Ranking Dallas Cowboys' Top 5 best seasons in the NFL
Love them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys' impact on NFL history cannot be denied. They go by many names: Them Boys, America's Team, Big D, to name a few.
Their games are often granted national television privileges in endeavors that are often near sweeps of the NFL's top ten most viewed regular-season games.
Though the team has been star-crossed since hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy (its last coming in 1996), they continue to be one of the league's biggest draws. They've nonetheless remained consistent in terms of league standings and currently sit in the top spot in the NFC East at 8-4 following a 27-17 win over the New Orleans Saints in the NFL's weekly Thursday night showcase.
SK ranks the five greatest teams in Cowboys history
#5-1978
Though they missed out on a Super Bowl at the end of the year (done in by a familiar foe from Pittsburgh who got the best of them three years prior) there was no denying the greatness of the 1978 Cowboys, one of the last stands of the Roger Staubach/Tony Dorsett/Tom Landry/Doomsday Defense era.
The season appeared to be a disappointment at first glance: the Cowboys sat at 6-4 through 10 games and a return trip to the big game felt unlikely. They would go on to win each of their next eight and finish second in both offense and defense.
Though they fell 35-31 to the Steelers in Miami (a game that featured 25 Hall of Famers amongst the competitors), they became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls. It was this team that earned the eternal "America's Team" moniker, as NFL Films bestowed the title to the team in its highlight reel based on the team.
#4-1993
The 1993 season is perhaps known for Dallas blunders: they started the year with an 0-2 record (Emmitt Smith sat out those contests due to a contract dispute) and lost their annual Thanksgiving game to Miami thanks to Leon Lett's lapse of judgment against Miami...his second highly publicized blunder in a calendar year after January's Super Bowl.
Furthermore, the aftermath is best known for ending the Jimmie Johnson era, a departure the franchise still hasn't fully recovered from.
But the Dallas detractors quickly forgot that the Cowboys didn't lose a game after that holiday loss. They capped things off with a downright legendary effort from Smith, who suffered a separated shoulder during the season finale against the New York Giants.
Despite the injury, he picked up 229 yards of offense that allowed him to not only clinch his third NFL rushing title but also help the Cowboys clinch the NFC East title and the first-round bye that came with it. They would easily get by Green Bay and San Francisco before one more MVP performance from Smith, this one coming in Super Bowl XXVIII against the Bills.
#3-1971
The 1971 season changed the course of Cowboys history in more ways than one: the team moved into Texas Stadium, its new home in Irving, Texas.
Roger Staubach finally prevailed in the long-standing quarterback battle against Craig Morton and they dispelled the notion that they were incapable of winning the big game.
Sitting at 4-3 after seven games, the Cowboys again used a long winning streak to their advantage, winning their final seven regular-season games before ousting San Francisco in the NFC title game.
Entering Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins, the famed Doomsday Defense had allowed no more than 14 points in any of their last six games, capping that streak off with the most dominant defensive effort in Super Bowl history, allowing only a field goal in the 24-3 victory.