The 1990s Dallas Cowboys were a force to be reckoned with.
But America’s Team didn’t always have everything go their way, especially when it came to facing their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jerry Jones had not long taken over the ownership of the iconic NFL franchise and completed his organizational overhaul, including replacing legendary head coach Tom Landry with University of Miami boss Jimmy Johnson, who was very much unproven at the pro level at the time.
Just two years prior, Jones had sent the Cowboys into a complete rebuild after sending franchise star Herschel Walker packing to the Minnesota Vikings in a blockbuster trade that altered the landscape of the NFL forever.
In return, the Cowboys received three first-round picks and three second-rounders, which many thought was a huge mistake on America’s Team’s part.
The Cowboys used some of their newly acquired picks to draft Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, and Pro Bowlers Darren Woodson and Russell Maryland.
Dire Cowboys and Bounty Bowls
Entering the 1989 season the Cowboys were, put simply, atrocious, having missed the playoffs for the past three campaigns.
However, their 3-13 record in 1988 had a silver lining in that they had the first overall pick for the 1989 draft, and in the first pick of Jones’ ownership era, Dallas selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman.
With a rookie Aikman, the problems for Dallas intensified and got worse before they got better, with them finishing the 1980 campaign with a lowly 1-15 record.
That season is perhaps most remembered for the Cowboys being on the wrong side of a brutal beating by division rivals the Eagles twice, in what has become infamously known as the ‘Bounty Bowls.‘
In two bloody affairs, the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry quickly became one of the fiercest in the NFL, and still very much is in the modern era.
Fast-forward to 1991, and the tides had turned somewhat, with Dallas beginning to fire on all cylinders with Aikman, Smith and walking highlight reel in wide receiver Michael Irvin all beginning to enter their primes.
But, with two good teams chasing postseason glory, this meant that the match-up between the Eagles and the Cowboys would be yet another fiery contest to add to the books.
The emergence of Philly’s ‘Gang Green’
In Week 3 of the 1991 season, the Birds got out to a fast 17-0 lead after backup quarterback Jim McMahon landed the start.
With the Eagles dominating on offense, the defense also began to ramp up the pressure on third-year Aikman.
Before the clock ran down to signal the end of the first half, the Cowboys quarterback had already been intercepted three times.
One of those INTs came from linebacker Seth Joyner, the other two came from safety Rich Miano, and Aikman entered the second half having completed just four of his 10 pass attempts.
The day became even bleaker for Aikman and his team in the second half, with the Eagles defense unrelenting, and sacking the stricken quarterback 11 times – a franchise record which still stands pat today.
Speaking on an Eagles original called Return Game: Birds, ‘Boys, and Bad Blood, which provided the story of the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry, former Cowboys guard Nate Newton spoke of the O-Line’s disastrous outing that day.
“I’m the offensive lineman that was part of this sack disaster,” he said. “We couldn’t stop Clyde Simmons because he was just a hell of a pass rusher.
“When you give up one sack, you say, ‘OK.’ When you give up two sacks, you say, ‘Not a good day.’ When you give up three sacks, you go to wondering. And when you give up four sacks, you know you’re in for a long, long day.”
Simmons recorded 4.5 of those sacks by himself, setting a then-Eagles record, while the late Jerome Brown had 2.5, Mike Golic had 2.0 and Mike Pitts and Reggie White each claimed one of their own as the Birds earned a 24-0 shut-out victory.
“These guys were pumped,” Newton said of the Philly defense. “They were banshees, just hollering and screaming off the rock. And if they weren’t sacking, they was hitting him. And, and I’m looking up, I’m like, ‘Wow, this kid gettin’ killed.'”
The 1991 Eagles defense became known as the Gang Green due to their aggressive and fearsome defensive unit, priding themselves on their physicality and relentless desire to go out for blood every single snap.
According to sportswriter Ray Didinger, the members loved having this reputation.
“They liked it. They wanted to be the biggest, baddest team on the block,” he said. “And if you wanted to call them bullies, go ahead and call them bullies. They didn’t mind that at all.
“It wasn’t just body language. It was for real. That’s the kind of defense they played, and they were good at it and everybody in the league knew it.”
As for Aikman, Didinger believes that the young quarterback earned the respect of many for how he handled himself in such adversity.
“The thing that I remember about that was the way Aikman handled it,” he recalled. “And that day, man, he certainly proved his toughness because he got knocked down on every play. He kept getting back up.”
Co-host of the Return Game: Birds, ‘Boys, and Bad Blood show, Derrick Gunn added: “After the game, here’s what Aikman had to say, ‘I got hit a lot more than I cared. It was one of those days. We’ve been through it before. It was very frustrating. It was not a good day for anybody.'”
Cowboys would become NFL dynasty in the 1990s
The Cowboys wound up having the last laugh.
Having gone 7-9 in 1990, the Cowboys finally found themselves in the playoffs the following year after going 11-5. Meanwhile, the Eagles went 10-6, but ultimately missed out on securing a post-season berth at the hands of their division rivals.
Although Johnson would only lead his team to the Divisional Round that season, the blueprint for success had already been laid out.
The Cowboys were unstoppable for the best part of a half-decade, winning three Super Bowl titles in four seasons from 1992 to 1995.
Aikman, Irvin, and Smith, the latter considered the greatest running back in NFL history, were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an homage to one of the greatest ever eras of Cowboys football.
Fast-forward to 2025 and the Cowboys’ season opens with a trip to Lincoln Financial Field where the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles await them as they bid to go back-to-back.
But the Cowboys no longer have Micah Parsons on their defense, with Jones trading the superstar pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers just a week before the season opener.
It was an eerily reminiscent situation to that of the Herschel Walker trade all those years ago, with Dallas receiving very little in return for a player of Parsons’ stature.
But this time around, 82-year-old Jones doesn’t have an Aikman or an Irvin in his arsenal. He does, however, have a Dak Prescott and a CeeDee Lamb, as well as new wide-receiver George Pickens, all of whom have shown glimpses of star potential.
Whether they are good enough to help the Cowboys return to winning ways, having missed the playoffs last season, though, very much remains to be seen.
The Eagles, however, are strong contenders to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy once again with quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley eager to spearhead the Birds to victory once again, and ring out the cries of ‘Fly, Eagles fly!’
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