With the second-best regular-season record in the conference, the Cowboys had a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Coach Johnson gave the team a few days off, so Emmitt Smith went home to Pensacola and watched on television as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated New Orleans, 36–20, to earn the right to play the Cowboys.
The Philadelphia victory pleased the Cowboys. For years, Dallas has considered the Eagles and New York Giants its archrivals. With all three teams competing in the NFC’s tough Eastern Division, their games have a special atmosphere.
In the week before the game, some Philadelphia players predicted victory. After all, they reasoned, the Eagles had been one of only three teams to defeat the Cowboys all year. In fact, the Eagles had slaughtered the Cowboys, 31–7, in the fourth game of the season.
But the Cowboys planned to be prepared. It would be the first playoff game at Texas Stadium in a decade. The players didn’t want to let their fans down.
They didn’t. The Cowboys dominated from the opening snap and won going away, 34–10. Emmitt Smith rushed for 114 yards, including 69 yards in the third quarter, when he scored his first postseason touchdown on a nifty 23-yard draw play. The win sent the Cowboys into the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco.
The 49ers’ 14–2 regular-season record was the best in pro football that year. Led by quarterback Steve Young, wide receiver Jerry Rice, and running back Rickey Watters, the 49ers had the most powerful offense in the game. To win, the Cowboys knew they would have to either shut down the San Francisco offense or somehow find a way to outscore them.
The first half was close. Emmitt scored on a short touchdown plunge to put the Cowboys up, 10–7, but the 49ers kicked a field goal just before halftime to tie the score.
The Cowboys were convinced they could pass on the 49ers’ defense. But throughout the first half, they had used Emmitt Smith to establish the run. Now they decided it was time to go to the air.
After the kickoff, they took over on their own 22-yard line. A series of play-action passes moved the ball down the field.
On a play-action pass, the quarterback fakes a handoff to a running back, trying to make the defense think the play is a run. Then he fades back and looks for a receiver. If the fake succeeds, there is usually a receiver open because the defensive backfield had moved up to tackle the player they thought was running the ball.
Emmitt’s role in a play-action pass is simple. He pretends to take the handoff, then runs into the line, where he either helps pass-block or moves into the flat and becomes a “safety valve.” If all other receivers are covered, the running back often is open.
Because the Cowboys had established the run in the first half, the 49ers had to pay attention to Emmitt Smith. Time after time, they fell for the fake, then scrambled to recover as Aikman faded back and found open receivers downfield. Fullback Darryl “Moose” Johnston scored from the 3-yard line to put Dallas up, 17–10.
San Francisco came back and kicked a field goal to make the score 17–13. The Cowboys took the ensuing kickoff and returned it to their own 21.
Then the 49ers changed their defensive strategy, deciding to blitz and send the linebackers charging through the line. If the play was a run, they’d be in position to stop it. If it was a pass, they hoped to sack Aikman before he could throw the ball.
But the Cowboys were ready. They kept passing, and Aikman managed to get rid of the ball before the 49ers could get to him. They quickly moved into 49er territory.
At the San Francisco 16-yard line, Emmitt Smith drifted out to the right side as Troy Aikman dropped back. The quarterback saw that Smith was open and lofted the ball in his direction.
Emmitt gathered in the pass and ran into the end zone without being touched. Now the Cowboys’ lead grew to 24–13.
Although San Francisco rallied to pull within four points at 24–20, the Cowboys hung on to win, 30–20. They were going to the Super Bowl!
In the American Football Conference, the Buffalo Bills won the championship and earned their third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl. After losing in the Super Bowl the past two years, they were determined not to lose again.
The two teams gathered in Pasadena, California, the site of Super Bowl XXVII, a week before the game. Super Bowl week is usually a swirl of publicity and hype. That year was no different.
In an interview a few days before the game, Emmitt Smith revealed a new goal. He didn’t just want to win the game, he said, “I want to be the Super Bowl MVP.” As game time approached, he was determined not to let his words come back to haunt him.
Buffalo stormed out in the first quarter. The Bills shut down the Cowboys on their opening possession, then blocked a punt and scored a quick touchdown to take an early 7–0 lead. The Cowboys had to regroup.
No one panicked. Although the Bills kicked off and shut down allas for a second time, the Cowboys’ defense came through. On the Bills’ next possession, Dallas intercepted Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly and gave the offense another chance.
Dallas stuck with its game plan. This time the Cowboys moved smartly downfield, mixing runs by Emmitt Smith with some short passes. Troy Aikman hit tight end Jay Novacek with a 23-yard touchdown pass, and the Cowboys tied the score, 7–7.
After the kickoff, Buffalo made another mistake, fumbling deep in its own territory. Cowboy tackle Jimmie Jones picked up the ball and rumbled two yards into the end zone to put the Cowboys ahead, 14–7.
The rout was on. The Bills couldn’t seem to hang on to the football, and the Cowboys took advantage of every mistake. Troy Aikman picked apart the Buffalo secondary and kept finding receivers in the end zone. At halftime, the Cowboys led 28–10.
The Cowboys had hardly needed him, but Emmitt Smith chipped in with his usual all-star performance. In the fourth quarter, with Dallas leading 38–17, he took the ball on a draw play at the 10-yard line and put the game out of reach as he broke several tackles and charged into the end zone.
As he crossed the goal line, he felt a huge feeling of satisfaction. He had proved his critics wrong at every step of his career and achieved most of his goals. Although Troy Aikman, who had thrown four touchdown passes for the day, was named Super Bowl MVP, Emmitt didn’t mind. He was happy just to win the game. He knew that was the most important goal of all.
In the final moments of the game, with Dallas leading 52–17, two of the Cowboys’ huge linemen, Nate Newton and Charles Haley, sneaked up behind coach Jimmy Johnson with a huge bucket of Gatorade. They dumped it on his head in celebration.
The Cowboy players started to laugh and celebrate, then looked at Johnson in disbelief. His carefully combed hair, the object of much locker room humor, hadn’t even moved!
That was too much for Emmitt Smith to take. He rushed over to Johnson, placed both hands on his head, and raked his fingers through the coach’s hair. Then both men just looked at each other and laughed before embracing. It felt good to be on the winning team.