7-yard touchdown reception from QB Bobby Herbert, now in his eighth season. The two teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, a 42 yarder by Andersen and a 40 yarder by Roger Ruzek, for a 20-10 New Orleans lead going into the final period.

Unfortunately for the Saints, their final six drives of the second half resulted in an interception, a punt, another interception, a safety, another interception, and time expiring in the game. Meanwhile, Cunningham, also in his eighth year, closed the gap to 20-17 with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Barnett with less than 11 minutes left in regulation. Then, on the first play of New Orleans next possession, the Eagles intercepted a Herbert pass and returned it 14 yards to the Saints’ 26-yard line.

Philadelphia subsequently cashed in with a 6-yard touchdown by RB Heath Sherman, giving the Eagles their first lead, 24-20. After New Orleans got the ball back, DE Reggie White sacked Hebert in the end zone for a safety and a 26-20 lead. Ruzek then added a 39-yard field goal, extending Philadelphia’s lead to 29-20. Nineteen seconds later, DB Eric Allen intercepted another Hebert pass, his third of the game, returning it 18 yards for a touchdown, securing a 36-20 come-from-behind Eagles victory. Hebert finished with 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and a 58.8 QBR in what would be his last game with the Saints.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the AFC Central Champion and top seed Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the fourth seed Buffalo Bills in Three Rivers Stadium. The sixth seed Washington Redskins traveled to Candlestick Park to play the NFC West Champion and top seed San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys hosted the fifth seed Philadelphia Eagles in Texas Stadium. The AFC West Champion San Diego Chargers traveled to Joe Robbie Stadium to play the AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On January 9, the Buffalo Bills forced four turnovers and seven sacks, holding the Pittsburgh Steelers to just a field goal. Buffalo QB Frank Reich, starting once again for injured starter Jim Kelly, threw for 160 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Former Green Bay Packer RB Kenneth Davis, now in his fourth season with the Bills, rushed for 104 yards. Davis was starting in place of injured RB Thurman Thomas.

Pittsburgh scored on their opening drive with Gary Anderson’s 38-yard field for a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Steelers, this would be their only points of the game. On Pittsburgh’s subsequent drive, second year QB Neil O’Donnell lost a fumble while being sacked. Buffalo recovered on their 41-yard line, then advanced 59 yards to score on Reich’s 1 yard touchdown pass to Mitch Frerotte, an eligible lineman, for a 7-3 halftime lead.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Bills moved the ball 80 yards, scoring on Reich’s 17-yard touchdown pass to WR James Lofton, increasing their lead to 14-3. In the final period, a botched Steelers field goal attempt set up a 44-yard Buffalo drive that ended with Steve Christie’s 43-yard field goal, and a 17-3 lead. The next time the Bills got the ball, they drove 86 yards and scored on a 1-yard run by RB Carwell Gardner for a surprisingly easy 24-3 victory.

Later that day, despite committing four turnovers, San Francisco 49ers’ QB Steve Young passed for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns to beat the Washington Redskins. In his second full season as San Francisco’s starting quarterback, Young had replaced future Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana after the four-time Super Bowl winner missed the entire 1991 season and the majority of 1992 with an elbow injury.

On their first drive, San Francisco advanced 83 yards, including a 35-yard reception by six-time All-Pro WR Jerry Rice and a 22-yard catch by TE Brent Jones. The 49ers scored on Young’s 5-yard touchdown pass to WR John Taylor for a 7-0 lead. San Francisco seemed to be in prime position to score again, when a 29-yard punt gave them a first down on the Washington 49-yard line. However, DE Fred Stokes eventually stripped the ball from Young and the Redskins recovered the fumble. Washington then drove 61 yards to cut the score to 7-3 on a 19-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller.

The 49ers responded with a 23-yard field goal from Mike Cofer to go up 10-3 in the second quarter. After forcing a punt, San Francisco moved the ball from their own 1-yard line to the Redskin 29-yard line. However, they lost another turnover when Washington intercepted Young’s pass at the 5-yard line. But the Redskins promptly gave the ball back when RB Brian Mitchell lost a fumble that was recovered by the 49ers with 1:09 left in the half. Four plays later, Young threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jones, who fumbled the ball when hit by S Brad Edwards at the 1-yard line, but managed to recover it in the end zone, giving San Francisco a 17-3 halftime lead.

