Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 2

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 31: Defensive lineman Jimmie Jones #97 of the Dallas Cowboys runs over quarterback Jim Kelly #12 of the Buffalo Bills as he runs for a two yard touch down after recovering a fumble after Kelly was sacked by defensive end Charles Haley in Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl on January 31, 1993 in Pasadena, California. The Cowboys won 52-17. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It is Day 2 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.

Get ready for a big one here on Day 2 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit the night the Cowboys dynasty officially arrived. Dallas had already announced itself by beating San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game, but Super Bowl XXVII turned a promising young team into champions. The Cowboys forced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers, Troy Aikman delivered an MVP performance and Buffalo was simply overwhelmed.

Sunday, January 31, 1993Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CaliforniaFinal Score: Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17

It had been 15 years since Dallas last lifted the Lombardi Trophy. The Cowboys had endured the end of the Tom Landry era, the 1-15 season in Jimmy Johnson's first year and a complete roster rebuild. Now Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin were on football's biggest stage, facing a Buffalo team appearing in its third consecutive Super Bowl.

Things began perfectly for Buffalo. Special-teams star Steve Tasker blocked Mike Saxon's punt, giving the Bills possession at the Dallas 16. Four plays later, Thurman Thomas scored from two yards out and Buffalo led 7-0. For a few minutes, it looked as though the Bills might finally be ready to change their Super Bowl fortunes.Then the turnovers, and all of Buffalo's nightmares began.

James Washington intercepted Jim Kelly and returned the ball 13 yards to the Buffalo 47. Six plays later, Aikman found Jay Novacek for a 23-yard touchdown to tie the game. On Buffalo's very next offensive play, Charles Haley sacked Kelly near his own goal line and knocked the football loose. Jimmie Jones scooped it up and went two yards into the end zone. In only 15 seconds, Dallas had turned a 7-0 game into a 14-7 lead.

Buffalo had chances to respond. The Bills reached the Dallas goal line later in the first half, but Thomas Everett intercepted Kelly in the end zone on fourth down. Steve Christie eventually converted a 21-yard field goal on another drive, reducing the Cowboys' advantage to 14-10 with 3:24 remaining before halftime. That was when Dallas exploded.

Smith broke loose for a 38-yard run, and Aikman finished the drive by hitting Irvin for a 19-yard touchdown. On Buffalo's very next offensive play, Thomas caught a short pass before Leon Lett forced a fumble that Jones recovered. Aikman immediately went back to Irvin for an 18-yard touchdown. Irvin had scored twice in just 18 seconds, and Dallas suddenly carried a 28-10 lead into halftime.

By then, Buffalo was also without Kelly, who had suffered a knee injury during the second quarter. Frank Reich took over at quarterback, but this was not going to become another miraculous comeback like the one he had engineered against Houston earlier that postseason. Dallas had too much control and continued creating mistakes.

Lin Elliott's 20-yard field goal stretched the lead to 31-10 in the third quarter. Reich then found Don Beebe for a 40-yard touchdown on the final play of the period, cutting the margin to 31-17. It was Buffalo's last score of the game.

The fourth quarter became a coronation. Aikman connected with Alvin Harper for a 45-yard touchdown, his fourth scoring pass of the night. Smith then scored on a 10-yard run before Ken Norton Jr. recovered another Buffalo fumble and returned it nine yards for a touchdown. Dallas had scored three times in only two and a minutes and pushed the score to an astonishing 52-17.

Of course, one of the most iconic NFL plays happened in this game, but it was a negative for the Cowboys. Late in the game, Leon Lett recovered a fumble and ran 64 yards for what looked like a sure touchdown. Lett slowed toward the goal line and extended the ball away from his body in celebration. Don Beebe had ben tracking Lett the whole way and finally reached him right before the goal line and swatted the ball away for a touchback keeping the score at the final of 52-17.

Aikman's performance was practically perfect. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. His 140.7 passer rating reflected just how efficiently he picked apart Buffalo's defense on the biggest stage of his career.

Yet the defense was every bit as responsible for the destruction. Dallas recovered five fumbles and intercepted four passes, turning Buffalo's nine turnovers into 35 points. Two of those takeaways became defensive touchdowns through Jones and Norton. Remarkably, a Cowboys defense that had finished first in the NFL in yards allowed that season did not have a single player selected to the Pro Bowl.

This game belongs at number two because it represents the exact moment a new era of Cowboys football became undeniable. Dallas had gone from the worst team in football only three years earlier to Super Bowl champion. The Cowboys did not sneak past Buffalo or survive a close finish. They dominated every phase and produced one of the most overwhelming championship performances the Super Bowl had seen.

#Cowboys vs #Bills

1993
Super Bowl XXVII

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17#DallasCowboys #NFL
(:@nfl) pic.twitter.com/lOSynSSpdz

- Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) September 11, 2026

Interesting Facts About the Game

The Cowboys forced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers, recovering five fumbles and making four interceptions.

Countdown to kickoff

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