Super Bowl XXVII
Encyclopedia
Super Bowl XXVII was a football
game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl
in Pasadena, California
to decide the National Football League
(NFL) champion following the 1992 regular season
. The National Football Conference
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
(16-3) defeated the American Football Conference
(AFC) champion Buffalo Bills
(14-6), 52–17 (a then-record 69 combined points). The Cowboys won their third Super Bowl
in team history, and their first one in fifteen years
. The Bills became the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls, and just the second team to play in three straight (the Miami Dolphins
played in Super Bowls VI-VIII, winning VII and VIII). This is also the first time that three teams from the same division have each won a Super Bowl within one year of each other (The Cowboys NFC East rivals, the New York Giants
and the Washington Redskins
won the previous two Super Bowls XXV and XXVI respectively.)
The Bills' Super Bowl record nine turnovers—four interceptions and five lost fumbles—led to their third consecutive Super Bowl loss. The Cowboys lost two fumbles themselves, tying the Super Bowl record for the most turnovers by both teams (the Cowboys and the Baltimore Colts
also committed a combined 11 turnovers in Super Bowl V
).
Cowboys quarterback
Troy Aikman
was named Super Bowl MVP
, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 28 yards.
This was the seventh and last Super Bowl to date that the Greater Los Angeles Area
has hosted.
in Tempe, Arizona
, the home of the Phoenix Cardinals
. Immediately after the Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri
to the Phoenix, Arizona
area in 1988
, the NFL was eager to hold a Super Bowl in that state.
Meanwhile, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the United States federal holiday
honoring Martin Luther King Jr, was observed for the first time in 1986. However, the holiday was only celebrated in 27 states and the District of Columbia
during that first year. Opponents across the nation tried to stop the holiday from being recognized in their own local areas.
In 1986, an Arizona holiday honoring King had been declared, through an executive order by Governor Bruce Babbitt
after a bill to create the holiday failed in the state legislature. A year later, though, newly-elected Governor Evan Mecham
rescinded the holiday in 1987 on the grounds that the holiday had been illegally created.
Legislation to create the holiday was passed by the state legislature in 1989, but opponents to the holiday succeeded in forcing the holiday to undergo a ballot initiative. The NFL met in March 1990 at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida to select the site of the 1993 Super Bowl. Arizona was heavily favored to win selection as the site of the 93 bowl game. Civil Rights advocates in Arizona sent Art Mobley to Orlando to make sure the King Holiday issue was considered in the discussions. The controversy surrounding the Arizona King Holiday issue had become confusing and difficult to follow. Mobley delivered letters to each of the five owners on the site selection committee, providing detailed history and analysis of the situation on the ground in Arizona. Blacks across the nation had already supported a complete entertainment and convention boycott of Arizona that had been called by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King and Legendary Singer/Songwriter, Stevie Wonder in response to Governor Mecham rescinding the holiday. State leaders, including US Senators John McCain
, Dennis DeConcini
and Governor Rose Mofford all flew to Orlando to convince NFL owners that Arizona would do all it could to win a state observance at the earliest ballot box opportunity.
The Site Selection Committee was chaired by Philadelphia Eagles Owner and GM, Norman Braman. Braman met with Mobley after the committee voted to award the 93 game to Arizona and vowed that 'if anything was done to dishonor the memory of Dr. King,' the committee would vote to rescind the award of the game to Arizona. Mobley and Braman held an impromptu news conference to publicly reiterate the warning.
Arizona voters rejected the 1990 initiative to create a King holiday.
The NFL, which had an increasing percentage of African American players, and urged by the NFL Players' Association
, voted to yank Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona, and awarded it instead to the Rose Bowl
in Pasadena, California
. A citizens coalition called 'Arizonans for a Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday,' led by Reverend Warren H. Stewart Sr., organized to bring all sides together in a campaign call 'Victory Together One Clear Choice.' Two years after the loss of more the $350 million in major convention business and the 1993 Super Bowl, Arizona became the first and only state to popularly vote for and pass a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday.
Faced with the boycott, Arizona voters finally approved the holiday by ballot in 1992, and on March 23, 1993, the NFL awarded Super Bowl XXX
(1996) to Tempe.
and 1985
, the team made the playoffs 18 out of 20 seasons under coach Tom Landry
, including 5 Super Bowl appearances and 2 Super Bowl wins. But in the late 1980s, the team suffered several losing seasons, including a 3-13 regular season record in 1988
. Then Jerry Jones
bought the team on February 25, 1989, and promptly fired Landry, the only head coach Dallas ever had. Jones replaced Landry with University of Miami
head coach, Jimmy Johnson.
With Johnson as head coach and Jones as his own general manager, people in the league thought they could take advantage of them. Both lacked NFL experience, and instead of hiring coaching assistants with experience in the league, they hired ones that worked with Johnson in Miami. And Jones fired the two men that brought previous success to Dallas: its founding president Tex Schramm
and its famed personnel man Gil Brandt
.
The Cowboys' 3-13 record in 1988 did have a silver lining, it was the worst in the league and thus gave the Cowboys the first pick in the 1989 NFL Draft
. Jones and Johnson picked UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman
, who would eventually go on to be selected to the Pro Bowl
6 times in his NFL career. Meanwhile, Jones and Johnson immediately started to shuffle the team's depth chart to find players talented enough to build a winning team. Linebacker Ken Norton Jr., one of the few holdovers from Landry's last losing seasons, would later claim that he would often go into a player huddle and meet new teammates for the first time.
Then, Jones and Johnson made a move midway through the 1989 season that shocked many in the league: they traded their only Pro Bowl player, running back Herschel Walker
, to the Minnesota Vikings
for five veteran players and eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season
with a 1-15 record, their worst record since the team's inception, the foundations for the Cowboys' return to glory had been set. Although Dallas had the league's worst record, they traded away the first pick in the 1990 draft so they could get backup quarterback Steve Walsh
in the supplemental draft. Then with the 17th pick, they drafted running back
Emmitt Smith
, and the trifecta of Aikman, Smith, and wide receiver
Michael Irvin
(who was drafted by Landry in 1988) was now set. Dallas also signed veteran tight end Jay Novacek
away from Phoenix
, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in five of his six years with the Cowboys.
Johnson also started to rebuild the team by drafting players who were fast, quick, and athletic. The defense was designed to become aggressive, while the offense was made to be a conservative one that did not make mistakes. The Cowboys finished 7-9, but Smith won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
and Jimmy Johnson was selected as NFL Coach of the Year
. By the 1991 season
, the Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record and made the playoffs for the first time in six years.