In the second half, Washington converted two Young fumbles into 10 points. The 49ers got a great scoring opportunity after intercepting a Mark Rypien pass in the third quarter. But, while scrambling for a first down, Young lost a fumble without being touched, and the Redskins recovered. This led to a 71-yard drive, finished off by Lohmiller’s 32-yard field goal, cutting Washington’s deficit to 17-6. On the next series, the ball again slipped out of Young’s hands, this time on a pass attempt, and the Redskins recovered it on the San Francisco 15-yard line.

Three plays later, Rypien scored on a 1-yard sneak, further knocking the score down to 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. Following a 49ers punt, Washington moved the ball 52 yards to the San Francisco 23-yard line. But, with 9:52 left, Mitchell fumbled a botched handoff attempt by Rypien, and the 49ers recovered the fumble. San Francisco then marched 59 yards in 14 plays, featuring a 16-yard completion from Young to Rice on 3rd and 10. After consuming more than seven minutes on the drive, the 49ers increased their lead to seven points, 20-13, with a 33-yard Mike Cofer yard field goal.

Washington got the ball back with 2:15 remaining and one last chance to drive for a tying score. However, the Redskins could only advance the ball a few yards before turning it over on downs as Rypien’s final two passes were dropped by wide open targets, WR Ricky Sanders and TE Ron Middleton. The loss would be the last game for future Hall of Fame Head Coach Joe Gibbs. After 12 seasons and three Super Bowl victories, Gibbs retired prior to the beginning of the 1993 season. He returned for a second stint with Washington beginning in 2004 but was unable to achieve his previous level of success, retiring again after four years.

On January 10, the Dallas Cowboys defense tallied five sacks while holding the Philadelphia Eagles offense to 178 yards and 10 points.

Philadelphia scored first, on a 32-yard field goal by Roger Ruzek, for a 3-0 lead. But that was it for the Eagles, as Dallas’ offense exploded for 34 consecutive points. First, the Cowboys responded to Philadelphia’s field goal with QB Troy Aikman’s 1 yard touchdown pass to TE Derek Tennell, who had been signed by the team as a free agent only a week before, to take a 7-3 lead. In the closing minutes of the second quarter, Dallas drove 67 yards and scored another touchdown. Aikman’s 6-yard pass to TE Jay Novacek extend their lead to 14-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys recovered an Eagles’ fumble, enabling Lin Elliott to kick a 20-yard field goal before halftime, putting them up 17-3. Dallas RB Emmitt Smith scored a 23-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half, extending the Cowboys lead to 24-3. Smith finished the game with 114 rushing yards. RB Derrick Gainer later added a 1-yard touchdown and Elliott kicked another field goal to put the team up 34-3 late in the fourth quarter. All Philadelphia could do was score a meaningless touchdown on QB Randall Cunningham’s 18-yard pass to WR Calvin Williams with 50 seconds left in the game, to make the final score 34-10.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins’ defense shut out the San Diego Chargers. QB Stan Humphries completed just 18 of 44 passes for 140 yards and was intercepted four times as Miami snuffed out San Diego’s eight game winning streak. Overall, the Chargers gained only 202 yards and 10 first downs while losing five turnovers.

After a scoreless first quarter, Miami QB Dan Marino, now in his 10th season, threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter, all of them set up by interceptions. First, rookie DB Troy Vincent intercepted a Humphries pass and returned it to the San Diego 48-yard line. Nine plays later, Miami cashed in with Marino’s 1 yard scoring pass to RB Tony Paige for a 7-0 lead. With less than two minutes left in the half, Humphries threw a pass that slipped out of the hands of WR Nate Lewis and was picked off again by Vincent on the Chargers’ 37-yard line.

