Dallas Cowboys vs 49ers: History suggests winner is Super Bowl bound

Dallas Cowboys 1992 NFC Championship Game

Similarly, to this upcoming game, the Dallas Cowboys entered the 1992 NFCCG game as heavy underdogs against the powerful 49ers and future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Even as the No. 2 seed with a 13-3 record, Dallas received no respect, absolutely none.

And if you think the New England Patriots sat at the top of the NFL food chain with Brady and Bill Belichick, the 49ers were more dominant and had way more talented players during this era.

The 49ers had won four Super Bowls and had played in several conference championship games within a decade. So realistically speaking, an upcoming Dallas Cowboys team had no chance whatsoever to dethrone the mighty 49ers. Until the triplets known as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and a ferocious defense showed up and showed out.

After a 10-10 tie, Dallas would eventually take a 24-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The 49ers would close the gap with a touchdown to Rice. Dallas fans did not want to see another sad ending in the NFCCG like they did a decade earlier at the hands of Montana. Facing a third and long, Aikman made the play of his career when he hit Alvin Harper on a 70-yard slant that Harper took inside the 10-yard line.

Aikman hit Kevin Martin a few plays later for the game-winning touchdown to secure a 30-20 victory in one of the most surprising defeats in this long-time rivalry. As a result, the famous term “How Bout Dem Cowboys” was born from Johnson, and the beginning of winning three Super Bowls in a span of four years was created on the 49ers home turf. My Gawd!