In 1992
, the Cowboys finished with a 13-3 regular season record, the second best in the league. Although not a single one of their defensive players made the Pro Bowl
, Dallas was ranked as the number one defense in the league (allowing only 4,278 yards) and ranked as the number one defense against the run (allowing only 1,244), bringing back many fans memories of the Doomsday Defenses of old. The defensive line was anchored by Jim Jeffcoat
(10.5 sacks) and Tony Tolbert
(8.5 sacks), along with Charles Haley
, who had led the NFC in sacks in 1990 and had been acquired by Dallas in a trade with San Francisco
. While Norton anchored the linebacking core, the team's solid secondary was led by defensive backs Kenneth Gant and James Washington
, who both recorded 3 interceptions each.
Dallas' spectacular offense, led by Aikman who had the best season of his career by completing 302 out of 473 passes for 3,445 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing only 14 interceptions, was one of the league's finest, finishing fourth in the league in total yards. Superstar running back Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing, with 1,713 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 335 yards and another touchdown. Fullback Daryl Johnston
was also an asset in the backfield, provding Smith with effective blocking and hauling in 32 receptions. Irvin, the team's emotional lightning rod, caught 78 passes for 1,396 yards and 7 touchdowns. Other contributors on the offense included wide receiver Alvin Harper
(35 receptions for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns) and Novacek (68 receptions for 630 yards and 6 touchdowns). Dallas' dominant offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers Nate Newton
and Mark Stepnoski
.
With all this talent the Cowboys would be considered by many to be one of the deepest and most talented teams to ever take to the gridiron.
had 269 out of 462 completions for 3,457 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Wide receiver Andre Reed
led the team with 65 receptions for 913 yards and 3 touchdowns, receiver James Lofton
contributed 51 receptions for 786 yards and 6 touchdowns, and wide receiver Don Beebe
caught 33 passes for 554 and 2 touchdowns. Also tight end Pete Metzelaars
recorded 30 receptions for 298 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Bills also had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, led by Pro Bowlers Will Wolford
, Jim Ritcher
, and Howard Ballard, along with center Kent Hull.
On defense, the line was anchored by end Bruce Smith (14 sacks) and nose tackle Jeff Wright
(6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), who were fully recovered after missing almost all of the previous season due to injuries. The Bills were once again led by their trio of linebackers Darryl Talley
(77 tackles, 4 sacks), Shane Conlan
(66 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception), and Pro Bowler Cornelius Bennett
(52 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries). The defensive secondary was aided by the emergence of second year safety Henry Jones, who tied for the NFL lead with 8 interceptions, returning them for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns. Safety Mark Kelso
recorded 7 interceptions, while Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Odomes
had 5.
However, the Bills quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl suffered a major setback when they lost the final game of the season to the Houston Oilers. The loss caused the Bills to finish with an 11-5 record, losing out on the AFC East
title to the Miami Dolphins
based on tie-breaking rules, and thus making them a wild card team for the playoffs. Thus, even if they won their first playoff game, they would have to win two on the road to make the Super Bowl. To make matters worse, Kelly also suffered strained knee ligaments during the loss to the Oilers and had to miss the first 2 playoff games. Furthermore, their first opponent in the playoffs ended up being the Oilers. A headline on a Buffalo newspaper stated the Bills situation: "Bills Begin The Longest Road Today."
, 34-10. Dallas' defense held the Eagles to only 178 offensive yards and sacked quarterback Randall Cunningham
5 times. Meanwhile, the Cowboys recorded 160 rushing yards and 185 passing yards. Aikman completed 15 of 25 passes and 2 touchdowns, while Smith ran for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas then defeated the San Francisco 49ers
, 30–20, in the NFC Championship Game. This was the first time that the two teams met in the NFC Championship since the 49ers narrowly beat the Cowboys during the 1981 season
on a late touchdown pass known as "The Catch
". The 49ers came into the game with the league's best regular season record at 14–2 and led the league in scoring with 431 points. But in this game, the Cowboys built a 24–13 lead going into the fourth quarter, as Aikman capped a nine minute drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Smith. However, 49ers quarterback Steve Young's 5-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice
cut the lead 24-20 with 4:22 left in the game. But instead of trying to run out the clock with a running play, Aikman threw a 70-yard completion to Harper. Three plays later, Aikman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kelvin Martin
to clinch the victory (the extra point was blocked). Aikman finished with 332 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions.
The Bills first defeated the Houston Oilers, 41–38 in overtime, in what became known as "The Comeback
". Nothing seemed to go right for the Bills in the first half. In addition to playing without Kelly and Bennett, Thomas was knocked out of the game with a hip injury. The Bills offense could only score a single field goal, while their defense played even worse, as Oilers quarterback Warren Moon
passed for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Houston jumped to a 28-3 halftime lead. Then, backup quarterback Frank Reich
's first pass of the second half was intercepted by Bubba McDowell and returned 58 yards for a touchdown, making the score 35-3. However, the Bills suddenly stormed back to score 5 unanswered touchdowns to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds. First, Davis scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Then Buffalo recovered an onside kick and immediately scored again on Reich's 36-yard touchdown pass to Beebe. Reich then threw touchdowns of 26 and 18 yards to Reed. In the fourth quarter, Reich hit Reed with a 17-yard score to give the Bills a 38-35 lead. The Oilers kicked a field goal late in the game to send it into overtime, but Odomes' interception in the extra period set up kicker Steve Christie
's game winning field goal to give the Bills the biggest comeback win in NFL history.
Buffalo then recorded a 24-3 win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, the AFC Central champions with the AFC's best regular season record at 11-5. Although Kelly and Thomas had not recovered enough to play for this game, Reich threw for 160 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, while Davis rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the defense redeemed themselves for giving up 38 points against the Oilers by holding the Steelers to only a field goal.
The Bills then defeated the Miami Dolphins
, 29-10, in the AFC Championship. The Dolphins were coming off a 31-0 blowout playoff win over the San Diego Chargers
. But Buffalo's defense dominated the Dolphins offense, intercepting quarterback Dan Marino
twice, recovering 3 fumbles, and limiting Miami to just 33 rushing yards. Although Buffalo's offense had trouble scoring touchdowns because Kelly and Thomas were rusty coming back from their injuries, Christie scored 5 field goals to make up for the difference. Kelly did connect with Thomas on a screen pass for a 17 yard touchdown, and Ken Davis ran it in from two yards out for another score. As a result, the Bills became the fourth wild-card
team to advance to the Super Bowl.
This marked the first time since the AFL-NFL merger
that the two Super Bowl teams each won their conference championship on the road. Dallas winning in San Francisco and Buffalo in Miami.
and the Denver Broncos
.
Still, many thought that the inexperienced Cowboys might panic under the pressure of playing in their first Super Bowl, and thus make a number of mistakes. Also, some thought Buffalo's no-huddle offense could eventually wear down and dominate Dallas' young defense.
