When you look and watched what the 2009 Dallas Cowboys did, who do they remind you of? In my eyes, they are something similar of a team that started something special in the early 90s. No, I’m not talking about the Cowboys who won the Super Bowls, I’m talking about the team before the Super Bowls. If you take a look at what Jimmy Johnson’s team did in 1991, you see the similarities of the 2009 team. Troy Aikman was looking for something to prove in 1991. Just like what Tony Romo was trying to accomplish in the 2009 season with life after Terrell Owens. Both quarterbacks were out to prove they were not flukes. Aikman had the pressure of being the franchise quarterback after being the number 1 overall pick in 1989, while Romo was trying to prove that he could be just as good of a quarterback without having Terrell Owens to throw to when he was in Dallas. The running game is another similarity. The 91 cowboys knew they had something special in Emmitt Smith, just like how the 2009 cowboys knew they had something special with Felix Jones. Both guys burst out onto the scene and helped their teams become more explosive. While Smith led the league in rushing, Jones however , did not. But Jones made up for it with average almost 6 yards per carry. The Cowboys of 1991 had a “playmaker” in Michael Irvin, whom was slowed down by injuries in his first 3 years in the NFL. He led the league in receiving yards and was the go to guy for years to come. The 2009 Cowboys had a receiver who might be the biggest reason why the cowboys went 11-5 in the first place, and that is Miles Austin. Austin may not have led the league in receiving like Irvin, but Austin put up the numbers that Owens put up when he was in Dallas. Both defenses excelled and peaked at the end of the season. There were questions about who would step up at cornerback for the 91 cowboys, and low and behold, Larry Brown answered the call and became a solid corner for them. With Anthony Henry being traded following the 2008 season, Mike Jenkins was thrown into the spotlight to take the place of Henry and become the shut down corner that they wanted him to be. Jenkins played so well that he became a surprise pro bowl pick, and led the team in interceptions. Read More…
There may not have been a Demarcus Ware type player on the 1991 team, but they did have a good pass rusher in Tony Tolbert. Ken Norton junior was the mouthpiece of the 1991 defense, while Keith Brooking became the obvious leader of the defense as the 2009 season progressed. Both teams peaked and made impressive runs to make the playoffs towards the ending of their seasons. The biggest wins for both teams came on the road against teams who would eventually win the Super Bowl in those years. The 1991 Cowboys came into Washington, needing a win very badly, and they delivered. The 2009 Cowboys came into New Orleans, with perhaps a lot of jobs on the line, and pulled off a huge upset. Both teams won in the first round of the playoffs, but both were crushed in the next round. The 2009 Cowboys need to take a look at what the 1991 team did. The 1991 Cowboys may have gotten destroyed to end the season, but they would go on the next year to win the Super Bowl, and then some more in the next couple years. If the 2009 Cowboys have the same turnout in 2010 as the 1991 Cowboys did in 1992, then we truly have something special.
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