The three time All-Pro then threw a 28-yard completion to WR Mark Duper on the next play, finishing the drive with a 9-yard touchdown toss to TE Keith Jackson, extending the lead to 14-0. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Miami intercepted another Humphries’ pass and returned it 7 yards to the San Diego 42-yard line. Four plays later, Marino’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Jackson gave Miami a 21-0 halftime advantage. With a comfortable lead, the Dolphins turned to their running game.

Early in the fourth quarter, Miami scored on a 22-yard field goal from Pete Stoyanovich, extending their lead to 24-0. RB Aaron Craver, who led the team with 8 carries for 72 yards, finished the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown burst late in the fourth quarter. The 31-0 final marked a record setting day for the Dolphins offense, who had scored just six touchdowns in their last six games. The 21 points was the highest single quarter amount the team had ever scored in a playoff game and their 31-point margin of victory was also a franchise post-season record.

On January 17, the Miami Dolphins hosted the AFC Championship at Joe Robbie Stadium against the Buffalo Bills. The Dallas Cowboys traveled to Candlestick Park to play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Championship. Winners would earn the right to represent their respective conference in Super Bowl XXVII.

In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills dominated the Miami Dolphins, intercepting QB Dan Marino twice, recovering three fumbles, forcing four sacks, and holding Miami to just 33 rushing yards. Although the Buffalo offense had trouble getting into the end zone, Steve Christie provided the margin of victory with an NFL playoff record tying five field goals.

Midway through the first quarter, Buffalo recovered a Marino fumble while sacking him, setting up a 21-yard Christie field goal for a 3-0 lead. Miami struck back on their next drive, with a 51-yard field goal from Pete Stoyanovich, to tie the score at 3-3. After the ensuing kickoff, QB Jim Kelly, back as the starter for the first time in the playoffs, led the Bills 64 yards in 7 plays early in the second quarter. Kelly finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to RB Thurman Thomas, also back as the starter after suffering an injury in Buffalo’s playoff win over the Houston Oilers.

Leading 10-3, the Bills picked off a Marino pass on the Dolphins’ 24-yard line. The turnover set up Christie’s second field goal of the day, extending Buffalo’s lead to 13-3 at the end of the first half. On the opening kickoff of the third quarter, the Dolphins again fumbled the ball and the Bills recovered on the Miami 25-yard line. Five plays later, RB Kenneth Davis scored on a 2-yard touchdown, giving Buffalo a 20-3 lead. The defense took over for the rest of the third quarter, holding the Dolphin offense to just two total yards.

Christie meanwhile added two more field goals, a 21 yarder in the third quarter and a 31 yarder early in the fourth quarter, to increase the Bills lead to 26-3. Marino attempted to bring Miami back, completing a 15-yard touchdown pass to veteran WR Mark Duper, in his final year with the team, to cut Buffalo’s lead to 26-10. But that would be the Dolphins final score. Christie kicked his fifth field goal late in the game to clinch a 29-10 win. It would be Miami’s last appearance in an AFC Championship Game to date.

In the NFC, even though the Dallas Cowboys had only one more yard of total offense than the San Francisco 49ers (416-415), Dallas’ defense forced four critical turnovers that helped them earn the win.

On San Francisco’s first drive of the game, a holding penalty nullified a 63-yard touchdown completion from QB Steve Young to eight-year veteran WR Jerry Rice, forcing the 49ers to punt. Despite a 19-yard reception from QB Troy Aikman, now in his fourth season, to WR Michael Irvin on Dallas’ first play of their first drive, the Cowboys also had to punt. But San Francisco fumbled the punt and Dallas recovered the ball on the 49ers’ 22-yard line. The Cowboys restarted their drive with a completion to Irvin, this one a 21-yard gain, to the 1-yard line.

But the San Francisco defense managed to hold Dallas on three consecutive plays, forcing them to settle for Lin Elliot’s 20-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. 49ers’ RB Marc Logan returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Cowboys’ 48-yard line. Aided by a 16-yard run from rookie RB Ricky Watters, San Francisco drove 48 yard to score on Young’s 1 yard touchdown for a 7-3 lead. Dallas was forced to punt on their next drive after Aikman was sacked twice for 19 total yards. The 49ers returned the ball to the Cowboys’ 47-yard line.