Finally, Jimmy Johnson was looking to become the first head coach to win a college football national championship (University of Miami
in 1987) and a Super Bowl. As of 2010, Johnson and Cowboys successor Barry Switzer
remain the only coaches ever to achieve this goal.
by NBC
with Dick Enberg
handling the play-by-play duties and color commentator
Bob Trumpy
in the broadcast booth. Bob Costas
hosted all the events with analyst Mike Ditka
. After the game, Homicide: Life on the Street
premiered on NBC.
This was the last of five Super Bowls at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Two other Super Bowls were played nearby at the Los Angeles Coliseum. As previously mentioned, this would be the seventh and final (to date) Super Bowl in the Los Angeles
area, tying New Orleans at the time for the city to host the most Super Bowls.
dance company in a tribute to Hollywood, music, and the movies
.
Country music
singer Garth Brooks
sang the national anthem. He was accompanied by actress Marlee Matlin
, who signed
the anthem for the deaf fans. Brooks very nearly did not perform the anthem—he left the stadium less than an hour before he was slated to sing, because of a dispute with NBC, regarding a video he asked them to air. Television producers spotted rocker Jon Bon Jovi in the crowd and were prepared to have him perform the anthem, until Brooks was finally coaxed back into the stadium.
The coin toss
ceremony featured a future infamous celebrity, former Bills running back O. J. Simpson
, who was working for NBC Sports at the time.
performed during the halftime show. Unlike many previous years, he was the only performer in the entire halftime show. Jackson started the performance by being catapulted on stage and then simply standing frozen in one of his famous 'Dangerous' poses. Jackson's set included songs "Jam
" (with the beginning of "Why You Wanna Trip On Me"), "Billie Jean
" and "Black or White". The finale featured an audience card stunt
, a video montage showing Jackson participating in various humanitarian efforts around the world, and a choir of 3,500 local Los Angeles area children singing "We Are The World", later joining Jackson as he sang his single "Heal the World
".
Part of the halftime show can be found on Michael Jackson's Dangerous - The Short Films
DVD. However, the DVD only features the "Heal The World" performance of the halftime show, and omits the show opening and a medley of "Jam", "Billie Jean" and "Black Or White".
Because of Jackson's star power, the Fox network
declined to broadcast counter-programming against the halftime show like they did during Super Bowl XXVI
's show in the previous year (Fox aired a special live edition of In Living Color
on that occasion). Fox would never broadcast counter-programming again against the Super Bowl; on December 19, 1993, the network signed an agreement to broadcast NFL (replacing CBS
as the NFC television broadcaster) starting in 1994.
It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures actually increased during the half-time show. The selection of Jackson for the halftime show was in response to sagging interest in recent performances, notably in the two years immediately prior. NFL and network officials decided it was necessary to sign top acts for the halftime in future years to boost future viewership and interest.
then 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 the Bills the 7-0 early lead.
Dallas then reached their own 40-yard line on their next drive, but an illegal formation penalty nullified running back Emmitt Smith
's 12-yard run. Troy Aikman
then threw two consecutive incompletions, and the Cowboys were forced to punt again. The Bills subsequently advanced to midfield with the aid of a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett
and a 21-yard reception by wide receiver Andre Reed
.
Then the wave of turnovers began. On the next play, Dallas safety James Washington
intercepted Jim Kelly
's pass and returned it 13 yards to the Bills' 47-yard line. The Cowboys then drove 47 yards in 6 plays to tie the game on Aikman's 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jay Novacek
.
On the Bills' first play of their next drive, Dallas defensive end Charles Haley
sacked Kelly and forced a fumble. Cowboys defensive tackle Jimmie Jones
picked the ball out of the air at the 2-yard line and dove into the end zone for a touchdown to give his team a 14-7 lead. Dallas had scored 2 touchdowns in a span of 15 seconds, the fastest pair in Super Bowl history.
Early in the second quarter, Kelly's 40-yard completion to Reed gave the Bills a first down at the Cowboys 4-yard line. But the Bills failed to score on 3 rushing attempts. On fourth down, Kelly's pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Thomas Everett
.
On Buffalo's next drive, linebacker Ken Norton, Jr.
hit Kelly, re-injuring the quarterback's knee that he sprained earlier in the season, and playoff hero Frank Reich
took Kelly's place. Reich started out well, completing his first 2 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 third down 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.
The Cowboys then stormed down the field on their next possession, scoring in just 5 plays. After a pair of completions by Aikman for 17 yards, Smith's 38-yard run gave the Cowboys a first down inside the Bills' 20-yard line. Aikman then finished the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Irvin
, increasing his team's lead to 21–10. On the first play of the Bills' ensuing drive, Thomas caught a swing pass, but fumbled the ball while being tackled by Lett, and Jones recovered it at the Bills 18-yard line. Aikman then threw his second touchdown pass to Irvin to give the Cowboys a 28-10 lead. (Irvin's two touchdown receptions made him the 7th player to do so in a Super Bowl. Irvin also became the second player, after Washington Redskins
wide receiver Ricky Sanders
in Super Bowl XXII
, to catch two touchdowns in a single quarter. Furthermore, Irvin's two catches occurred in a span of 18 seconds, the fastest pair of touchdowns ever scored by a single player in Super Bowl history).
With about a little over a minute left in the first half, Buffalo barely avoided another turnover when running back Kenneth Davis recovered a fumbled handoff from Reich. But 2 plays later, defensive back Larry Brown
intercepted Reich's pass at the Dallas 28-yard line to preserve the Cowboys' 18-point lead at halftime.
Dallas then took the opening drive of the second half and advanced 77 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 25-yard reception by Irvin. However, on third down and 2, Aikman's pass to Novacek in the end zone was overthrown, forcing Dallas to settle for Lin Elliot
's 20-yard field goal. This increased their lead to 31-10. Both teams were unable to score on each of their next possessions, but on the period's final play, Reich threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Bills receiver Don Beebe
, despite Cowboy complaints 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. So despite 5 first half turnovers, the Bills were only trailing Dallas 31–17 going into the final period, and after their comeback from the 32-point deficit in the playoffs, a 14-point comeback seemed perfectly within their capabilities.
But early in the fourth quarter, Aikman threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper
. Then on the second play of the Bills' next possession, Everett intercepted a pass from Reich and returned it 22 yards to Buffalo's 8-yard line, setting up another touchdown on Smith's 10-yard run. After Buffalo received the ensuing kickoff, Reich fumbled a high snap while in a shotgun formation
. Norton recovered the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, increasing the Cowboys' lead to 52-17. The 21 points by the Cowboys is the most ever for a team in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys also became just the second team to score two non-offensive touchdowns in a game. The Raiders also did so in Super Bowl XVIII
with a blocked punt return and an interception return.
