It is Day 34 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.
Welcome in for Day 34 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit the afternoon the young 1992 Cowboys proved their regular-season rise would translate to January. Dallas had won a franchise-record 13 regular-season games, but Philadelphia arrived with a veteran defense, an explosive quarterback and no interest in treating the Cowboys like an established contender.
Sunday, January 10, 1993 — 12:30 p.m. ET
Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10
Dallas had completed a 13-3 regular season, won the NFC East and earned the conference’s second seed behind the 14-2 San Francisco 49ers. Philadelphia entered as an 11-5 wild-card team and arrived with confidence after scoring 26 fourth-quarter points in a 36-20 comeback victory over New Orleans. The Eagles were experienced, dangerous and built around a defense that had caused Dallas considerable problems during the Cowboys’ rise.
The rivalry had become one of the league’s most bitter. Philadelphia had embarrassed Dallas 31-7 on Monday Night Football in October, handing the Cowboys their first loss after a 3-0 start. Dallas responded with a 20-10 win at Texas Stadium four weeks later, but the playoff meeting offered the only result that would settle which team had truly gained control of the division. For Troy Aikman and the Cowboys’ emerging core, this was also an opportunity to prove they were no longer the inexperienced team that could be overwhelmed by Philadelphia’s aggression.
The Eagles controlled the opening possession and took a 3-0 lead on a Roger Ruzek field goal, but Dallas responded immediately. Kelvin Martin’s 39-yard kickoff return gave the Cowboys excellent field position, and Aikman completed the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Derek Tennell. Tennell had joined the team only days earlier, yet his touchdown gave Dallas a 7-3 advantage and the early lead.
The game remained tight until the final minute of the first half. Aikman connected with Alvin Harper for 41 yards before finding Jay Novacek for a six-yard touchdown. On the following kickoff, rookie safety Darren Woodson forced Vai Sikahema to fumble, allowing Lin Elliott to add a field goal as time expired. Dallas scored 10 points in the final 47 seconds and entered halftime leading 17-3.
The Cowboys put the game away after the break. Emmitt Smith finished a strong opening drive with a 23-yard touchdown run, and Elliott later added a 43-yard field goal. Dallas controlled the third quarter from start to finish, outgaining Philadelphia 176 yards to minus-16 yards and extending its lead to 27-3.
Dallas’ defense made life miserable for Randall Cunningham. Russell Maryland and Tony Tolbert recorded two sacks apiece, while Jim Jeffcoat added another. Philadelphia managed only 178 total yards and converted just one of its 12 third-down attempts. The Eagles could not run the ball consistently, protect Cunningham or keep their defense off the field.
Dallas finished with 346 total yards, 22 first downs and more than 35 minutes of possession. The Cowboys converted seven of 12 third downs and scored 34 unanswered points after Philadelphia’s opening field goal. Against a defense that had embarrassed them three months earlier, Dallas looked stronger, deeper and far more composed.
This game belongs on the countdown because it marked the moment Dallas stopped looking like an emerging contender and began looking like the best team in football. The Cowboys absorbed Philadelphia’s early pressure, dominated the line of scrimmage and turned a bitter rivalry game into a 24-point playoff victory.
Interesting Facts About the Game
Tennell’s one-yard reception was the only touchdown catch of his NFL career. He had joined Dallas as a free agent only days before the game and had previously been Aikman’s teammate at UCLA.
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