San Francisco then drove to the Dallas 29-yard line where the drive stalled. Mike Cofer missed a 47-yard field goal try, keeping the 49ers lead at 7-3. After a Dallas punt, Watters lost a fumble that was recovered by the Cowboys. Aided by a defensive holding call on third down, Dallas took a 10-7 lead with RB Emmitt Smith’s 4-yard touchdown. A 21-yard reception by Rice from Young sparked a San Francisco drive to the Cowboys’ 10-yard line. Although the drive again stalled, Cofer made a 28-yard field goal to tie the game with less than two minutes left in the second quarter.

Cofer’s kickoff subsequently went out of bounds, giving Dallas a chance to score before the end of the half. Aikman managed to lead them to the 49ers’ 25-yard line but Elliot’s 43-yard field goal attempt went wide right. The game remained tied 10-10 going into halftime. After receiving the second half kickoff, the Cowboys marched 78 yards, featuring a 38-yard leaping catch by WR Alvin Harper. Dallas scored on RB Daryl Johnston’s 3-yard run to take back the lead, 17-10. The 49ers struck back with a 35-yard completion from Young to Rice, setting up a 43-yard field goal by Cofer.

With the score 17-13, Dallas put together a time consuming 9-minute, 79-yard drive. A key play was a 31-yard reception by TE Jay Novacek from Aikman. This second consecutive long drive was capped by Aikman’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Smith, giving the Cowboys a 24-13 advantage. On San Francisco’s ensuing drive midway through the fourth quarter, the Cowboys intercepted Young’s pass and returned it to the 49ers’ 45-yard line. Dallas then marched to the 7-yard line. Rather than attempt a field goal on 4th and 1, Smith attempted to run for the first down but was tackled for no gain.

San Francisco took possession, driving 93 yards to score on Rice’s 5-yard reception from Young, cutting the lead to 24-20 with 4:22 left in the game. But, on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Aikman threw a 14-yard pass to Harper who then ran for a 70-yard gain to the 49ers’ 9-yard line. Three plays later, WR Kelvin Martin scored on a 6-yard reception from Aikman, making the score 30-20 (the extra point was blocked) with 3:43 to play. San Francisco attempted one last drive, but Young threw his second interception of the half at the two-minute warning. The 49ers hope for a comeback win were dashed and Dallas claimed a 30-20 victory.

Thus, the Dallas Cowboys would play the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. For Buffalo, it was their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, only the second team since the Miami Dolphins to play in three straight Super Bowls. The Bills were also only the fourth wild card team to advance to a Super Bowl. Dallas was seeking their third World Championship in the Super Bowl history and their first in 15 years.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 31, 1993, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA, the NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys, led by fourth year Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, played the AFC Champion Buffalo Bills, led once again by Head Coach Marv Levy, in Super Bowl XXVII. This was the seventh, and most recent Super Bowl, hosted in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

For “America’s Team”, it’d been a long road back. After appearing in four Super Bowls during the 1970s, winning NFL Championships in 1971 and 1977, their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII marked the team’s final appearance under Hall of Fame Head Coach Tom Landry. After the retirement of legendary QB Roger Staubach in 1979, the Cowboys briefly continued their playoff run under QB Danny White in the early 1980s. But, after losing consecutive NFC Championship Games in 1980, ’81, and ’82, Dallas made it to the playoffs just twice during the remainder of the decade.

The low point for Landry was a 3-13 finish in 1988, their third straight losing season and the worst record in the history of the team. Prior to the beginning of the next season, new Owner Jerry Jones made the decision to move on from the only head coach the Cowboys had ever known, bringing in Miami Hurricanes head man, Jimmy Johnson, to revive the franchise. Initially, Dallas struggled under Johnson, finishing 1-15 in 1989. But a blockbuster trade on October 12, 1989, sent star RB Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for what would eventually become 18 draft picks and players over the next several years.