The most memorable moment of the game came well after the Cowboys had built an insurmountable lead. After both teams lost a fumble on their next possessions, the Bills managed to advance to the Cowboys' 31-yard line. But Reich lost a fumble while being sacked by Cowboys lineman Jim Jeffcoat
. Lett picked up the ball with no one in front of him and appeared to be headed for a 64-yard touchdown return. As he started to showboat just before crossing the goal line, Don 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 scored in a game that the 49ers had set three years prior.
Smith was the top rusher of the game, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 6 passes for 27 yards. Irvin was the Cowboys' leading receiver with 6 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. Novacek added 7 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. Lett recorded a sack, a fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles.
Reich and Kelly combined for 22 out of 38 completions for 276 yards and a touchdown, but also threw 4 interceptions. Thomas, who gained 2,113 combined rushing and receiving yards during the season, was held to just 29 combined rushing and receiving yards in the game. Reed was the Bills' top receiver with 8 receptions for 152 yards. Bills running back Kenneth Davis was their leading rusher with 86 yards. Davis also caught 3 passes for 16 yards and returned a kickoff for 21 yards, giving him 123 total yards.
Irvin and Bills receiver Andre Reed
each had over 100 yards receiving, making it the first time players from different teams had at least 100 yards receiving. Irvin had 114 yards while Reed had 152. Reed's total is the highest for a player on a losing team.
For the first (and to date only) time in Super Bowl history, the officials changed shirts at halftime. Officials wore their short-sleeved shirts during the first half and their long-sleeved shirts in the second half.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
to decide the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) champion following the 1992 regular season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
. The National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
1992 Dallas Cowboys season
-Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals:-Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles:-Week 6: vs Seattle Seahawks:-Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs:-NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10:...
(16-3) defeated the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) champion Buffalo Bills
1992 Buffalo Bills season
The 1992 Buffalo Bills season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1992 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses, and finished second in the AFC East division...
(14-6), 52–17 (a then-record 69 combined points). The Cowboys won their third Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
in team history, and their first one in fifteen years
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
. The Bills became the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls, and just the second team to play in three straight (the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
played in Super Bowls VI-VIII, winning VII and VIII). This is also the first time that three teams from the same division have each won a Super Bowl within one year of each other (The Cowboys NFC East rivals, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
won the previous two Super Bowls XXV and XXVI respectively.)
The Bills' Super Bowl record nine turnovers—four interceptions and five lost fumbles—led to their third consecutive Super Bowl loss. The Cowboys lost two fumbles themselves, tying the Super Bowl record for the most turnovers by both teams (the Cowboys and the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
also committed a combined 11 turnovers in Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
).
Cowboys quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
was named Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 28 yards.
This was the seventh and last Super Bowl to date that the Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
has hosted.
Arizona's Martin Luther King Day controversy
Super Bowl XXVII was originally scheduled to be played at Sun Devil StadiumSun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, the home of the Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Immediately after the Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to the Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
area in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, the NFL was eager to hold a Super Bowl in that state.
Meanwhile, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the United States federal holiday
Public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year....
honoring Martin Luther King Jr, was observed for the first time in 1986. However, the holiday was only celebrated in 27 states and the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
during that first year. Opponents across the nation tried to stop the holiday from being recognized in their own local areas.
In 1986, an Arizona holiday honoring King had been declared, through an executive order by Governor Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Edward Babbitt , a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as the 16th governor of Arizona, from 1978 to 1987.-Biography:...
after a bill to create the holiday failed in the state legislature. A year later, though, newly-elected Governor Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham was the 17th Governor of Arizona. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham earned his living as an automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher...
rescinded the holiday in 1987 on the grounds that the holiday had been illegally created.
Legislation to create the holiday was passed by the state legislature in 1989, but opponents to the holiday succeeded in forcing the holiday to undergo a ballot initiative. The NFL met in March 1990 at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida to select the site of the 1993 Super Bowl. Arizona was heavily favored to win selection as the site of the 93 bowl game. Civil Rights advocates in Arizona sent Art Mobley to Orlando to make sure the King Holiday issue was considered in the discussions. The controversy surrounding the Arizona King Holiday issue had become confusing and difficult to follow. Mobley delivered letters to each of the five owners on the site selection committee, providing detailed history and analysis of the situation on the ground in Arizona. Blacks across the nation had already supported a complete entertainment and convention boycott of Arizona that had been called by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King and Legendary Singer/Songwriter, Stevie Wonder in response to Governor Mecham rescinding the holiday. State leaders, including US Senators John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Dennis DeConcini
Dennis DeConcini
Dennis Webster DeConcini is a former Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona. Son of former Arizona Supreme Court Judge Evo Anton DeConcini, he represented Arizona in the United States Senate from 1977 until 1995....
and Governor Rose Mofford all flew to Orlando to convince NFL owners that Arizona would do all it could to win a state observance at the earliest ballot box opportunity.
The Site Selection Committee was chaired by Philadelphia Eagles Owner and GM, Norman Braman. Braman met with Mobley after the committee voted to award the 93 game to Arizona and vowed that 'if anything was done to dishonor the memory of Dr. King,' the committee would vote to rescind the award of the game to Arizona. Mobley and Braman held an impromptu news conference to publicly reiterate the warning.
Arizona voters rejected the 1990 initiative to create a King holiday.
The NFL, which had an increasing percentage of African American players, and urged by the NFL Players' Association
National Football League Players' Association
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the labor organization for the professional football players in the National Football League . It has been at times a professional association, as well as a labor union...
, voted to yank Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona, and awarded it instead to the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. A citizens coalition called 'Arizonans for a Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday,' led by Reverend Warren H. Stewart Sr., organized to bring all sides together in a campaign call 'Victory Together One Clear Choice.' Two years after the loss of more the $350 million in major convention business and the 1993 Super Bowl, Arizona became the first and only state to popularly vote for and pass a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday.
Faced with the boycott, Arizona voters finally approved the holiday by ballot in 1992, and on March 23, 1993, the NFL awarded Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
(1996) to Tempe.
The resurrection of the Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVII saw the resurrection of the Cowboys. Between 19661966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
and 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, the team made the playoffs 18 out of 20 seasons under coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
, including 5 Super Bowl appearances and 2 Super Bowl wins. But in the late 1980s, the team suffered several losing seasons, including a 3-13 regular season record in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
. Then Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
bought the team on February 25, 1989, and promptly fired Landry, the only head coach Dallas ever had. Jones replaced Landry with University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
head coach, Jimmy Johnson.
