Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Remember that famous Cowboy/NY Giant game in week 18 of 1993?

Winner take all: NFC East title, 1 seed, homefield advantage throughout

But what if it was the Giants winning that game?

How differently might things have played out if the Giants on that drive late in regulation got a winning touchdown or their OT drive plays out differently?

Dallas would have had no bye and had to play a tough Viking defense (that gave the Giants fits in the real life NFC WC) but without that bye week is Emmitt’s shoulder healed up and ready to play? That bye week proved invaluable.

Could the Cowboys if they lost that epic struggle have enough gas in the tank? If Emmitt’s performance through the pain had been all for naught, how much of an emotional disadvantage could that have been?

Even If DAL wins (assuming GB/DET still plays out the same with Favre’s javelin throw to Sterling Sharpe):

The divisional round is Packers at Giants and Cowboys AT 49ers is a divisional playoff game at Candlestick!

Does DAL’ offense still hum on natural grass on the road instead of at home? Does Jimmy Johnson still make his guarantee?

And the Giants’ #1 scoring defense probably fares better than 44-3 against a young Favre and Sharpe

What of SB 28 if no Dallas? Does Buffalo get that elusive title against a different foe? Simms/LT get a storybook ending?

instead of Buffalo/Dallas II is it Buffalo/Giants II? Or Bills/49ers?

Or maybe it doesn’t matter as the 93 Cowboys could have taken the WC path ala 92 Buffalo/75 Dallas

Anytime people talk about E Smith being a product of his line, I point out this game. Not many superstar RBs would have played with a separated shoulder but Emmitt did. At that time in his career, no one was lauding his offensive line. That came later, as Larry Allen, Mark Stepnoski and Nate Newton got more publicity. Erik Williams may not make the HOF, yet he was a nasty, physical player like Bob Brown.

Had Dallas lost to NY, Steve Young and the Niners would have went all the way, I believe, simply because they would have had too much offense for a Buffalo team that replaced James Lofton.

Good one, but I like to take it further: What if the Jets won in Buffalo in Week 17 (they made the FG, or Thurman's phantom TD didn't count), and the Giants won the next week?

This is how the WC round would look:

AFC: Jets at Bills (who would go down to 11-5 and lose the tie-breaker to KC) and Broncos at Raiders
NFC: Vikings at Cowboys and Pack at Lions

Besides the Pack and Raiders (who still win), I see the Cowboys blowing out the Vikes, and I see the Bills getting payback for Week 17. That brings up this divisional round:

AFC: Bills at Chiefs and Raiders at Oilers
NFC: Cowboys at 49ers and Pack at Giants

In the AFC, the Chiefs are able to hold off the resilient Bills at Arrowhead, and the Oilers beat the undisciplined Raiders. In the NFC, San Fran is able to get revenge on a worn down Dallas team at home. However, the Pack-Giants game turns out to be memorable. Going into the fourth quarter, the Giants have a 17-6 lead, and have been in control, intercepting Favre four times. However, Favre leads a late comeback, culminating in a TD pass to Jacky Harris with :35 seconds to play. The young Pack make their way to SF for the NFC title.

Conference title games: Chiefs at Oilers and Packers at 49ers

I know the Chiefs beat the Oilers in the divisional round, but that may have been because the Oilers had a week off, and were out of sync. That isn't at play here. Also, in the divisional round, Bruce Smith got a few good shots on Montana's elbow, and he struggles in the Astrodome. Oilers go on to the Super Bowl. In the NFC, the 49ers dominate most of the game, and have a 28-10 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, Favre throws two fourth quarter TD's to Brooks and Edgar Bennett, and it looks like he could be at it again. However, with 2:23 left, Favre throws a pick to Tim McDonald, who returns it 65 yards for a TD. Oilers-49ers in the Super Bowl.

In the Georgia Dome, Buddy's crew is able to beat SF for the second time that year, and the Oilers get a long-awaited SB win.

This offseason would have changed some things, and could have changed others:

1. The Oilers, while not 100% guaranteed to stay in Houston, probably end up getting a new stadium, and stay put. A SB title makes things get done here. Also, Warren Moon ends up staying as an Oiler, and eventually retires there (and doesn't play until 2000).
2. The Jets end up keeping Bruce Coslet, and the Rich Kotite era is butterflied away.
3. With a loss in the divisional round, does Jimmy return? Or does Jerry Jones drive him away sooner with his antics?
4. With an amazing run to the NFC Title Game, that probably accelerates the learning curve of the Packers. Maybe they are in a SB sooner.

Brian wolf wrote:Anytime people talk about E Smith being a product of his line, I point out this game. Not many superstar RBs would have played with a separated shoulder but Emmitt did. At that time in his career, no one was lauding his offensive line. That came later, as Larry Allen, Mark Stepnoski and Nate Newton got more publicity. Erik Williams may not make the HOF, yet he was a nasty, physical player like Bob Brown.

Had Dallas lost to NY, Steve Young and the Niners would have went all the way, I believe, simply because they would have had too much offense for a Buffalo team that replaced James Lofton.

If that happens, what of Deion? Does SF even bother with Primetime if they win SB 28 rather than the NFC-CG debacle that led to Policy/Debartolo saying 'never again?"

Do they tinker with a defense that shaky as it was still wins a SB?

An interesting question CS ...

Dallas relied too much on Smith to win that Giants game but Johnson felt Emmitt had the hotter hand than Troy ... had they lost, Aikman might have stepped it up to beat the Jimmy Mac-led Vikings in the wildcard but without the bye, a tougher game in SF. Maybe the Cowboys find a way with Emmitt missing the WC game and returning but I believe the Niners win a close game and dispose of NY or GB in the championship game, before beating Buffalo in the SB. Yes, the Niners defense was shaky against Dallas but not necessarily anyone else. Without Lofton, I dont believe the Bills would have survived a shootout.

Had SF won, they probably dont sign Sanders, Plummer or Jackson for 1994 but you never know? As a Cowboys fan at that time, that 1993/94 whipping of SF in Dallas, following with Buffalo, let the league know that a Cowboys three-peat in 1994 wasnt going to be good for business and they allowed the 49ers to use any means necessary, even illegal, to dethrone Dallas. I truly believe that there is no way Sanders would have given up baseball, just because the Niners demanded it. I believe the league quietly sweetened the deal to help SF sign him ... haha, I could be wrong.

Then there is Johnson ... Had the 49ers stopped a back-to-back champion, maybe Johnson comes back and goes after free agents he likes himself, but its hard to say. He was exhausted bringing this team back to prominence and felt Jerry Jones was focusing more on profitting from the team brand, than compensating him ... Would Jones have allowed Johnson to buy into the team? Did Jimmy even care too?