Johnson used this bounty, particularly the draft picks, to steadily rebuild a depleted roster. The team improved markedly, finishing 7-9 in 1990 and 11-5 in 1991, including their first return to the playoffs since 1985. In 1992, the Cowboys regained their championship form, on both offense and defense. Although not a single one of their defensive players made the Pro Bowl, Dallas ranked first against the run (allowing only 1,244 yards) as well as 5th overall in both passing yards allowed (2,687) and points allowed (243), bringing back many fans’ memories of the 1970’s “Doomsday Defense”.

The line was anchored by ten-year veteran DE Jim Jeffcoat (10.5 sacks) and fourth year DT Tony Tolbert (8.5 sacks), along with future Hall of Fame DE Charles Haley (6 sacks), acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers prior to the beginning of the 1992 season. Ken Norton, now in his fifth year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year Robert Jones anchored the linebacking corps. The team’s solid secondary was led by third year DB Kenneth Gant and S James Washington, also in his third year with Dallas, as well as rookie CB Kevin Smith. Both Gant and Washington recorded 3 interceptions.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ offense finished second in the league in scoring with 409 points while finishing fifth in both rushing (2,121) and passing yards (3,485). QB Troy Aikman had the best season of his four-year career, completing 302 out of 473 passes (ranking 2nd and 4th in the league respectively) for 3,445 yards (4th in the league) and 23 touchdowns (3rd in the league). The Pro Bowl quarterback threw just 14 interceptions, producing a QBR of 89.6 (3rd best in the league).

All-Pro RB Emmitt Smith, in only his third season, led the NFL in rushing for the second year in a row, with 1,713 yards on 373 attempts (4.6 yards per rush). Smith also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 18 and caught 59 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. Four-year veteran RB Daryl Johnston provided Smith with effective blocking while hauling in 32 receptions for 249 yards. Fifth year WR Michael Irvin, the team’s emotional lightning rod, caught 78 passes for 1,396 yards (17.9 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns. Irvin finished 2nd overall in receiving yards, 5th in yards per reception, and 7th in catches.

Other contributors on the offense included second year WR Alvin Harper (35 receptions for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns) and TE Jay Novacek (68 receptions for 630 yards and 6 touchdowns). The Cowboys dominant offensive line, later dubbed “The Great Wall of Dallas”, was led by Pro Bowl OG Nate Newton and C Mark Stepnoski along with 10-year veteran OT Mark Tuinei. Rookie K Lin Elliot led the team with 119 points, finishing 4th overall in scoring. Amassing all this talent, Dallas had built in a few short years what many considered to be one of the deepest and most talented teams to ever take to the gridiron.

Buffalo’s path to a third consecutive Super Bowl was a more difficult one in 1992. For the first time since 1987, the Bills failed to win the AFC East and entered the playoffs as a wild card team. But, after a miraculous, come-from-behind victory over the fifth seed Houston Oilers in the Wild Card round, Buffalo easily defeated the AFC Central and East Champion Pittsburg Steelers and Miami Dolphins in the Divisional and Championship rounds respectively to advance to another NFL Championship game. The challenge now was to avoid becoming the first team to lose three in a row.

The Bills no huddle offense ranked first in the league in rushing yards (2,436), 3rd overall in points scored (381), and 6th in passing yards (3,457). Fifth year RB Thurman Thomas rushed for a career high 1,487 yards on 312 attempts (4.8 yards per rush) and 9 touchdowns, ranking him 3rd overall in attempts, yards, and yards per attempt. Thomas also caught 58 passes for 626 yards and another 3 touchdowns. Former Green Bay Packer RB Kenneth Davis, finishing his fourth season with Buffalo, had another strong year. Davis rushed for 613 yards, caught 15 passes for 80 yards, and added another 251 yards returning kickoffs.

QB Jim Kelly, in his seventh year, completed 269 out of 462 attempts (58.2%) for 3,457 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, for a QBR of 81.2, again making him one of the league’s Top 10 passers. Eight-year veteran WR Andre Reed led the team with 65 catches for 913 yards and 3 touchdowns. WR James Lofton, in his last season with the Bills, contributed 51 receptions for 786 yards and 6 touchdowns. WR Don Beebe caught 33 passes for 554 yards while TE Pete Metzelaars added 30 catches and scored 6 touchdowns.