With Johnson as head coach and Jones as his own general manager, people in the league thought they could take advantage of them. Both lacked NFL experience, and instead of hiring coaching assistants with experience in the league, they hired ones that worked with Johnson in Miami. And Jones fired the two men that brought previous success to Dallas: its founding president Tex Schramm
Tex Schramm
Texas Earnest "Tex" Schramm, Jr. was the original president and general manager of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys franchise. Schramm became the head of the Cowboys when the former expansion team started operations in 1960.-Early life and career:Despite his name, Schramm was not born...
and its famed personnel man Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt was a Vice President of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988.Brandt served as the Cowboys' chief talent scout since the club's birth in 1960. He had served as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams under General Manager Tex Schramm in the 1950s...
.
The Cowboys' 3-13 record in 1988 did have a silver lining, it was the worst in the league and thus gave the Cowboys the first pick in the 1989 NFL Draft
1989 NFL Draft
The 1989 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24 , 1989...
. Jones and Johnson picked UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, who would eventually go on to be selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
6 times in his NFL career. Meanwhile, Jones and Johnson immediately started to shuffle the team's depth chart to find players talented enough to build a winning team. Linebacker Ken Norton Jr., one of the few holdovers from Landry's last losing seasons, would later claim that he would often go into a player huddle and meet new teammates for the first time.
Then, Jones and Johnson made a move midway through the 1989 season that shocked many in the league: they traded their only Pro Bowl player, running back Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
, to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
for five veteran players and eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
with a 1-15 record, their worst record since the team's inception, the foundations for the Cowboys' return to glory had been set. Although Dallas had the league's worst record, they traded away the first pick in the 1990 draft so they could get backup quarterback Steve Walsh
Steve Walsh (NFL)
Stephen John "Steve" Walsh is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Personal life:...
in the supplemental draft. Then with the 17th pick, they drafted running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, and the trifecta of Aikman, Smith, and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
(who was drafted by Landry in 1988) was now set. Dallas also signed veteran tight end Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
away from Phoenix
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in five of his six years with the Cowboys.
Johnson also started to rebuild the team by drafting players who were fast, quick, and athletic. The defense was designed to become aggressive, while the offense was made to be a conservative one that did not make mistakes. The Cowboys finished 7-9, but Smith won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
and Jimmy Johnson was selected as NFL Coach of the Year
NFL Coach of the Year Award
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...
. By the 1991 season
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, the Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record and made the playoffs for the first time in six years.
In 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
, the Cowboys finished with a 13-3 regular season record, the second best in the league. Although not a single one of their defensive players made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, Dallas was ranked as the number one defense in the league (allowing only 4,278 yards) and ranked as the number one defense against the run (allowing only 1,244), bringing back many fans memories of the Doomsday Defenses of old. The defensive line was anchored by Jim Jeffcoat
Jim Jeffcoat
James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League. From 2008 to 2010 he served as defensive line coach for the Houston Cougars football team...
(10.5 sacks) and Tony Tolbert
Tony Tolbert
Anthony Lewis Tolbert is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
(8.5 sacks), along with Charles Haley
Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University...
, who had led the NFC in sacks in 1990 and had been acquired by Dallas in a trade with San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. While Norton anchored the linebacking core, the team's solid secondary was led by defensive backs Kenneth Gant and James Washington
James Washington
James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
, who both recorded 3 interceptions each.
Dallas' spectacular offense, led by Aikman who had the best season of his career by completing 302 out of 473 passes for 3,445 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing only 14 interceptions, was one of the league's finest, finishing fourth in the league in total yards. Superstar running back Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing, with 1,713 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 335 yards and another touchdown. Fullback Daryl Johnston
Daryl Johnston
Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:...
was also an asset in the backfield, provding Smith with effective blocking and hauling in 32 receptions. Irvin, the team's emotional lightning rod, caught 78 passes for 1,396 yards and 7 touchdowns. Other contributors on the offense included wide receiver Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
(35 receptions for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns) and Novacek (68 receptions for 630 yards and 6 touchdowns). Dallas' dominant offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers Nate Newton
Nate Newton
Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985...
and Mark Stepnoski
Mark Stepnoski
Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh....
.
With all this talent the Cowboys would be considered by many to be one of the deepest and most talented teams to ever take to the gridiron.
The Buffalo Bills' third attempt for a Super Bowl title
The Bills entered Super Bowl XXVII trying to avoid becoming the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls. Once again the team was loaded with Pro Bowl players, boasting 12 Pro Bowl selections. During the regular season, Buffalo's no-huddle offense ranked as the number two offense in the league (6,114 yards) and ranked as the number one rushing offense (2,436). Running back Thurman Thomas rushed for 1,487 yards and 9 touchdowns during the regular season, while also catching 58 passes for 626 yards and another 3 touchdowns. Running back Kenneth Davis rushed for 613 yards, caught 15 passes for 80 yards, and added another 251 yards returning kickoffs. Quarterback Jim KellyJim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
had 269 out of 462 completions for 3,457 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Wide receiver Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
led the team with 65 receptions for 913 yards and 3 touchdowns, receiver James Lofton
James Lofton
James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
contributed 51 receptions for 786 yards and 6 touchdowns, and wide receiver Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
caught 33 passes for 554 and 2 touchdowns. Also tight end Pete Metzelaars
Pete Metzelaars
Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League...
recorded 30 receptions for 298 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Bills also had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, led by Pro Bowlers Will Wolford
Will Wolford
William Charles Wolford is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers....
, Jim Ritcher
Jim Ritcher
-Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by...
, and Howard Ballard, along with center Kent Hull.
On defense, the line was anchored by end Bruce Smith (14 sacks) and nose tackle Jeff Wright
Jeff Wright (defensive tackle)
Jeffrey Dee Wright is a former American football nose tackle who had a seven-year career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills. He played in four Super Bowls for the Bills, all losing efforts...
(6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), who were fully recovered after missing almost all of the previous season due to injuries. The Bills were once again led by their trio of linebackers Darryl Talley
Darryl Talley
Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(77 tackles, 4 sacks), Shane Conlan
Shane Conlan
Shane Patrick Conlan is a former professional American football player. He played college football at Penn State University, where he won two national championships...
(66 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception), and Pro Bowler Cornelius Bennett
Cornelius Bennett
Cornelius O'Landa Bennett is a former American football linebacker who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1995, Atlanta Falcons from 1996 to 1998, and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2000...
(52 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries). The defensive secondary was aided by the emergence of second year safety Henry Jones, who tied for the NFL lead with 8 interceptions, returning them for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns. Safety Mark Kelso
Mark Kelso
Mark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the...
recorded 7 interceptions, while Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Odomes
Nate Odomes
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons...
had 5.
