​Welcome to Day 66 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, as we revisit a classic regular-season duel between two teams that defined the NFC in the early 1990s. Dallas arrived at Week 7 of the 1993 season still shaking off a strange 0-2 start fueled by Emmitt Smith’s holdout, while San Francisco came in fresh from its bye, eager to prove that last season’s NFC Championship loss hadn’t permanently shifted the balance of power.
This game didn’t start on Dallas’s best foot. The 49ers struck first when Eric Davis stepped in front of a Cowboys fumble and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, giving San Francisco a 7-0 lead. Eddie Murray answered with a 48-yard field goal, but Mike Cofer added a 25-yard kick late in the first quarter to push the advantage to 10-3. In a matchup between two elite teams, falling behind early could have spelled trouble for Dallas.
The Cowboys responded in the second quarter with the kind of patient, physical football that had come to define their dynasty. Murray connected on a 39-yard field goal, Emmitt Smith powered in from a yard out for a touchdown, and Murray nailed another 29-yarder just before halftime. What began as a 10-3 deficit had transformed into a 16-10 Dallas lead, accomplished not with flash but with control, pressure, and a gradual reassertion of the offense’s identity.
San Francisco answered in the third quarter when Steve Young found Brent Jones for a 12-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead at 17-16. That swing epitomized why this rivalry was so compelling. Young, Jerry Rice, Ricky Watters, and George Seifert’s coaching staff were still a force to be reckoned with, and Dallas needed more than field goals to counter them.
The Cowboys provided the immediate response. On the next drive, Troy Aikman connected with Michael Irvin for a 36-yard touchdown, putting Dallas back in front 23-17. Murray added an 18-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and Dallas’s defense did the rest, sealing the victory. San Francisco totaled more yards, but Dallas won the turnover battle, controlled the pivotal moments, and leaned on its star players to prevail against another top-tier opponent.
This game earns its place on our countdown as another installment in the rivalry’s heavyweight era. From 1992 through 1994, Cowboys–49ers clashes defined a period, and this contest is a prime example of why that era remains legendary in NFL lore. It stands as a marquee regular-season battle, showcasing the strategic chess match, the talent at every position, and the grit that characterized both franchises during the height of their powers. As with all entries in our list, we’ll provide links to each day of the countdown at the bottom so you can explore any games you may have missed.