Like Dallas, Buffalo had one of the best offensive lines in the league, led by Pro Bowl OTs Will Wolford and Howard Ballard, OG Jim Ritcher, and C Kent Hull. On defense, Buffalo ranked 2nd in the league against the run, allowing 1,395 yards. However, the Bills struggled against the pass, finishing a disappointing 20th with 3,209 yards allowed. In total, Buffalo ranked a mediocre 15th in team defense, giving up 283 points, despite the fact the majority of their defensive stalwarts stayed healthy all season.

The line was again anchored by three-time All-Pro DE Bruce Smith (14 sacks) and five-year veteran NT Jeff Wright (6 sacks), who were fully recovered after missing almost all of the previous season due to injuries. The Bills were led by their trio of veteran LBs; Darryl Talley (10 years, 77 tackles, 4 sacks), Shane Colan (6 years, 66 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception), and Pro Bowler Cornelius Bennett (8 years, 52 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries).

The secondary was aided by the emergence of S Henry Jones, named All-Pro in just his second season. Jones tied for the league lead with 8 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Seven-year veteran S Mark Kelso recorded 7 interceptions while Pro Bowl CB Nate Odomes had 5 interceptions. Overall, the team boasted 12 Pro Bowl selections. Third year K Steve Christie led the team with 115 points, 5th in the league, converting 24 of 30 field goals (80%).

The game started out well for Buffalo. Dallas was forced into a three and out on their opening possession. Bills special teams expert Steve Tasker blocked the ensuing punt, knocking the ball out of bounds at the Cowboys’ 16-yard line. Four plays later, Thurman Thomas scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo an early 7-0 lead. Dallas reached their own 40-yard line on their next drive. However, an illegal formation penalty nullified Emmitt Smith’s 12-yard run and the Cowboys were forced to punt after two Troy Aikman incompletions. The Bills then advanced to midfield with the aid of a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty and a 21-yard reception by Andre Reed.

Poised to take control of the game, a wave of turnovers heralded a sudden turn in fortune for Buffalo. On the next play, a blitz forced a Jim Kelly interception that was returned 13 yards to the Bills’ 47-yard line. Six plays later, Dallas tied the game, 7-7, on Aikman’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Jay Novacek. On Buffalo’s first play of their next drive, the Cowboys’ Charles Haley sacked Kelly and forced a fumble. DT Jimmie Jones picked the ball out of the air at the 2-yard line and dove into the end zone for a touchdown, giving Dallas a 14-7 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Kelly’s 40-yard completion to Reed gave the Bills a first down at the Cowboy 4-yard line. But the offense failed to score on three rushing attempts. Ensuing the field goal, Kelly’s fourth down pass was intercepted in the end zone by S Thomas Everett. On Buffalo’s next drive, Ken Norton Jr. hit Kelly, re-injuring the same knee that had been sprained earlier in the season. Playoff hero Frank Reich took Kelly’s place. Reich started out well, completing his first two passes, including a 38-yard completion to Reed, to advance the ball to the Dallas 22-yard line.

But then Thomas was stopped for no gain on 3rd and 1 at the 4-yard line. Rather than attempt another fourth down play near the goal line, the Bills settled for Steve Christie’s 21-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 14-10 with 3:24 left in the half. But turnovers again stopped Buffalo cold, allowing the Cowboys to score two touchdowns in a span of 15 seconds, the shortest time between touchdowns in Super Bowl history. Dallas stormed down the field on their next possession, scoring in just five plays. A pair of completions by Aikman for 17 yards, along with Smith’s 38-yard run, gave the Cowboys a first down inside the Bills’ 20-yard line.

Aikman finished the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Michael Irvin, increasing his team’s lead to 21-10. On the first play of Buffalo’s ensuing drive, Thomas caught a swing pass, fumbled the ball, and Jones recovered it for Dallas at the Bills’ 18-yard line. Aikman proceeded to throw his second touchdown pass to Irvin, giving the Cowboys a 28-10 lead. With about a little over a minute left in the first half, Buffalo barely avoided another turnover when Kenneth Davis recovered a fumbled handoff from Reich. But two plays later, Dallas intercepted Reich’s pass at their own 28-yard line to preserve an 18-point lead at halftime.