However, the Bills quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl suffered a major setback when they lost the final game of the season to the Houston Oilers. The loss caused the Bills to finish with an 11-5 record, losing out on the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
title to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
based on tie-breaking rules, and thus making them a wild card team for the playoffs. Thus, even if they won their first playoff game, they would have to win two on the road to make the Super Bowl. To make matters worse, Kelly also suffered strained knee ligaments during the loss to the Oilers and had to miss the first 2 playoff games. Furthermore, their first opponent in the playoffs ended up being the Oilers. A headline on a Buffalo newspaper stated the Bills situation: "Bills Begin The Longest Road Today."
Playoffs
The Cowboys easily defeated their first playoff opponent, the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 34-10. Dallas' defense held the Eagles to only 178 offensive yards and sacked quarterback Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
5 times. Meanwhile, the Cowboys recorded 160 rushing yards and 185 passing yards. Aikman completed 15 of 25 passes and 2 touchdowns, while Smith ran for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas then defeated the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, 30–20, in the NFC Championship Game. This was the first time that the two teams met in the NFC Championship since the 49ers narrowly beat the Cowboys during the 1981 season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
on a late touchdown pass known as "The Catch
The Catch (American football)
The Catch refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers...
". The 49ers came into the game with the league's best regular season record at 14–2 and led the league in scoring with 431 points. But in this game, the Cowboys built a 24–13 lead going into the fourth quarter, as Aikman capped a nine minute drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Smith. However, 49ers quarterback Steve Young's 5-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
cut the lead 24-20 with 4:22 left in the game. But instead of trying to run out the clock with a running play, Aikman threw a 70-yard completion to Harper. Three plays later, Aikman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kelvin Martin
Kelvin Martin (American football)
Kelvin Brian Martin is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. A 5'9",...
to clinch the victory (the extra point was blocked). Aikman finished with 332 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions.
The Bills first defeated the Houston Oilers, 41–38 in overtime, in what became known as "The Comeback
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
". Nothing seemed to go right for the Bills in the first half. In addition to playing without Kelly and Bennett, Thomas was knocked out of the game with a hip injury. The Bills offense could only score a single field goal, while their defense played even worse, as Oilers quarterback Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
passed for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Houston jumped to a 28-3 halftime lead. Then, backup quarterback Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
's first pass of the second half was intercepted by Bubba McDowell and returned 58 yards for a touchdown, making the score 35-3. However, the Bills suddenly stormed back to score 5 unanswered touchdowns to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds. First, Davis scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Then Buffalo recovered an onside kick and immediately scored again on Reich's 36-yard touchdown pass to Beebe. Reich then threw touchdowns of 26 and 18 yards to Reed. In the fourth quarter, Reich hit Reed with a 17-yard score to give the Bills a 38-35 lead. The Oilers kicked a field goal late in the game to send it into overtime, but Odomes' interception in the extra period set up kicker Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
's game winning field goal to give the Bills the biggest comeback win in NFL history.
Buffalo then recorded a 24-3 win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, the AFC Central champions with the AFC's best regular season record at 11-5. Although Kelly and Thomas had not recovered enough to play for this game, Reich threw for 160 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, while Davis rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the defense redeemed themselves for giving up 38 points against the Oilers by holding the Steelers to only a field goal.
The Bills then defeated the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 29-10, in the AFC Championship. The Dolphins were coming off a 31-0 blowout playoff win over the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. But Buffalo's defense dominated the Dolphins offense, intercepting quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
twice, recovering 3 fumbles, and limiting Miami to just 33 rushing yards. Although Buffalo's offense had trouble scoring touchdowns because Kelly and Thomas were rusty coming back from their injuries, Christie scored 5 field goals to make up for the difference. Kelly did connect with Thomas on a screen pass for a 17 yard touchdown, and Ken Davis ran it in from two yards out for another score. As a result, the Bills became the fourth wild-card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
team to advance to the Super Bowl.
This marked the first time since the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
that the two Super Bowl teams each won their conference championship on the road. Dallas winning in San Francisco and Buffalo in Miami.
Super Bowl pre-game news and notes
Even though the Bills had more experienced players than the Cowboys, Dallas was favored to win Super Bowl XXVII based on the recent dominance of NFC teams in the Super Bowl. Some writers and fans were starting to compare Buffalo to the Super Bowls losers Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Still, many thought that the inexperienced Cowboys might panic under the pressure of playing in their first Super Bowl, and thus make a number of mistakes. Also, some thought Buffalo's no-huddle offense could eventually wear down and dominate Dallas' young defense.
Finally, Jimmy Johnson was looking to become the first head coach to win a college football national championship (University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1987) and a Super Bowl. As of 2010, Johnson and Cowboys successor Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
remain the only coaches ever to achieve this goal.
Television and entertainment
The game was broadcast in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
with Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
handling the play-by-play duties and color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Bob Trumpy
Bob Trumpy
Bob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
in the broadcast booth. Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
hosted all the events with analyst Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
. After the game, Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
premiered on NBC.
This was the last of five Super Bowls at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Two other Super Bowls were played nearby at the Los Angeles Coliseum. As previously mentioned, this would be the seventh and final (to date) Super Bowl in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area, tying New Orleans at the time for the city to host the most Super Bowls.
Pregame ceremonies
The pre show featured The RockettesThe Rockettes
The Rockettes are a precision dance company performing out of the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York City. During the Christmas season, the Rockettes have performed five shows a day, seven days a week, for 77 years...
dance company in a tribute to Hollywood, music, and the movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
sang the national anthem. He was accompanied by actress Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
, who signed
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
the anthem for the deaf fans. Brooks very nearly did not perform the anthem—he left the stadium less than an hour before he was slated to sing, because of a dispute with NBC, regarding a video he asked them to air. Television producers spotted rocker Jon Bon Jovi in the crowd and were prepared to have him perform the anthem, until Brooks was finally coaxed back into the stadium.
The coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
ceremony featured a future infamous celebrity, former Bills running back O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, who was working for NBC Sports at the time.
Halftime show
Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
performed during the halftime show. Unlike many previous years, he was the only performer in the entire halftime show. Jackson started the performance by being catapulted on stage and then simply standing frozen in one of his famous 'Dangerous' poses. Jackson's set included songs "Jam
Jam (Michael Jackson song)
"Jam" is a song by Michael Jackson from his 1991 Dangerous album. It appears as track one on Dangerous and track two on his 2009 This Is It compilation album. The single was re-released in 2006 as part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles collection. "Jam" is a mix of aggressive hard funk,...
" (with the beginning of "Why You Wanna Trip On Me"), "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
" and "Black or White". The finale featured an audience card stunt
Card stunt
Card stunts are a planned, coordinated sequence of actions performed by an audience, whose members raise cards that, in the aggregate, create a recognizable image. The images they create can range widely and, through careful planning, the same cards can create a number of different images by...
