1994 Dallas Cowboys season
| 1994 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Barry Switzer |
| Home field | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC East |
| Playoff finish |
Won NFC Divisional Playoff (Packers) 35–9 Lost NFC Championship Game (at 49ers) 28–38 |
The 1994 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League and was the first year under head coach Barry Switzer. Following their second consecutive Super Bowl title, the Cowboys would see a multitude of changes. In March, months of setbacks finally reached its climax as team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson held a press conference and announced Johnson's resignation.
After a continuous run of dominance in the regular season and finishing with a record of 12–4, the Cowboys fell short of a record third straight Super Bowl title with a loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The 1994 Cowboys draft yielded only one notable addition to the team, offensive guard Larry Allen and veteran linebacker Ken Norton Jr. left the team to sign with San Francisco.
This season was also the 75th anniversary of the NFL and was designated by a diamond-shaped patch worn on the left breast of every NFL team's uniform. The Cowboys celebrated the league's history by donning their inaugural white jerseys from the 1960–1963 seasons against the Detroit Lions. The team also later debuted a special white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day 1994. These uniforms celebrated the Cowboys' most recent back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the 1992 and 1993 seasons and were used in most of the Cowboys' remaining games of the season, including the playoffs.
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1994 Dallas Cowboys draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | Shante Carver | Defensive end | Arizona State | |
| 2 | 46 | Larry Allen † | Guard | Sonoma State | |
| 3 | 102 | George Hegamin | Tackle | NC State | |
| 4 | 109 | Willie Jackson | Wide Receiver | Florida | |
| 4 | 131 | DeWayne Dotson | Linebacker | Ole Miss | |
| 6 | 191 | Darren Studstill | Safety | West Virginia | |
| 7 | 216 | Toddrick McIntosh | Defensive end | Florida State | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Boniol | Kicker | Louisiana Tech |
| Richie Cunningham | Kicker | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| Matt Joyce | Tackle | Richmond |
| Hurvin McCormack | Defensive Tackle | Indiana |
| Tony Richardson | Fullback | Auburn |
Regular season
In an attempt to be the first NFL franchise to "Three-Peat" Super Bowls, the Dallas Cowboys were off to a strong start under new head coach Barry Switzer. However dominant, the team was fielded with injuries to many key starters. The most notable injuries were a near fatal car accident to tackle Erik Williams and a nagging hamstring strain to running back Emmitt Smith. The season also saw the brief emergence of back-up quarterback Jason Garrett as he led a comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day by leading the Cowboys to score 36 points in the second half.[1] Offensive coordinator Norv Turner also departed to become head coach of the rival Washington Redskins and was replaced by veteran offensive assistant Ernie Zampese. Dallas still managed to finish the regular season posting a 12–4 record and defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional game at Texas Stadium. They would later travel to Candlestick Park to face the San Francisco 49ers for the third straight time in as many years for the NFC Championship Game. Down 21 points in the first quarter, the Cowboys fought back valiantly, but fell short, 28–38.
Schedule
| Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Pittsburgh Steelers | 26 | 9 | W | FOX 3:00pm | 1–0 | |
| Houston Oilers | 20 | 17 | W | NBC 3:00pm | 2–0 | |
| Detroit Lions | 17 | 20 (OT) | L | ABC 8:00pm | 2–1 | |
| Bye | ||||||
| at Washington Redskins | 34 | 7 | W | FOX 12:00pm | 3–1 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 38 | 3 | W | FOX 3:00pm | 4–1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 24 | 13 | W | FOX 3:00pm | 5–1 | |
| at Arizona Cardinals | 28 | 21 | W | FOX 3:00pm | 6–1 | |
| at Cincinnati Bengals | 23 | 20 | W | FOX 12:00pm | 7–1 | |
| New York Giants | 38 | 10 | W | ABC 8:00pm | 8–1 | |
| at San Francisco 49ers | 14 | 21 | L | FOX 3:00pm | 8–2 | |
| Washington Redskins | 31 | 7 | W | FOX 12:00pm | 9–2 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 42 | 31 | W | FOX 3:00pm | 10–2 | |
| at Philadelphia Eagles | 31 | 19 | W | FOX 12:00pm | 11–2 | |
| Cleveland Browns | 14 | 19 | L | NBC 3:00pm | 11–3 | |
| at New Orleans Saints | 24 | 16 | W | ABC 8:00pm | 12–3 | |
| at New York Giants | 10 | 15 | L | FOX 12:00pm | 12–4 |
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 414 | 248 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 279 | 305 | W6 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 235 | 267 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 308 | 308 | L7 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 320 | 412 | W1 |
Throwback weekend games
- Dallas: 9/19 (Det)
Roster
Awards and records
- Charles Haley, Defense, UPI NFC Player of the Year
- Emmitt Smith, Best NFL Player ESPY Award
Publications
The Football Encyclopedia
ISBN 0-312-11435-4
Total Football
ISBN 0-06-270170-3
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes
ISBN 0-446-51950-2
References
- ↑ "Fans' Choice: Pick a comeback game to watch". National Football League. March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.