text: In 1992, the Cowboys finished with a 13–3 record (second best in the league), boasted the league's #1 defense, reached their peak in popularity (many road fans were cheering for the Cowboys), and finally avenged their 1981 NFC Championship Game loss to San Francisco by defeating the 49ers in the conference title game, 30–20, in a muddy Candlestick Park. The Cowboys went on to crush the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, 52–17, forcing a Super Bowl record nine turnovers. QB Troy Aikman was named MVP after completing 73.3% of his passes for 273 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions for a passer rating of 140.7, and even out rushed Bills running back Thurman Thomas 28 yards to 19 yards. Emmitt Smith rushed for 108 yards, and became the first NFL rushing champion to win a Super Bowl in the same season. Coach Johnson became the first coach to claim a National Championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football.
  1993: Fourth Super Bowl victory
  The following season, the Cowboys finished with a 12–4 record in the regular season. They again defeated the 49ers in the NFC Championship, this time by a score of 38–21 at Texas Stadium, and again defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, this time by a score of 30–13. The Cowboys sent an NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Thomas Everett, Daryl Johnston, Russell Maryland, Nate Newton, Ken Norton Jr, Jay Novacek, Mark Stepnoski and Erik Williams. Emmitt Smith won his third rushing title despite missing the first two games of the season, which the Cowboys went 0–2 in, over a contract dispute, and was named both NFL and Super Bowl MVP.  Smith is one of only six players to win both the NFL MVP award and Super Bowl MVP award in the same season, and is the only one of those six players who was not a quarterback.
  Switzer era
  1994: Attempt of a three-peat thwarted