, a video montage showing Jackson participating in various humanitarian efforts around the world, and a choir of 3,500 local Los Angeles area children singing "We Are The World", later joining Jackson as he sang his single "Heal the World
Heal the World
"Heal the World" is a song from Michael Jackson's hit album, Dangerous, released in 1991. The music video features children living in countries suffering from unrest, especially Burundi. It is also one of only a handful of Michael Jackson's videos not to feature Jackson himself, the others being...
".
Part of the halftime show can be found on Michael Jackson's Dangerous - The Short Films
Dangerous - The Short Films
Dangerous: The Short Films is a collection of music videos from the Dangerous album by Michael Jackson released initially on VHS, double Video CD in 1993 and reissued on DVD in 2001...
DVD. However, the DVD only features the "Heal The World" performance of the halftime show, and omits the show opening and a medley of "Jam", "Billie Jean" and "Black Or White".
Because of Jackson's star power, the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
declined to broadcast counter-programming against the halftime show like they did during Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
's show in the previous year (Fox aired a special live edition of In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
on that occasion). Fox would never broadcast counter-programming again against the Super Bowl; on December 19, 1993, the network signed an agreement to broadcast NFL (replacing CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
as the NFC television broadcaster) starting in 1994.
It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures actually increased during the half-time show. The selection of Jackson for the halftime show was in response to sagging interest in recent performances, notably in the two years immediately prior. NFL and network officials decided it was necessary to sign top acts for the halftime in future years to boost future viewership and interest.
Game summary
Things started out well in the beginning for Buffalo. On their first possession, the Cowboys were forced to a three-and-out. Bills special teams expert Steve TaskerSteve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
then 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 the Bills the 7-0 early lead.
Dallas then reached their own 40-yard line on their next drive, but an illegal formation penalty nullified running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
's 12-yard run. Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
then threw two consecutive incompletions, and the Cowboys were forced to punt again. The Bills subsequently advanced to midfield with the aid of a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett
Leon Lett
Leon Lett, Jr. , nicknamed The Big Cat, is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos , after playing college football at Emporia State University. Lett was a two-time Pro Bowler, with selections in 1994 and...
and a 21-yard reception by wide receiver Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
.
Then the wave of turnovers began. On the next play, Dallas safety James Washington
James Washington
James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
intercepted Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
's pass and returned it 13 yards to the Bills' 47-yard line. The Cowboys then drove 47 yards in 6 plays to tie the game on Aikman's 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
.
On the Bills' first play of their next drive, Dallas defensive end Charles Haley
Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University...
sacked Kelly and forced a fumble. Cowboys defensive tackle Jimmie Jones
Jimmie Jones
Jimmie Sims Jones is a former professional American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in 121 games and had 32 sacks...
picked the ball out of the air at the 2-yard line and dove into the end zone for a touchdown to give his team a 14-7 lead. Dallas had scored 2 touchdowns in a span of 15 seconds, the fastest pair in Super Bowl history.
Early in the second quarter, Kelly's 40-yard completion to Reed gave the Bills a first down at the Cowboys 4-yard line. But the Bills failed to score on 3 rushing attempts. On fourth down, Kelly's pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Thomas Everett
Thomas Everett
Thomas Gregory Everett is a former American football safety in the National Football League.He played nine seasons for three teams . He attended Baylor University where he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football...
.
On Buffalo's next drive, linebacker Ken Norton, Jr.
Ken Norton (American football player)
Kenneth Howard Norton, Jr. is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League, former USC Trojan football team Linebacker Coach and Assistant Head Coach for Defense, and is the current linebackers coach for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks with former USC coach Pete Carroll.He is...
hit Kelly, re-injuring the quarterback's knee that he sprained earlier in the season, and playoff hero Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
took Kelly's place. Reich started out well, completing his first 2 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 third down and 1 at the 4-yard line. Rather than attempt another fourth down play near the goal line, the Bills settled for Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
's 21-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 14–10 with 3:24 left in the half.
The Cowboys then stormed down the field on their next possession, scoring in just 5 plays. After a pair of completions by Aikman for 17 yards, Smith's 38-yard run gave the Cowboys a first down inside the Bills' 20-yard line. Aikman then finished the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
, increasing his team's lead to 21–10. On the first play of the Bills' ensuing drive, Thomas caught a swing pass, but fumbled the ball while being tackled by Lett, and Jones recovered it at the Bills 18-yard line. Aikman then threw his second touchdown pass to Irvin to give the Cowboys a 28-10 lead. (Irvin's two touchdown receptions made him the 7th player to do so in a Super Bowl. Irvin also became the second player, after Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
wide receiver Ricky Sanders
Ricky Sanders
Ricky Wayne Sanders is a former American football wide receiver who played for eight seasons with the Washington Redskins and one for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League from 1986 to 1994...
in Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
, to catch two touchdowns in a single quarter. Furthermore, Irvin's two catches occurred in a span of 18 seconds, the fastest pair of touchdowns ever scored by a single player in Super Bowl history).
With about a little over a minute left in the first half, Buffalo barely avoided another turnover when running back Kenneth Davis recovered a fumbled handoff from Reich. But 2 plays later, defensive back Larry Brown
Larry Brown (cornerback)
Larry Brown, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders. He is mostly known for being named the MVP of Super Bowl XXX. Brown was a starting cornerback on all three Dallas Cowboys championship teams of the nineties...
intercepted Reich's pass at the Dallas 28-yard line to preserve the Cowboys' 18-point lead at halftime.
Dallas then took the opening drive of the second half and advanced 77 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 25-yard reception by Irvin. However, on third down and 2, Aikman's pass to Novacek in the end zone was overthrown, forcing Dallas to settle for Lin Elliot
Lin Elliot
Lindley Franklin Elliott Jr. is a former kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football for Texas Tech...
's 20-yard field goal. This increased their lead to 31-10. Both teams were unable to score on each of their next possessions, but on the period's final play, Reich threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Bills receiver Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
, despite Cowboy complaints 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. So despite 5 first half turnovers, the Bills were only trailing Dallas 31–17 going into the final period, and after their comeback from the 32-point deficit in the playoffs, a 14-point comeback seemed perfectly within their capabilities.
But early in the fourth quarter, Aikman threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
. Then on the second play of the Bills' next possession, Everett intercepted a pass from Reich and returned it 22 yards to Buffalo's 8-yard line, setting up another touchdown on Smith's 10-yard run. After Buffalo received the ensuing kickoff, Reich fumbled a high snap while in a shotgun formation
Shotgun formation
The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...
. Norton recovered the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, increasing the Cowboys' lead to 52-17. The 21 points by the Cowboys is the most ever for a team in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys also became just the second team to score two non-offensive touchdowns in a game. The Raiders also did so in Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
with a blocked punt return and an interception return.
