It is Day 7 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain
dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.
We’re now one week away as we reach Day 7 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, and we go to the game that changed the balance of power in the NFC and launched the Cowboys’ 1990s dynasty. Dallas went into a wet, muddy Candlestick Park against the team that had defined the previous decade and emerged with the victory, sending the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl in 15 years.
Sunday, January 17, 1993 — 4:00 p.m. ET
Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 20
The matchup felt like a collision between generations. San Francisco, with an NFC best 14-2 record and right behind was Dallas at 13-3. Despite the 49ers’ four Super Bowl wins since the Cowboys’ last appearance, Jimmy Johnson’s young roster believed it was ready to replace them at the top of the conference. Occasional rain turned the Candlestick grass into a difficult, muddy surface, adding to the physical nature of the game.
Dallas took the lead after Alan Grant fumbled a punt, which Daryl Johnston recovered at the San Francisco 22. Troy Aikman then connected with Michael Irvin to reach the one-yard line, but the 49ers managed to hold them off and force a field goal from Lin Elliott. San Francisco responded with Steve Young’s one-yard touchdown run, putting them ahead 7-3.
The Cowboys regained control during the second quarter. Ricky Watters fumbled after a hit by Larry Brown, and Kevin Smith recovered for Dallas. Emmitt Smith eventually scored from four yards out to put the Cowboys ahead 10-7. However, Mike Cofer’s 28-yard field goal tied the game shortly before halftime. Elliott missed from 43 yards on the final Dallas possession, leaving the score 10-10 at the break.
Dallas’s most important drive of the season came out of halftime. Aikman completed a spectacular 38-yard pass to Alvin Harper, and the Cowboys drove 78 yards before Johnston scored from three yards to make it 17-10. Cofer responded with a 42-yard field goal, cutting the Cowboys’ lead to four.
The Cowboys responded with a championship-caliber performance. They controlled the football for approximately nine minutes, showcasing their dominance with a 79-yard drive. Aikman sealed the drive by finding Smith for a 16-yard touchdown, extending the Cowboys’ advantage to 24-13.
The 49ers still had one major run left. Ken Norton Jr. intercepted Young and Dallas drove to the San Francisco seven, but Smith was stopped on fourth-and-one. Young then took the 49ers 93 yards, finishing the possession with a five-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice. With 4:22 remaining, Dallas’ lead had suddenly been reduced to 24-20 and Candlestick Park was alive again.
What happened next became one of the defining plays in Cowboys history. Instead of becoming conservative, Dallas attacked on the first play after the kickoff. Aikman fired to Harper, who caught the ball over the middle and exploded downfield for a 70-yard gain to the San Francisco 10-yard line. In one play, all the momentum the 49ers had created disappeared.
After three plays, Aikman found Kelvin Martin for a six-yard touchdown. However, the extra point was blocked, leaving Dallas leading 30-20 with 3:43 remaining. Around the two-minute warning, James Washington intercepted Young on San Francisco’s final serious possession, setting the stage for celebration.
This game belongs this high on the countdown because it was the moment the Cowboys stopped being an exciting young contender and became the NFL’s next great team. San Francisco had been the defining franchise of the 1980s. Dallas walked into its stadium, beat it in a championship game and took control of the NFC. The Cowboys have since described the victory as the win that ignited their run as the “Team of the 90s” and the power exchange had begun.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Aikman threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while Dallas went the entire game without committing a turnover.
Countdown to kickoff
100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57,56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