The Cowboys momentum continued into the second half as they drove 77 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 25-yard reception by Irvin. However, on 3rd and 2, Aikman’s pass to Novacek in the end zone was overthrown. Dallas was forced to settle for Lin Elliots’ 20-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 31-10. Both teams were subsequently unable to score on each of their next possessions. But, on the last play of the quarter, Reich threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Don Beebe to cut the Cowboy lead to 14 points heading into the fourth period.

Dallas complained that the touchdown should have been nullified because Reich, while scrambling to avoid the Cowboy rush, crossed the 40-yard line for what should have been ruled an illegal forward pass. However, the score counted, and, despite five turnovers, Buffalo was only trailing the NFC Champions, 31-17, going into the fourth quarter. After their comeback from a 32-point deficit to Houston earlier in the postseason, a 14-point comeback seemed perfectly within the Bills capabilities.

But there wouldn’t be another miracle comeback. Early in the final period, Aikman threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper, increasing Dallas’ lead to 38-17. Then, on the second play of Buffalo’s next possession, Everett intercepted another Reich pass, returning it 22 yards to the Bills’ 8-yard line. Smith’s 10-yard touchdown run gave the Cowboys a commanding 45-17 lead. After Buffalo received the ensuing kickoff, Reich fumbled a high snap. Norton recovered the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, further increasing the Dallas lead to 52-17.

The most memorable moment of the game came well after the Cowboys had built their insurmountable lead. After both teams lost a fumble on their next possessions, the Bills managed to advance to the Dallas 31-yard line. But Reich lost a fumble while being sacked. DT Leon Lett picked up the ball and, with no one in front of him, appeared to be headed for a 64-yard touchdown return. As he started to showboat just before crossing the goal line, Beebe raced in from behind and knocked the ball out of Lett’s arm and into the end zone. The ball then rolled out of bounds for a touchback.

If Lett had scored the touchdown, the Cowboys would have topped the previous Super Bowl record of 55 points, set by the San Francisco 49ers three years earlier. As it was, Dallas’ 21 points was the most ever for a team in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys also became just the second team to score two non-offensive touchdowns in a Super Bowl. In total, Dallas had dominated Buffalo with a 52-17 victory, giving the Cowboys their third World Championship. The Bills, on the other hand, became the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls in the Super Bowl era.

Troy Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns, for a QB Rating of 140.6. Emmitt Smith was the top rusher of the game, gaining 108 yards and a touchdown. Smith also caught 6 passes for 27 yards. Michael Irvin was the Cowboys’ leading receiver with 6 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jay Novacek added 7 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. Lett recorded a sack, a fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles. In total, Dallas’ defense forced a Super Bowl record nine turnovers.

Conclusion: For the Green Bay Packers, 1992 was a welcome surprise. Going from 4-12 to 9-7 in one season was a dramatic change. However, according to Bauman, “… Behind the scenes, the change was just as dramatic. [Ron] Wolf remade the organization, demanding professionalism at all levels and bringing a sense of pride and purpose to the Lambeau Field workplace.” Bauman added, “Wolf still defers credit for winning in the 1992 season to Mike Holmgren and his coaching staff. “To take that collection of players and win nine games? Unreal,” Wolf said.

With the emergence of Brett Farve, the franchise was hopeful it had finally found a worthy successor to Green Bay quarterback great Bart Starr. Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre gave the Packers a core around which to rebuild the franchise. However, many holes remained, particularly on defense. Since the days of Vince Lombardi, no coach outside of Dan Devine in 1972 had been able to build a top tier defense. Could Holmgren and Wolf do what others had failed to achieve? Could Green Bay achieve only their second consecutive winning season since Lombardi? Was “The Pack” truly back?

Only time would tell.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXVII Highlight video.

Enjoy!!

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