The most memorable moment of the game came well after the Cowboys had built an insurmountable lead. After both teams lost a fumble on their next possessions, the Bills managed to advance to the Cowboys' 31-yard line. But Reich lost a fumble while being sacked by Cowboys lineman Jim Jeffcoat
Jim Jeffcoat
James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League. From 2008 to 2010 he served as defensive line coach for the Houston Cougars football team...
. Lett picked up the ball with no one in front of him and appeared to be headed for a 64-yard touchdown return. As he started to showboat just before crossing the goal line, Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
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
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
. If Lett had scored the touchdown, the Cowboys would have topped the previous Super Bowl record of 55 points scored in a game that the 49ers had set three years prior.
Smith was the top rusher of the game, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 6 passes for 27 yards. Irvin was the Cowboys' leading receiver with 6 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. Novacek added 7 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. Lett recorded a sack, a fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles.
Reich and Kelly combined for 22 out of 38 completions for 276 yards and a touchdown, but also threw 4 interceptions. Thomas, who gained 2,113 combined rushing and receiving yards during the season, was held to just 29 combined rushing and receiving yards in the game. Reed was the Bills' top receiver with 8 receptions for 152 yards. Bills running back Kenneth Davis was their leading rusher with 86 yards. Davis also caught 3 passes for 16 yards and returned a kickoff for 21 yards, giving him 123 total yards.
Irvin and Bills receiver Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
each had over 100 yards receiving, making it the first time players from different teams had at least 100 yards receiving. Irvin had 114 yards while Reed had 152. Reed's total is the highest for a player on a losing team.
Box score
Starting lineups
Source:| Dallas | Position | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| Alvin Harper Alvin Harper Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities... |
WR | James Lofton James Lofton James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills... |
| Mark Tuinei Mark Tuinei Mark Pulemau Tuinei was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys... |
LT | Will Wolford Will Wolford William Charles Wolford is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.... |
| Nate Newton Nate Newton Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985... |
LG | Jim Ritcher Jim Ritcher -Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by... |
| Mark Stepnoski Mark Stepnoski Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh.... |
C | Kent Hull |
| John Gesek John Gesek John Christian Gesek, Jr. is a former American football offensive lineman who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Washington Redskins... |
RG | Glenn Parker Glenn Parker Glenn Andrew Parker is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Giants... |
| Erik Williams Erik Williams Erik George Williams is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was... |
RT | Howard Ballard Howard Ballard Howard Louis Ballard is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "House" for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college... |
| Jay Novacek Jay Novacek Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995... |
TE | Pete Metzelaars Pete Metzelaars Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League... |
| Michael Irvin Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his... |
WR | Andre Reed Andre Reed Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed... |
| Troy Aikman Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys... |
QB | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... |
| Emmitt Smith Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for... |
RB | Thurman Thomas |
| Daryl Johnston Daryl Johnston Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:... |
FB-WR | Don Beebe Don Beebe Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.... |
| DEFENSE | ||
| Tony Tolbert Tony Tolbert Anthony Lewis Tolbert is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys... |
LE | Phil Hansen Phil Hansen (American football) Phillip Allen Hansen is a former American football defensive end in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the second round, making the 1991 all-rookie team, and playing on three Super Bowl teams... |
| Russell Maryland Russell Maryland Russell James Maryland is a former professional American football player. He played defensive tackle for ten seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cowboys first overall in the 1991 NFL Draft... |
LDT-NT | Jeff Wright Jeff Wright (defensive tackle) Jeffrey Dee Wright is a former American football nose tackle who had a seven-year career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills. He played in four Super Bowls for the Bills, all losing efforts... |
| Tony Casillas Tony Casillas Tony Steven Casillas is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League from 1986 through 1997. While at the University of Oklahoma he helped win the 1985 NCAA National Championship. He also won the Lombardi Award in 1985 and was the 1985 UPI Lineman of the Year... |
RDT-RE | Bruce Smith |
| Charles Haley Charles Haley Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University... |
RE-LOLB | Marvcus Patton Marvcus Patton Marvcus Raymond Patton is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 8th round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 239-lb. linebacker from UCLA, Patton played in 13 NFL seasons from 1990 to 2002 for the Bills, Washington Redskins, and Kansas City Chiefs... |
| Ken Norton, Jr. | LOLB-LILB | Shane Conlan Shane Conlan Shane Patrick Conlan is a former professional American football player. He played college football at Penn State University, where he won two national championships... |
| Robert Jones Robert Jones (American football) Robert Lee Jones is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the St... |
MLB-RILB | Cornelius Bennett Cornelius Bennett Cornelius O'Landa Bennett is a former American football linebacker who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1995, Atlanta Falcons from 1996 to 1998, and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2000... |
| Vinson Smith Vinson Smith Vinson Robert Smith , is a former American football linebacker, who spent 12 years in the National Football League after graduating from East Carolina University. Smith won one Super Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys... |
ROLB | Darryl Talley Darryl Talley Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.... |
| Larry Brown Larry Brown (cornerback) Larry Brown, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders. He is mostly known for being named the MVP of Super Bowl XXX. Brown was a starting cornerback on all three Dallas Cowboys championship teams of the nineties... |
LCB | James Williams |
| Kevin Smith Kevin Smith (cornerback) Kevin Rey Smith is a former professional American football player who played cornerback in the National Football League for nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.-High school career:... |
RCB | Nate Odomes Nate Odomes Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons... |
| Thomas Everett Thomas Everett Thomas Gregory Everett is a former American football safety in the National Football League.He played nine seasons for three teams . He attended Baylor University where he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football... |
SS | Henry Jones |
| James Washington James Washington James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon... |
FS | Mark Kelso Mark Kelso Mark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the... |
Officials
- Referee: Dick HantakDick HantakDick Hantak was an American football official in the National Football League for 25 years between 1978 and 2003. He began his NFL officiating career as a back judge and became a referee eight years later...
#105 - Umpire: Ron BotchanRon BotchanRonald Leslie "Ron" Botchan is a retired American football official from the National Football League . Prior to that he was an American football linebacker in the American Football League from 1960 to 1962. As an official, Botchan worked as an umpire for nearly his entire NFL career and wore the...
#110 - Head Linesman: Ron Phares #10
- Line Judge: Dick McKenzie #41
- Field Judge: Donnie Hampton #44
- Side Judge: Dean LookDean LookDean Zachary Look was an American college and Professional Football player. A quarterback at Michigan State and for the American Football League New York Titans, a Major League Baseball outfielder, and American football official in the National Football League...
#49 - Back Judge: Jim Poole #92
For the first (and to date only) time in Super Bowl history, the officials changed shirts at halftime. Officials wore their short-sleeved shirts during the first half and their long-sleeved shirts in the second half.